As a white belt we learn basic stances (front, back and horse riding) and spend hours simply walking up and down the mat. I remember it being the part of the class I always hated; but now as an instructor
Don’t neglect the kihap!
Recently a few of my newer students have been asking why we are ‘grunting’ or ‘shouting’ during techniques. What they are referring to is the ‘ki-hap’: literally, Ki means inner power, and Hap means coordination. So the shout is an
What happens on the mat…
What is the single biggest factor that will affect your Hapkido? Your mind. If you are upset, carried away, scattered, preoccupied…your Hapkido will be poor. If you are relaxed, focused, attentive, calm…your Hapkido will be good and your ki will
Helping lower belts.
I remember about a year ago a blue belt student being very annoyed about having to work with a young yellow belt girl. I told him that I understood how he felt, “Yes, I know… Sometimes the black belts also
Boredom vs. concentration in sparring.
Recently, a lower belt student told me that when he spars with more junior belts he is often afraid of hitting them. He also disclosed that he gets bored sparring with the junior or less ‘able’ students. My response to
Tension vs. power in Hapkido training.
I find that many new students need to first spend time understanding the difference between tension, strength and power. In the English language, if we want to improve at something, we often say that we must knuckle down, train hard orgrit our
Expert technique takes time.
A green belt student asked me for advice on his side kick the other day. He expressed disappointment when I told him that his side kick was fine. “But it doesn’t snap and sometimes I lose balance. Your kick is
Taking time to appreciate a black belt.
Last month, after years of training and months of testing, one of my students received her black belt. As is the custom, the belt was presented to her at the end of a recent rank test. She was called to
Practising what we’re bad at.
I had a student about 4 years ago who complained to me that people were advancing ahead of him and that I wasn't teaching him any new skills. To some degree this was actually true; he had reached a bit
Who is the bow for?
Most of the time, when I enter the gym, I will look directly at the students who have congregated outside the studio. Naturally they bow, “hello Saboumnim”. Occasionally I will overt my eyes. My peripheral vision sometimes allows me to