Hapkido

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Hapkido

Also known as	Hapkido, Hap Ki Do, Hapki-Do
Focus	Grappling
Country of origin	South Korea
Creator	No single creator; collaborative effort of Choi Yong-Sool's earliest students.[1][2][3]
Parenthood	Japanese martial arts
Ancestor arts	Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, Judo, Chinese martial arts
Descendant arts	Sin Moo Hapkido, Jung Ki Hapkido, Huek Choo Kwan Hapkido, Hapmudo, Hankido, Hwa Rang Do, Kuk Sul Won, Combat Hapkido, Hapki yusul, Kwan Nyom Hapkido

Hapkido (UK: /ˌhæpkiːˈdoʊ/ HAP-kee-DOH,^[4] US: /hɑːpˈkiːdoʊ/ hahp-KEE-doh,^[5] also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do; from Korean 합기도 hapgido [hap̚.ki.do]) is a Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, and other striking attacks. It also teaches the use of traditional weapons, including knife, sword, rope, nunchaku (ssang juhl bong), cane (ji pang ee), short stick (dan bong), and middle-length staff (joong bong), gun (analogous to the Japanese jō), and bō (Japanese), which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.

Hapkido employs both long-range and close-range fighting techniques, utilizing jumping kicks and percussive hand strikes at longer ranges, and pressure point strikes, joint locks, and throws at closer fighting distances. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, redirection of force, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage over their opponents through footwork and body positioning to incorporate the use of leverage, avoiding the use of brute strength against brute strength.

The art was adapted from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu as it was taught by Choi Yong-Sool (최용술) when he returned to Korea after World War II after having lived in Japan for 30 years. This system was later combined by Choi's disciples with kicking and striking techniques of indigenous and contemporary arts such as Taekkyon, and Tang Soo Do; as well as various throwing techniques and ground fighting from Japanese Judo.^[6]