The History of Hapkido

As with most Martial Arts, the history of Hapkido, is shrouded in mystery and controversy. Lack of original records, hearsay, anecdotes, politics, egos and the ravages of time all but ensure sketchy and biased accounts of the origin of this Martial Art.

Over the past 2000 years the Korean people have developed several fighting systems and martial disciplines which have evolved into modem Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Kook Sool, Hwa Rang Do, etc..

Hundreds of years of trade, war, occupation and exchange between Korea and its neighbors, China and Japan, have resulted in "cross-pollination" , mutual influence and blending of styles and techniques. It is now virtually impossible to state with certainty which techniques are truly Korean, Chinese or Japanese in origin.

Hapkido was founded by Choi Yong Sool (1904-1986). Reportedly he developed the system by combining native Korean fighting methods with Japanese Daito Ryu Aiki-Ju Jitsu. Choi had learned that system from its Headmaster Sokaku Takeda while living in Japan from 1915 to 1945. After his return to Korea, Choi started teaching Self Defense (Yawara) in TaeGue City. He initially called his system Yu Kwon Sool. One of Choi's senior students, Ji Han-Jae, claims to have been the first one to introduce the name "Hapkido" in Seoul in 1957. However this is strongly disputed by Choi's first student and mentor, Prof. Suh Bok Sup, who claims that he and Choi were already using the word "Hapkido" when they opened their first dojang (school) in 1951.

Some "traditional" Instructors claim that 'Hapkido contains over 3600 techniques,  including as " many  as  120 different  kicks.  Again Prof.  Suh Bok  Sup, who was  Choi's first  student  and employer, disputes this  and asserts that the original Hapkido  system as taught  by  Choi was comprised of only 100 Self Defense techniques. 

 Nowadays there are many styles of Hapkido and

over a dozen associations I Governing Bodies. Some styles have produced forms (Hyung) and require them for advancement; others stress high kicking (including jumping and flying kicks); still others, heavily influenced by Judo or Aikido, emphasize throwing skills.

The literal translation of the word Hapkido (which is actually a compression of 3 distinct words) 

• HAP  - To combine, to unite, to coordinate, to join. 
• KI - Internal power, dynamic energy, life force.
• DO  - The way, the system, the method.

The reason why each term has several English corresponding words is because Oriental and Western languages express thoughts, ideas and concepts in different ways resulting in translations that only "approximate" the original meaning. 

The Korean characters for Hapkido translate in Japanese as Aikido (and vice versa). However do not confuse the two Arts or consider them the same, they are not.

 Not only were they founded at different times, in different Countries, by different Masters, but they are also different in philosophy as well as techniques.