Frequently Asked Questions

The following are by far the most commonly asked questions in the emails I've received. Generally, I've enjoyed answering the email, but at this point I'm not able to provide prompt responses. I hope you find an answer here.

Can you recommend a school in my state or country?

Basically, no. Rim's Hapkido Association only has schools in Maryland at this time. There are other worthwhile schools, but other schools teach other styles of Hapkido, which are essentially different martial arts. Given that, it is not clear what the basis of our recommendation would be.

I train at _______ . What do you think of my school?

You're the best judge. After you've given your school a good try, a year or so, ask yourself two questions: am I having any fun, and am I learning anything I want to know. Your answers to those questions are more useful than anything I can say.

How does traditional Hapkido differ from other Hapkido? and
Can you tell me about the _______ Hapkido Association? and
My masters/instructors name is _______, do you know him?

By traditional Hapkido I mean the martial art of Choi, Yong Sul. Mr. Choi taught a soft martial. Traditional Hapkido takes the path of least resistance and uses joint locks and throws. Soft blocks are used against punches and kicks are limited to targets of opportunity. The idea of Ki is used to explain motions and eventually, awareness of Ki is essential to perform motions.

Some Hapkido styles are essentialy Tae Kwon Do. Most are a blend of hard and soft techniques, but this mix was introduced by Mr. Choi's students, not Mr. Choi.

Didn't Ji, Han Jae found/name Hapkido?

None of us were there, so we don't know for sure. We do know that by the sixties many different organizations were teaching "Hapkido," they just weren't teaching the same thing. Mr. Choi called his art Hapkido from the time Mr. Rim met him until his death (1964-1986). The name Hapkido has become less precise as time goes on. Ji, Han Jae now calls his system Sin Moo Hapkido. Similarly, Mr. Rim has formed an association in recognition of the fact that "Rim's Hapkido" is a distinct style.

Are Hapkido and Aikido similar and/or complementary?

Traditional Hapkido and Aikido have similarities and differences. Taking my limited knowledge of Aikido into account, the similarities are:

Both arts were founded by students of Takeda Sokaku,
have a Jujutsu heritage that favors joint locking and throws,
advocate the principle of being in harmony with the attacker,
are fundamentally defensive, and
are capable of developing their student's character and spirit.

Differences are:

The founder of Aikido studied many arts but chose to make up his own system. He evolved his art into a physical metaphor for his spiritual beliefs. Fighting motion is largely absent

The founder of Hapkido studied only one art, and despite the name change, claimed to teach the system he was taught. Mr. Choi's Hapkido retains the fighting motion of Takeda Sokaku.

Are there any books or videos by Rim's Hapkido Association?

For reference purposes, we have a binder containing a description of all of the techniques from white belt to black belt. This binder is bigger than most phone books and wouldn't be a very commercial thing to sell.

We don't have any videos at this time, either demos or instructional. We hope to make some "soon," but soon will not be before 1999.

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