This is to the newest members of the World Hapkido Association. Congratulations and Welcome! We all look forward to many years of training and collaboration.

Juan Navarro Zamora

Ciudad Real, SPAIN

News & Events

Korea Summer Camp – July 2 thru July 9 – 2006!

Summer Camp specifics have been finalized! The fee for the camp will include airfare, lodging at 4-star hotels, all food, gratuities and training expenses. This is a great chance to see and train in the homeland of Hapkido’s birthplace. Deposits due as soon as possible. Contact Mr. Dan Piller for pricing and payment specifics. He can be reached through the World Hapkido Association website or at http://www.kimartialarts.com

Itinerary

July 2^nd - Depart LAX
(Flight approximately 12 hours) We should arrive in Korea on the morning of the 4th July.

July 4^th - Arrive in Incheon Airport in the morning
      Visit the WHA school in Bucheon. Hapkido demonstration and training.
      Depart to Kyung-Ju, Dinner and check in, Kyung-Ju Hilton Hotel.
July 5^th - Tour of Kyung-Ju, ancient tombs and temples
      Dinner and check-in, Kyung-Ju Hilton Hotel
July 6^th - Tour of east coast and Sorak Mountains   
      Dinner and check-in, Sorak Park Hotel.           
July 7^th - Depart to Seoul
      Stop by Yong-In folk village, and visit Eu-Jung Bu (Gumdo School)   
      Dinner and check-in, Lotte Hotel, Seoul
July 8^th - Tour of DMZ. (border line of North and South Korea)
      Dinner and check-in, Lotte Hotel, Seoul
July 9th - Visit Kyung-Bok palace in Seoul, Shopping at Itaewon
      Depart Incheon. - Arriving at LAX (10 hour flight) on the same day.

Announcements

1. There is now a "Links" button on the World Hapkido Association homepage. Master Jung would like all Charter members who have their own website to be included on it with their link. However, you must have the WHA logo on your homepage and an "indication of affiliation" with the WHA.
2. The NEW 2005 Pro-Hapkido DVD will be out soon. Pay attention for the announcement!! Seminar participants were able to see the rough footage at camp this year … this one was fantastic!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Mr. Dante James of Ki Martial Arts Center, operated by Master Dan Piller for his recent promotion to Chodan in Hapkido. Mr. James is already a Master in TKD and brings a deep breadth of knowledge to his Hapkido black belt. Mr. James tested during a Seminar weekend in Colorado and his promotion was followed by two days of training in Denver and Carbondale. During the weekend, Master Tae Jung, President of the WHA formally announced that Mr. James would also be appointed as an Assistant Director of the World Hapkido Association.

- Seminar Update -

WHA Blankets Colorado

The snow from the preceding night provided the perfect backdrop for a weekend of seminars and belt

Testing sponsored by the World Hapkido Association, headed by Master Tae Jung.

Friday night was spent at Ki Martial Arts Centers, owned and operated by Master Dan Piller. Mr. Dante James successfully passed his test for Chodan in front of the panel of Directors and is the first black belt promoted by Ki Martial Arts Centers.

Saturday’s seminar was hosted by Master Dan Piller and held at the Colorado History Museum. Learning consisted of four basic Hoshinsul (self-defense) defense techniques and counter techniques to each. Emphasis was put on transitioning from technique to technique in response to varying combat dynamics. The morning seminar concluded with kick defenses and ground-fighting basics.

Sunday’s seminar was held in Carbondale, Colorado at the Pro-TKD Martial Arts Center owned and operated by Master Doug Fuechsel, 7^th Dan. Students from Florida, Colorado and Oregon were in attendance. Individuals representing TangSooDo, TKD, Aikido and others flocked to Pro-TKD Center to learn the self-defense of Hapkido. The seminar included falling and Hoshinsul basics as well as unarmed movement drills and kick defenses.

The Sunbi Spirit

By: Jeff Hindley

Hapkido and Evolution

The idea of Evolution is not lost on most people. Individuals may argue about the efficacy of such a theory but even the most conservative of Christians must be able to accept the notion that "micro" evolution is an observable fact of nature…although they may take exception to the idea that "macro" evolution (i.e. change from species to species) is scientifically plausible. That debate of course is left for another forum.

Having said that, the idea that small changes over time is something we can relate to a variety of areas, especially martial-arts is worthy to note. Our art of Hapkido is of course, no exception. Indeed, Hapkido in it’s current incarnation, is different as a whole than taught originally by Choi, Yong Sool. The variety of kicking and weapon techniques are a few major examples of what was added to Hapkido by the original pioneers of the art and Choi’s first students.

I come back to this thinking quite often when I teach. It hit me again a few weekends ago while in Colorado at Master Fuechsel’s. We began the seminar with basic falling. Falling itself is perhaps one of the most observable subsections of Hapkido that represents the idea of Evolution within an art. This, even more clearly defined, is an example of Evolution in how one must learn and how one must teach, a specific skill. Falling is a vital component to Hapkido training, especially if one is to train at the upper level. Therefore, it must be taught in segments, as it is quite an advanced skill. We teach falling beginning on the balls of the feet, perhaps the knees. Then we go from the same position with a jumping or springing motion. We then go to standing with ways to modify even that. There are partner drills and falling drills to address form and slapping separately from falling if one is having problems. For the harder falls, we move to flip falls and variations of training that taking each student where they are at and moving them ahead only when we say they are ready. Most students, bless their heart, think they are ready before they are. Often, this should be allowed with some trepidation as often "ugly" if not "painful" results ensue if one attempts to "run before they walk". To quote the late Pat Morita, "natures rule Daniel-san, not mine". How true!

An inexperienced instructor misses some of these subtleties, especially as it relates to Hapkido as it has so many facets to it. Nonetheless, even with an art that is slightly less dimensional, the same theory still holds true. Kicking and punching is often taught slightly different to beginners as one learns how to use their body properly, to say nothing of their mind. Harken back to your years teaching children if you want an obvious example of this idea in practice. How many students out there have instructors who continue to give them little "caveats" during their training…or help them learn a subtlety to a technique they never knew before. This couldn’t happen if there was not a natural evolution in both learning and one’s teaching. This is the mark of this idea at its truest.

More specifically, nothing makes this more glaringly apparent than the Hoshinsul of Hapkido. At its higher levels, it is quite difficult to flow from technique to technique with an unyielding, and counter-attacking opponent. Taught this way from the beginning, it would be lost on almost all who would try it. The frustration level would be so high for students nobody would stay with it. This is the idea why most preliminary Black Belt techniques in Hapkido are static in nature (i.e. attacks with little movement such as body grabs) where we allow an individual to grab. This is a non-threatening method of teaching a student to learn the fine details of how to apply locks and chokes on different individuals with different amounts of strength and resistance. However, from a "practical" standpoint, (unless this is unavoidable) to allow somebody to grab us is antithetical to true Hapkido training. We rely on the energy and movement of another to affect their defeat. For a student to gain this "kinesthetic" feel takes years and years. Drill after drill after drill to teach their body and mind how to react without thinking is the height of this. This is another form of evolution in our training and teaching because this cannot be learned during the first months. After over 20 years, I’m still working on it!

Getting back to the original point, Hapkido itself has experienced a great evolution that has made it the incarnation we have before us today. There have been many who have argued for a level of uniformity down to the minutiae of categorization of every technique, all having officially agreed upon names and other nonsense. Oh, how this would take away from our beloved art. To say nothing of the fact that its very nature prohibits this sort of compartmentalizing. The wonderful thing about Hapkido is that it is reflected by the personality and background of the teacher presenting it but codified by an unwavering adherence to a self-defense premise and combat principles that tie everything together. This is what makes Hapkido…Hapkido! These principles are unwavering. But within that overarching umbrella we have a style that is living, breathing and evolving but not to its detriment like so many other things where the original has been lost in this process and barely recognizable. When one sees Hapkido, you know it’s Hapkido…but the influences of the instructor are obvious…that’s the beauty of evolution…from this perspective at least.

Health & Nutrition

This article was written by Diana Davila, a practitioner of Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu and Wushu and reprinted here for your education with the permission of http://www.martialarts.about.com

Fruits are a good choice for any healthy diet. There really is no better selection for a healthy snack than a hearty serving of fruit. Fruits are high in vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, B Vitamins and are also an excellent source of fiber.

When you have a sweet tooth, instead of reaching for some cookies or any other junk food, have some fruit instead. Because of the fiber content in most fruit, you will feel full longer than if you had eaten the empty, "nutrition less" calories in junk food. The best choice is to eat whole, fresh fruit. Canned fruits are often soaked in high fructose corn syrup, greatly increasing the sugar content of the fruit. The natural sugars contained in fruits are more than enough for most people's cravings for something sweet.

The natural sugars they contain, like all sugars, should be avoided in the evening. Also, try to eat fruit either one hour before or 2 to 2 and a half hours after a meal. This way, you satisfy your hunger and avoid eating less healthy choices. Try to eat all your fruit early in the day. By spacing out your meals and eating healthy snacks, you keep your metabolism running at full speed and avoid extreme highs and lows in blood sugar levels.

Quote of the Month

Dojang Spotlight

Great information on another one of our great Charter Members.

School Names/Locations: ATA Black Belt Academy - and - 517 W. 5^th St., #101

434 S. McCulloch Blvd. Pueblo, CO 81003

Pueblo West, CO 81007

Mountain High Taekwondo

Arts Represented: Taekwondo, Hapkido, Tai Chi

School Motto: Success is the journey, not the destination

Contact Information: (719) 647-1951, ataguy@hotmail.com

Mailing address: 44 S. Golfwood Drive W., Pueblo West, CO 81007

WANTED!

• Articles for the Guest Column – Testimonials, Research Articles etc.
• Please send your Thank-You’s / School Announcements / Promotions / Comments / Article Responses & Comments etc to Mr. Hindley for review and inclusion in the monthly newsletter

I eagerly await next month’s newsletter. I await information from the membership so we can tap into each other’s wisdom.