About The Arts
What is Tae Kwon Do?
Tae Kwon Do is a martial art and sport that without the use of weapons, teaches the particular techniques for defense and offense. Regardless of age or sex, tae-kwon-do teaches the practitioner to use his/her hands and feet in any defensive situation.
The development of tae-kwon-do can be traced back about 2,000 years ago to the country known today as Korea. Tae Kwon Do can literally mean the “hand”, “foot”, “way of self defense” and “the way of life”. Through rigorous training, Tae Kwon Do enables the practitioner to defend himself and build self confidence. A self-confident person is honest and generous. The development of physical and mental self-confidence is beneficial not only to the individual, but to his family, community, and the country.
Tae-kwon-do training consists of Poomse (forms), Gyoroogi (sparring), and Kyukpa, the technique of breaking a solid object such as a board or brick.
Tae-kwon-do is a modern, international, amateur sport that remains steeped in its Korean traditions. All modern world championships are supported and conducted under auspices of the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF), which has its headquarters at the Kukkiwon in Seoul, Korea.
Today more than 180 countries (consisting of about 100 million practitioners) are members of the World Tae Kwon Do Federation.
What is Hap Ki Do?
Hap Ki Do: It is a discipline of coordination, a way of strengthening the mind and body, of fusing the individual’s physical and mental powers so that he or she will emerge as a more fully integrated human being utilizing tangem breathing method. The word in fact means; Method or Way (DO) for the Coordination Harmony (HAP) of Mental Energy or Spirit (KI). One should always try to avoid violence but if someone grabs you, attempts to strike you, or physically assaults you in any way, it has escalated beyond words, and you are left with the only option which is to defend. The Korean Art of Self-Defense, Hap Ki Do is considered a “soft” style of Martial Arts, as opposed to “hard” styles that practice the use of force against force, making the outcome a simple matter of size and strength. The Hap-Ki-Do practitioner diverts or suppresses an attacker’s flow of energy peacefully, this diversion allows him to use the attacker’s power against himself leading to the attacker’s defeat. Through the use of pressure on certain skeletal joints and pressure points, very little strength is needed to overcome an opponent.
Hap Ki Do not only redirects the attack, but turns it back against the attacker and follows through with offensive techniques which may control his violence or render him incapable of further antagonistic actions. The Hap-Ki-Do practitioner is in complete control of the confrontation defusing the aggression without the need for uncontrolled damage as seen in many “hard” styles.
Hap Ki Do provides complete physical conditioning which improves balance, posture, flexibility, timing, quickness, muscle tone, joint strength, and most importantly, confidence through physical and mental discipline.
The immediate aim of Hap-Ki-Do is of course the welfare of the one practicing it. Not only will skills in Self-Defense be attained, but more importantly will be on the focus on an individual’s character development. A well-rounded personality can be realized only if the spirit is right. Courtesy, Respect, Modesty, Loyalty, Generosity and Dedication are not only the source, but also the rewards of Hap Ki Do!