Think every martial art is about kicking, punching and generally beating people up? That isn't completely true. Hapkido is a dynamic, hard/soft Korean martial art style with roots stemming from Japan along with many concepts carried over from Aiki-Jujitsu. In Hapkido we do not teach initiative attack. That is, in Hapkido we learn techniques to defend ourselves in the event we are attacked. It is a form of self defense that employs joint manipulation, locks and throws and emphasizes control in each given situation. There is also the use of and/or defense against traditional and modern weapons, including the cane, whip/belt, gun and long and short stick which vary in emphasis. Visit our Blog for a brief history of Hapkido.

Here at PDMA we teach Jun Sa or Warrior Hapkido applying both long and close range defensive techniques.  It emphasizes circular motion, non-resistive movements, and control of [one's self and hence...] the opponent. Students seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of force against force.

In the essence of putting safety first we spend time at the beginning of every class stretching followed by a cardio warm up taking the student through kicking and striking combinations.The remainder of each one hour practice session focuses on paring students to work techniques specific for each individual's level. There will be times when you work with people of the same rank and times when you will work with someone more or less advanced. Either way, there are always lessons learned whether playing the role of the attacker or defender. 

The basic fundamentals of Hapkido do not have repetitive forms or katas, only progressive techniques that build on each other as you progress through the ranks. Hapkido is also not a competition sparing martial art like Taekwondo or Karate as our discipline is direct, isolating and debilitating leaving no room for sparing. We teach and learn for the sole purposes of fitness, confidence and self defense. 

The most important point that differentiates our style and school from many others is that we realize that the execution of each technique will be slightly different for each individual (you are able and expected to make Hapkido your own). Your size and strength versus your opponents will effect the way you initiate and complete a technique. Also there are techniques that due to age, shape or physical ability may not be effective for everyone. We believe in a common sense approach to our style of martial arts. This is why Hapkido can be for everyone of all ages. We will focus on techniques that work for you and make you an expert at their execution.

To complement our martial arts offerings we also offer Warrior Fit. Read more about this unique martial arts inspired workout here...

Trying to understand how to determine the differences between martial art systems? Check out this article on our blog about "Why Hapkido."