Opposites in Hapkido

[Sungpaeki]

While idealistically we as hapkido practitioners want to flow, harmonize and use circular techniques it is not always possible, you may not always have time to step out of the way. Also in our school we talk alot about Um and Yang (Yin/Yang in Japanese) and the opposites that Hapkido is comprised of.

Um: being the more soft, flowing, circular, mental aspects

Yang: being the hard, distancing, angled, physical aspects

Hapkido is comprised of opposites in the techniques and the theories. We practice the "Wae Gong" phyiscal techniques (Yang) and we practice "Nae Gong" meditation and ki breathing(Um). We do punches and kicks(yang), and flowing throws and jointlocks(Um). You can go further and say that a crescent kick which is circular and has no focus is um, and a side kick which is very linear and focused is yang.

Also the theories of Hapkido have opposites which we practice:

"Yoo" Flowing as in water (Um) is the opposite of "Kang" Hard as steel (Yang) which when you make a focused kick and tighten your stomach and your whole body for that split second you want to be hard.

"Won" Circular theory (Um) is the opposite of "Kak" angles (Yang). A lot of the foot work that we do has to do with stepping to the side and then coming into the opponent and delivering angular kicks, also the different angles of the jointlocks.

"Hwa" Harmony or nonresistance (Um) is the opposite of "Kan" distance (Yang) Keeping the proper distance from the opponent so they cannot hit you instead of melding with their techniques.

[Thai Bri]

Sounds to me like a whole host of theories. And they will fly out of the window as soon as Mr 6' 4" Blood Monster comes screaming at you and lands on your face with his boots.

Sorry to be blunt. But the more exotice the theory, the less practical the application.

[Sungpaeki]

It's funny that you make assumptions about how I would react in a certain situation, from just reading a few things that I have written.

I understand that you enjoy being abrassive with people that don't share your beliefs in self defense, and expressing your beliefs or nonbeliefs as soon as possible. But, Please these theories are hardly exotic.

In the situation that you speak of would not be the time to try to think about utilizing these theories, they should be a part of you, from countless hours of practice. When/if I ever get attacked I don't plan to have a plan. I'm going to react to what my attacker does, not try to think of a technique that would work for this, or he did this so now I think I should guide him into a circle. These things are going to happen, and I'm just going to act, just like I have trained myself to do. Most peope's impressions of traditional martial arts are based too much on the McDojangs of the world, and their practicing of the arts as if they were hobbies, or a tuesday night bowling league. You can only get out of them what you put into them.

[Thai Bri]

When/if I ever get attacked I don't plan to have a plan. I'm going to react to what my attacker does, not try to think of a technique that would work for this, or he did this so now I think I should guide him into a circle. These things are going to happen, and I'm just going to act, just like I have trained myself to do.

No. You're not.

Someone posted about the Fox and the Cat. The Huntsman's hounds were steaming up the hill towards them. "No worries" said the Fox. "I constantly train. I've spent countless hours training for this, and know hundreds of ways to elude the hounds." The cat ran up the tree, and watched as the fox was ripped to bits.

Man, you've got the wrong approach. But there'll be no telling you. You'll go on to think that "more is better" until you find out the hard way, like countless other martial artists have.

Good luck to you.

[Sungpaeki]

Originally posted by Thai Bri

Someone posted about the Fox and the Cat.

Um, thanks for the story, but I don't see how a story about talking animals really proves a point.

I guess there is no telling me. I understand what you're saying about freezing when there are so many possible choices in a stressful situation. But, why is it so hard to believe that someone wouldn't be able to just act and do what comes natural from their training? You act like every person would be a studering moron in the face of danger, and I really don't think that is so. I'm not going to be thinking he is throwing a punch now maybe I should block this way, or this way, or this way, oh no I've been hit; I'm going to just block, and if I see an opening or if I create an opening I'm going to attack. I don't know what techniques I'm going to do, and I don't practice endless combinations to help me decide that.

More is not better, but how much is enough?

[Thai Bri]

As little as possible is exactly enough.

[Kosh]

No. You're not.

Someone posted about the Fox and the Cat. The Huntsman's hounds were steaming up the hill towards them. "No worries" said the Fox. "I constantly train. I've spent countless hours training for this, and know hundreds of ways to elude the hounds." The cat ran up the tree, and watched as the fox was ripped to bits.

Good luck to you.

There is a slight flaw in that story in that its the hounds that spend hundreds of hours training to catch foxes.

[Thai Bri]

But they only train the one combination - Sniff and Rip.

[osopardo]

In the story I heard a rabbit is being chased by a wolf. The rabbit always wins because while the wolf is fighting for his dinner the rabbit is fighting for his life.

Then there's the one about the monk travelling through the forest who is chased by a bear. The monk winds up going off a cliff and hanging from a branch growing out of the cliff's face. He looks down to see a tiger at the bottom of the cliff, looks up and sees the bear. Then a mouse comes out of a hole in the cliff's face and starts to gnaw on the branch he's hanging from.

Then there's the story about the the man who walks into a bar and asks; "Who left the great dane tied on a leash outside?" A big burly guy answers, "That's my dog, what of it?"
"Well, I'm sorry but I think my chihuahua just killed your dog."
"What?!? How the hell can a chihuahua kill a great dane?!?"
"Geez, I don't know, I think it got stuck in his throat..."

Then there's the one where this little fish gets caught by a scuba-diving dentist and his daddy fish has to travel across the ocean to rescue him and all these aquarium fish wind up in plastic bags in Sidney harbor...

[Szczepankiewicz]

Oso,

those are great stories.

[osopardo]

........

[Thai Bri]

But how are the fish? Are they dead, or do they do Hapkido?

[osopardo]

They kick their way out of the plastic bags with their shins, which have been hardened and desensitized after countless hours of kicking banana trees. Throw in a couple of elbow and knee shots, too.

[osopardo]

BRUCE LEE WILL FUKK YOU UP fuk you maujim !!

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