Philosophy of HapKiDo
HapKiDo has its roots in Buddhism. HapKiDo provides a way for the development of the entire personality. Body and soul shall be developed equally.
Martial arts in its basic value means the development of the personality in full. This requires the right attitude – martial arts is nothing just to consume – martial arts is a way to live.
The meaning of the words HapKiDo
HAP means the harmony of body and soul. Body and soul work together as a unit and the result is highest efficiency.
KI means the universal vital energy. It results from the interaction of biological energy and breathing in combination with physical activity.
DO means the symbolical way of HapKiDo and the related philosophy in order to achieve unity, to be one with you and your actions.
HapKiDo is a defensive system, but that does not mean, that it loses efficiency. On the contrary, the HapKiDo student learns to react to a situation in a spontaneous, short and precise way without hesitation. Intensive training leads to reach a condition, which enables to detect confrontations e.g. attacks on other persons or himself in its first beginnings, so it is possible to defeat it straight away. Aim is to convince the aggressor of the futility of his attack towards other persons and to give up his plan.
In HapKiDo the student acquires the ability to react appropriately to each situation. For example, instead of beating a drunk person, who makes troubles, it usually requires just a simple controlled action to make him calm down. On the other hand HapKiDo teaches you to set targeted and efficient measures in situations threatening live and limb.
The character of HapKiDo can be described like this: Somebody addresses a question to you, and you answer this question in appropriate and particular manner. Other kinds of martial arts provide predefined answers to such questions towards the asking person. In other words: HapKiDo is an extremely flexible and adaptable system.
The harmony of body and mind let the HapKiDo student develop a unique and strong personality. The training supports new body experiences, the student learns to control and coordinate his movements, not being a cumbersome tool of a cumbersome mind anymore. The mind experiences a new dimension of will and self-confidence. He knows, that he can rely on his body, that he has an ally. He will recognize that both, body and mind, form an unit, what they have always been by nature.
A person, who has developed self-confidence, who went through the process of self-awareness, does not act under uncertainty; such a person is conscious about his place in society and has learned to assert himself.
It is the right of each human being to live in harmony. But we shall live with inner peace and satisfaction, not with compulsion and oppression or the fear of not being able to prevent others suffering damage on body and soul.