Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense (Korean Arts Series) [Paperback]

Bong Soo Han (Author)

Book Description

Series: Korean Arts Series | Publication Date: September 1, 1974

Here is the first complete book in English on hapkido, the kick-oriented Korean martial art. Included are warm-up exercises, basic fighting position, punching and striking, blocks and kicks, and hapkido defences, with more than 500 dynamic photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Black Belt Communications (September 1, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897500113
• ISBN-13: 978-0897500111
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early, important work, December 5, 2006

By 

magellan (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense (Korean Arts Series) (Paperback)

I agree with James Lee that the people who criticize this book don't understand its significance. It was one of the first books out in English on Hapkido, and so of course it presents the style's basic techniques in a non-technical and easy to understand way. At the time few people knew what Hapkido was, and O'Hara's book was designed as a basic intro to the art, not a definitive text. The book is brief and could have been longer, to be sure, but that's what further volumes are for.

I also was fortunate enough once to visit Master Han's studio in Los Angeles back in the early 70s and had a chance to observe his class, and see one of his black belts teach, and they were practicing the same basics presented in this book.

Of course, with the easy availability of inexpensive videos these days, older books like this are less important than they were at the time, since you can learn so much more by watching the techniques in action. But for its time, this was a pioneering effort and introduced the art of Hapkido to many people for the first time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What this book really is, February 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense (Korean Arts Series) (Paperback)

I read most of the reviews here and thought I should share my own perspective.

This book is an excellent introduction to Hapkido written by the best authority on the subject. You are not going to get your black belt by reading this book. If you are already a black belt, you may find this book or any other book on another martial arts philosophy somewhat simplistic.

This book on the other hand introduces you to the philosophy of Hapkido and some of the key components of it. It would help you understand Hapkido better and will in fact show you the eclectic nature of it. I found it very helpful and recommend it to those who are not in love with any one style and have an open mind and yearn for learning.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Provides A Pretty Good Overview On The Art Of Hapkido, June 2, 2008

By 

Shawn Kovacich "Shawn Kovacich" (The Greatest Little City in the World) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense (Korean Arts Series) (Paperback)

"The purpose of this book is to introduce the student to Hapkido in the clearest terms, with special emphasis on the basic techniques and principles of the art." This quote by the author really put the scope of this book into perspective and its on that particular note that I base my review for this book.

As a basic overall guide to the art of Hapkido, I would have to say that the author actually does a pretty good job especially when you consider the fact that this book initially came out in 1974. It really doesn't explain to you how to adequately perform any of the techniques shown as that is not what the author had intended. Instead this book gives you a really good overview of numerous different individual components that make up the art of Hapkido. Some of those components which are included in this book are as follows:

HISTORY
PHILOSOPHY
BREATHING
STRIKING AREAS
WARM-UP EXERCISES
PUNCHING & STRIKING
BLOCKS
KICKS
HAPKIDO DEFENSES
SELF-DEFENSE
TARGET AREAS

Each section gives you a brief overview of a variety of techniques that fall under each particular heading. For example; under the "Kicks" section, the author demonstrates how to execute several different kicks including:

Front Kick
Side Kick
Roundhouse Kick
Wheel Kick

If you were looking to learn how to execute a particular technique, then this book would be somewhat of a disappointment. However, if you are looking for a good overview on the art of Hapkido, then this book would definitely be a good choice.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Creator of numerous books and DVD's.