Customer Reviews

Hapkido Self-defense Volume 1

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

VCD? Home Video? What's that person's problem??

This =DVD= along with the rest of the series are so professionally done showing simply remarkable techniques (from the best instructors in the world) that even *I* was amazed, and I studied Hapkido for 12 YEARS while in the Military. In this DVD I saw techniques even I'd never seen before, and I am/was trained by some of the absolute best. These Grandmasters ARE the BEST of the BEST, PROVEN as such, and the whole thing is designed to make it so easy for anybody (well, any intelligent person...) to learn, that you would truly be doing yourself a dis-service by taking THAT "joker's" review to be worth anything.

Bottom Line about this =DVD=

It's design and filming are Top Rate.
The techniques are honestly amazing indeed.
They are ALL also easily achieved however you may be confronted.
The Grandmasters teach you STEP-By-STEP EXACTLY (at least 5 times each slow-motion and real time) so well that you will know them and EASILY be able defend yourself expertly by sheer instinct.

Simply the best.

Hapkido... "The Way of Internal Power and Strength" - Hapkido is designed as a Dynamic Martial Art of utilizing/reversing the *opponent's* strength. Therefore, a smaller person can easily defeat a much larger opponent by attacking vital points, disrupting neural channels and leveraging their joints. Taught by top GrandMasters, Grandmaster Lee and Grandmaster Kim and the famed International Hapkido Demonstration Team, this is mesmerizing to watch and just as much fun to learn.

Learning Hapkido here is made especially easy since there are are only 3 things to remember during a potentially life threatening confrontation.

3 Hapkido Principles:
Harmony
Circular Motion
Coordination

Make no mistake though... Hapkido is HARDCORE and this DVD gives you *100* (Very Generous) extraordinarily painful self defense techniques you can apply virtually effortlessly by using the easy principles of re-directing an assailant's energy turning what force they try to apply to you (you already have the skills naturally, Hapkido's designed so now you're organized to react with no movement without precise purpose) and instead they wind up getting a taste of their own medicine by using natural body mechanics first to twist the assailaint into a human pretzel, throwing or flipping them instantly flying through the air since now you can set up their balance exactly the way *you* want... and when you watch them land in a state of total disorientation, you can then immobilize them further (if they're not already knocked out) using any number of arresting locks and pindowns by applying additional pressures on their vital points, neural channels, nerve centers and their branches, leveraging their joints rendering them helpless to hurt anyone but themselves if they try to resist you at any point along the way.

As a Special Forces oriented Martial Arts student and part time instructor, I can tell you that learning these advanced techinques will give you the "upper hand" either in your training environment/s or really wherever you may be confronted. Hapkido has become well known, easy to apply, extraordinarily quick and intensely painful, all making even martially trained attackers at your mercy with just the slightest chance as all the techniques are easliy applied... from the clinch to the pin. It should be noted that it is not the intent to use these techniques to break bones, dislocate limbs or joints, or permanently damage vital points, tendons, ligaments, internal organs and nerve centers or their branches, however it is pretty clear that all the techniques you'll know will or sets them up for it very easily.

This DVD is also a great resource for Law Enforcement Officers who are interested in easier restraint and control than what typical training provides.

Overall, this is worth twice as much than what is asked (for example, 1 Month's training in a school=between $80-$120 per month or more... you own this to review/practice anytime you like), and I'd recommend absolutely anything with GrandMaster Lee and GrandMaster Kim. GrandMaster Chang Soo Lee is the Chief of the International Demonstration Unit for the World Hapkido Federation and Headmaster of the reknowned Hapkido Jin Jung Kwan in Seoul, Korea. He became a Korean national Hero in 1980 when he knocked out the best Indonesian champions at his first blow. The National Defense Ministry of Indonesia attempted to invite him as a national coach. Korean government officers designated him to the Chief of the Demonstration Unit.

I have a black belt in hapkido and have twice visited Korea to train and I have to say, the instructors on this DVD are top notch. I had to laugh when I saw that another reviewer said that someone might get hurt practicing the techniques taught here. Well, if we're talking about self-defense, then that would seem to be the point.

Practicing with a partner is another matter, and I'd recommend that you proceed with caution when it comes to many of the techniques found in this series, especially the strangulation defenses and many of the throws. These are not techniques to fool around with if you are not knowledgeable or working under a qualified instructor. Some of the defenses are more practical than others. Some would make great demonstration techniques but I doubt I would choose to use them on the street. However, this DVD does present a good portion of the hapkido self-defense curriculum systematically with expert demonstrations and good explanations so if you are a hapkido student, you can go wrong here. Highly recommended to anyone looking for authentic Korean hapkido.

This DVD provides a good overview understanding of the self-defense applications of Hapkido. This DVD is Good for the martial artist who already possesses some experience in the self-defense application of the martial arts; most particularly the Hapkido stylist at the early stages of training. If you are an advanced practitioner of Hapkido, however, then you are not going to learn too much from this DVD as it only presents the basic, elementary applications of Hapkido that you have no doubt learned in class.

The one comment I believe needs to be made about this DVD is that you are not going to watch it and immediately understand the subtle aspects of Hapkido's understanding of self-defense. The techniques presented on this DVD really need to practiced with a partner to be understood. The problem is, it is very easy to hurt your partner or yourself if you really do not know what you are doing and are not under the supervision of a qualified instructor. So, keep this in mind when you view this DVD.

this series is not for novice martial artists. But for those who have some experience in martial arts, especially in hap-ki-do, you will find these moves beneficial and deadly. Just know that when practicing the techniques, joints can easily be dislocated or broken.

Volume 1 (about 1 hour)
Locks from wrist grabs (same side, cross, two hands, etc) - techniques 1-29
Throws - techniques 30-39
Standing Self Defense (collar grabs, belt grabs, wrist grabs) - techniques 40-48
Self Defense vs Hug (front and rear bear hugs, collar grabs, elbow grabs) - techniques 49-58
Defenses vs Punches - techniques 59-78
Defense vs Kicks (side and roundhouse) - techniques 79-100

Volume one packs a lot of material onto a one hour video. The English overdub is clear and concise and accentuates the excellent picture quality. There is a limited number of replays and not many close ups. In general, the video provides a very nice catalog of material but I wouldn't consider it an "instructional" video, i.e. this is a reference for people who know this material already for the most part.

The material in general is very good and is representative of Jin Jung Kwan's material and the Korea Hapkido Federation (KHF) material as far as I know. I have a few quibbles based on my own opinions (although judging by the number of stripes GM Myung Yong Kim is wearing on his belt, I think he's been around this art a long time!)

-In many of the techniques, he leans very far forward at the end of the technique, with his body and arms extended. I personally would prefer a more "straight up" finish and closer arms to keep my balance.

-Some of the finishes leave the opponent within easy grabbing distance of the defender's legs... hopefully the pain will keep them from taking advantage of that but I'd rather be "safe than sorry".

-I like the material shown and I think the attention paid to certain manipulations is very valuable. More close ups and descriptions of the manipulations would be useful. On areas where "tips" are given, they are excellent.

- This style seems to use a lot of dropping to a knee to complete the techniques and has a few where the defender ends up on a knee while the attacker is still standing. I'm not a big fan of this personally.

- Some of the throws seem contrived and overly complicated, including a few where the person being thrown gets thrown along a very different trajectory than the easiest path.

-The punch defenses are decent, including a nice group of simple ones (69-73) although many of the others are very complicated even at a slow speed and some seem to leave the defender very much extended and off balance.
The kick defenses work off a nice progression of introducing the basics and becoming more difficult. Some are quite complicated though and seem clumsy at slow speed, let alone high speed.

-The videos in general don't seem to have any real pattern of material or progression of techniques. Some very complicated techniques are shown before easy ones, and there doesn't seem to be any sort of spiral curriculum of building on previous material. Then again, I look at the video as a catalog instead of an "instructional" tape.

-Some of the partners whine and scream to excess, distracting from the techniques being shown.

In general I like this volume. The techniques are shown with speed and power and with a clear description. There is a lot of material on here without too many replays or "fluff". I imagine that when put with the "essentials" volume that the necessary striking, footwork, breathing, and falling all come into focus. For videos on traditional Korean Hapkido this is pretty good. Keep in mind that this is actually the second video in the series, the first being "Hapkido Essentials" that covers basic strikes, movement, and etc.

Hapkido Essentials and the two Hapkido Self Defense volumes are great for technique review. These products are good for those individuals that are now training or having had some previous experience in Hapkido or other similar Korean martial arts. It is difficult to see the hand positions for many of the techniques. Other than that you will see super rolling, throwing, blocking, locking, rotation, and flexion.

As a long term hapkido practitioner with connections to the Korea Hapkido Federation I was very excited to see this video representing the tradition we come from.

"Hapkido Self Defense Vol. 1" is the second of a 3 part series. The first being 'Hapkido Essentials' and the 3rd being "Hapkido Self Defense Vol. 2". Many hapkido practitioners find this video to be the most helpful of the three and I cannot argue that point as it presents the material the best and it contains the material most useful to the bulk of practitioners.

Who is this video for?

It would seem that the intended audience for this video are those already practicing hapkido who wishes to have a handy reference of the catalogue of common hapkido techniques. The hapkido curriculum is very large indeed and it is extremely useful to have something to refer to help understand the organization of material within the system and to bring to mind techniques that we have missed in our studies or that we haven't gotten around to training in recent times.

People who are part of this group are going to be extremely happy with this purchase. The techniques are organized around common attacks and many of the possible responses to the situation of disadvantage that such attacks place one in.

1) Locks from wrist grabs (parallel wrist grabs, cross hand, both wrists grasped, two hands on one, etc)
2) Throwing techniques
3) Locks and throws against clothing grasps
4) Responses to body grabs (bear hugs, headlocks, collar grabs, elbow grabs)
5) Punch defense
6) Kick defense

The rest of the hapkido curriculum is presented in "Self Defense Vol. 2" and one should check there for information about its contents.

Another group who will be pleased by this purchase are martial artists who have a background in related arts like aikido or traditional jujutsu who are interested in seeing the hapkido 'spin' on material they are already somewhat familiar with.

Who is this video not for?

Generally speaking videos are not the best way to 'learn' martial arts and this video makes no attempt to instruct the novice in the details of the technique. The techniques are very professionally filmed in excellent lighting and we are given some different angles and speeds of execution with the technique being performed about 3 times in most cases but the intricacies of the techniques are left for you to learn in the dojang.

This video, although presenting many solid and sometimes quite destructive self defense techniques, is not really a 'steet awareness and self defense course'. In this I suppose the title might be seen as a bit of a misnomer. It is really a presentation of the hapkido 'self defense technique' curriculum and not a 'How to be street smart' instructional video. it contains all of the techniques of hapkido including the simple and practical as well as the arty and flashy responses. presenting a 100 techniques in total it has really done its best to be comprehensive.

Still I think that the people who do not like the material in this video are really people who don't like hapkido or other jointlock based arts.

Kim Myong Yong is one of the senior most hapkido practitioners in the world and leader of the Jin Jung kwan, which was at the time of this video the largest subgroup within the Korea hapkido federation. The star of this video is Lee Chang Soo though who has truly superlative technique and is Kim leading student.

Those who love hapkido will love this video and will seek it out before it is no longer obtainable.

I just finished this DVD, and I have to say that if you wont good self defense keep looking. The moves were hard to see, and did not have good explanations. Not only that but if you tried practicing any moves someone would get hurt. You don't get enough angles on what is being done. If you don't have previous training this video is worth nothing.

What a load of rubbish! This is nothing more than a sport based "fantasy art." Spinning flying kicks in a street confrontation? Only in the movies! People like this have NEVER been in a LIFE THREATENING CONFRONTATION and wouldn't know what to do if they were mugged or attacked in a bar or a train or on the street. This stuff only works against OTHER Hapkido practitioners with conditioned responses and unrealistic attacks. Self-defence is not martial arts training. Nor is it fighting. It is not simply mastering a set of physical skills (e.g. becoming a kung fu killer ninja or combat shooting expert). It is not getting in touch with your inner rage and channelling it into attacking someone. Nor is it something you can take a weekend seminar for and then forget until you need it. In short, self-defence is not a *specialised* skill that you only use in one context. There are no "grandmasters" of self-defence. I strongly advise against anyone buying these for serious self-defence skills. Martial arts for self-defence - only in the movies!