Customer Reviews

Hapkido: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There are two groups of people who will want a book this thorough: serious practitioners of Hapkido or Hapkido bases systems (kuk sool, hwarangdo, etc.), and martial artists who are serious about studying and understanding techniques from any source. Author Mark Tedeschi has worked hard to provide a complete and non-biased book on the subject of Korean Hapkido. From the beginning, Tedeschi offers a series of interviews with the masters of Hapkido based systems, allowing each teacher to offer his knowledge in his own words, rather than lumping this information together to form a general history (he has included a section on history as well, which includes pictures of Hapkido founder Choi Yong-shul and the logos of prominent hapkido associations). We hear the voices of Choi Yong-shul (1982 interview by Jong-bae Rim, Joseph sheya, Ken Cross, and Chin-il Chang), Han-jae Ji, Bong-soo Han, Kwang-sik Myung, Tae-man Kwon, Jong-bae Rim, Merril Jung, Joo-bang Lee, In-hyuk Suh, He-young Kimm, Wally Jay, and Willy Cahill. There are detailed sections on anatomy, accupoints and meridians, pressure points, philosophy, etc. The first part of the book, which includes all of this pertinent information (this is BEFORE the section on techniques!) is 180 pages!

Tedeschi doesn't skimp anywhere. Every section is complete--the technical portion of the book opens with revival techniques (most other books have this information at the end, if at all). Sections move on to stancesm rolling (for falls), attack points, hand strikes, standing kicks, knee strikes, ground kicks, kicks for blocking, jumping kicks, etc. Thoroughly covered are holds, locks, throws, strikes, combinations, etc. Tedeschi shows common and uncommon uses, and differs from the vast majority of books on Hapkido and other martial arts by offering the HOW and WHY of each technique, as well as helpful advice one would normally get from a teacher after oh say, 3-7 years and deep research on one's own. There are sections on weapons (the traditional hapkido weapons--staff, sword, short sticks, rope, cane, etc.), and a bibliography and index at the end. This is also the LONGEST book on ANY martial art that I know of, at 1136 pages. Tedeschi keeps no secrets, and puts on no airs. He is honest, humble, and to the point.

I can only wonder at the effort it has taken to assemble this volume, and the drive of the author to be so complete in his assessment and documentation. Although the other big Hapkido books are nice (Suh and Seo's books on Kuk Sool, Kimm's and Myung's books on Hapkido, Joo Bang Lee's volumes on Hwarangdo), nothing, on any grappling or striking art, compares to the depth of this single volume. That this book is so affordable surprises me--books with half the information sell for more! This volume is a value and a treasure.

This book has set the standard so high, that all martial artists should demand this kind of quality and indepth overview from the author on any given subject in the martial arts. Tedeschi gets specific about Hapkido. We all know how difficult it is to get any concrete information on the art of Hapkido. There is now concrete and complete information. This book will save you alot of money, because there will be no need to buy another Hapkido book. The reason why we have a library of books on a specific style is because we don't understand the art the way we feel that we should. If we did, we would not be wasting money on the same book with the same material and learning nothing new. This book answers the questions that we all have, I'm a 3rd Dan in Hapkido who has questions about the art. Tedeschi has done a wonderful job of cutting through the Korean B.S. of being very general about Hapkido and that it is the almighty superior everything to everyone art. He is refreshingly respectful to all of the other martial arts and not claiming to be better then the rest. I was suprised to find out that my Master in Rockford Il. was one of the first influential Hapkido masters according to Tedeschi's book. But that still doesn't say much for me or my master if I have questions as a third dan and don't feel comfortable asking him because of his general answers and apparent irratation that I'm asking him specific question. This book has filled in the gaps and allowed me to spread my wings. Until this time there has not been a complete text that has been readily availible that has established the parameters of this art. After reading this book you will understand that there are really no parameters but core ideals, philosophys and techniques. With that in mind this book has become my companion that will help me to be the best that I can be in Hapkido and life. I hope that this review has helped you. Thank you Marc Tedeschi, your years of hard work are much appreciated.

As a student of the martial arts for over 23 years and a 6th dan in Hapkido, I must say this is one of the best books on the martial arts ever compiled. It is without a doubt the most accurate and in depth manual on the Korean art of Hapkido. This book will be beneficial to all students of any martial art and those interested in self-defense. It is very well researched and written. Mr. Tedeschi is to be commended on his excellent work. Mr. Tedeschi makes his instructors, students and ancestors proud with the quality of book he produced.This book shall become a resource to be visited and revisited over the years. This book is without a doubt the most complete and top quality resource ever produced on a martial art. It is well worth the money. For other quality books on self-defense please refer to my "Listmania" suggestions.

This 1000+ page book collects information from Tedeschi's other published works on Hapkido (holding techniques, throwing, etc.) along with new valuable material. Tedeschi has produced the most comprehensive text on Hapkido that anyone could hope to find. I have a shelf full of smaller Hapkido books that each address a few dozen techniques, but Tedeschi's book includes thousands of techniques--each demonstrated through illustrations, photos, and descriptions. The range and volume of techniques included could only be learned through daily and decade-long training with a knowledgable grandmaster--something increasingly difficult to accomplish today. In addition to extensive coverage of stances, kicks, strikes, throws, holds, blocks, and self defense techniques, the book includes techniques for usage and defense against knives, short stick, long staff, cane, sword, and rope. Beyond the practical techniques, however, the book also includes well written sections on the philosophy and history of Hapkido, along with interviews with grand masters in Hapkido and related martial arts.
As an instructor of Hapkido, I am continuously looking for new techniques to teach my students and new ways of understanding and explaining the techniques I teach. This book is an invaluable resource for serious Hapkido students and instructors, and I am grateful for Mr. Tedeschi for putting it together.

This book has set the standard so high, that all martial artists should demand this kind of quality and indepth overview from the author on any given subject in the martial arts. Tedeschi gets specific about Hapkido. We all know how difficult it is to get any concrete information on the art of Hapkido. There is now concrete and complete information. The reason why we have a library of books on a specific style is because we don't understand the art the way we feel that we should. You will understand Hapkido after reading this book. This book answers the questions that we all have, I'm a 3rd Dan in Hapkido who had questions about the art. Tedeschi has done a wonderful job of cutting through the common formalitys of being very general about Hapkido and that it is the almighty superior everything to everyone art. He is refreshingly respectful to all of the other martial arts and not claiming to be better then the rest. This book has filled in the gaps and allowed me to spread my wings. Until this time there has not been a complete text that has been readily availible that has established the parameters of this art. After reading this book you will understand that there are really no parameters but core ideals, philosophys and techniques. With that in mind this book has become my companion that will help me to be the best that I can be in Hapkido and life.

After many years in hapkido training, this is the best reference material I've ever seen and I have them all (including the Korean texts). Make no mistake, this hapkido DOES work on the street and it's just like I was taught in Korea. It's saved my life more than once. This book is a must have for any serious hapkido student.

This book is simply outstanding. The depth and volume of information provided is impressive to say the least. Presented in large format on quality paper, it covers the width and breadth of Hapkido. The overview contains interviews with all prominent grandmasters, including Yong-Sul Choi. An exhaustive list of techniques are illustrated with sequence photos and detailed descriptions. It covers everything from the basics to weapons and protecting others. As a bonus, it includes extensive acupressure diagrams and descriptions. It treats Hapkido as a science without losing its art form.

Marc Tedeschi has done an excellent job with this book. It is destined to become the Hapkido bible. Everything is excellent, text, photos, and illustrations. Many of my students already have it on order. The book is also heavy enough to use as a weapon! Excuse me while I go read some more.

Tedeschi did a great job of categorizing techniques. While
I am not a student of Hapkido, I have studied a number
of other martial arts in addition to kaju kenbo for over
a decade. This book is a must for anyone with a serious
martial book library. I am an avid collector of MA books
and have never seen another book like it.
This book is more useful for people with much or at least
some martial arts training. Those with only a few years
of experience or a shallow martial arts education will
not appreciate the breadth and depth of this masterpiece.
WOW !

I've noticed a couple of negative reviews, including a
stereotypical comment on American appeal. It takes a
rare man to compile such a wealth of martial
knowledge. Tedeschi seems to give full credit to his teachers
and major Hapkido players. Hapkido has moved from Korea
to the rest of the world just as the Shaolin arts found
their way to Korea.

This book is obviously a result of many years of practice and/or study by the author. Either way, it is the most complete and well organized martial arts book I have seen. I was trained in Hapkido by an 8th Dan (kwanjangnim) in South Korea and most of the content in this book is consistent with the training I received there. The author has done an excellent job explaining and demonstrating Hapkido as taught "traditionally" as well as more "modern" applications of various techniques or skills. As a practioner and instructor of Hapkido and other art forms, I would recommend this book to any serious student or instructor. The negative reviews I have read about this book are totally unjustified and are indicative or either a very narrow mind or simply an attempt to divert readers to other sources of information.