Combat Hapkido, traditional Hapkido, and Hapkido Hosinsul are all martial arts with roots in Korean self-defense, but they have different emphases and training methods:
1. Traditional Hapkido:
• Focuses on a wide range of techniques, including joint locks, throws, pressure points, and strikes, blending elements of jujitsu and taekwondo.
• Emphasizes circular motion and redirection of force, making it suitable for both offensive and defensive applications.
• Training includes learning how to fall safely, use weapons like sticks or short staffs, and advanced kicking techniques.
• The art has a philosophical and spiritual component, emphasizing harmony between mind and body.
2. Combat Hapkido:
• Developed by Grandmaster John Pellegrini in the early 1990s as a modernized and simplified version of traditional Hapkido, focusing on practical self-defense.
• Strips away some of the traditional elements like high kicks and complex forms, placing emphasis on techniques that are more easily adapted to real-life situations, including close-quarters combat.
• Integrates elements from other martial arts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Filipino martial arts, and practical striking techniques, making it more eclectic.
• Less focus on traditional forms or katas and more on real-world scenarios and drills.
3. Hapkido Hosinsul:
• “Hosinsul” translates to “self-defense techniques” in Korean, and Hapkido Hosinsul typically refers to a self-defense-focused approach to Hapkido.
• It is still based in traditional Hapkido techniques but with a stronger emphasis on practical applications in self-defense situations.
• It may involve situational training against common attacks like grabs, chokes, and knife defense, focusing on fast, effective responses.
• This approach can be less formal than traditional Hapkido but retains a lot of its traditional philosophy and techniques.
In essence, traditional Hapkido focuses on a comprehensive martial art system with a balance of tradition and self-defense, Combat Hapkido hones in on the practical and modern self-defense aspects while omitting certain traditional elements, and Hapkido Hosinsul serves as a specialized branch emphasizing defensive application within the framework of traditional Hapkido.