At the close of class

[Hapkid0ist]

What do you all do to close class. Do you finish off with arobic exercises, breathing meditation? What do yall do. I like to finish with an exercise to get the heart rate up and at the same time condition a particular muscle group followed by a cool down then breathing and a few min of meditation.
What bout you?
Also do you play any music during any portion of the class. In the mornings I have a native american flutes cd that is great with meditation or breathing, same goes with evenings...

Please share...

 

[terryl965]

We have always done cool down exorcise as a routine and then dismiss the class

 

[searcher]

We do static stretching and take it slow with it. I have found that it is the perfect time to set out assignments and to relax a little.

 

[Miles]

We do static stretches, ab curls, push-ups, then 3 yoga-like stretches.

Afterwards, I make any announcements and then we recite the Chung Do Kwan Oath before dismissal.

Miles

 

[zDom]

What do you all do to close class. Do you finish off with arobic exercises, breathing meditation?... Please share...

The majority of our workouts end one of two events: “game” or “conditioning.”

Games

The class is divided into two teams, instructor-picked to challenge the students. For example, two Il gups may face a team of six or seven lower-ranked gups.

For the following two “dueling” games, each team if often asked to select a “strength man” (or woman).

An exercise is selected for the strength man. For example, they must do 30 pushups before their team loses another match. Failure is a loss for the team.

Or, the first loss is 2 squats for the strength man with the number doubling with every loss. When the strength man is unable to complete the exercise, that team loses.

There is a lot of variation on what the strength man must do to keep their team from losing.

The rest of the team takes turns competing in the duels.

Other times instead of a “strength man” team captains will engage in betting like is done during a poker game, only instead of chips, the bets are for repetitions of calisthenics.

When all the team’s members have been defeated, that team must pay the bet off by doing the calisthenics. The winning team captain selects someone from the losing team who must do ALL the calisthenics. For each one missed, the losing team must do another 10 after the first bet is paid off.

So if the bet is for 580, for example, and the selected person misses a total of 7, the team will then do another 70 calisthenics after the 580 are finished.

The duels are usually one of these two:

• Gluteus Maximus Sumo (affectionately known by students as “Butt Sumo.” )

The rules usually include “boundaries” and being pushed or otherwise crossing a boundary is a loss.

There is a seam in carpet in the area where these duels take place. Stepping on the seam is often a loss.

The duelists walk around with their hand on their ankles, attempting to force their opponent to exit the boundaries/step on the seam, fall down, or let go of their ankle.

Letting go of an ankle is a loss, as is sliding hand up the shin.

Duelists are supposed to bump with their butts or hips, but invariably try to use their elbows or shoulders or even head as the “weapon.” The instructor will occasionally remind competitors that “The weapon is the butt” or comment that they competitors are apparently having difficulty remembering which body part is the gluteus maximus.

• We need to come up with a name for this other duel. Maybe, “One Legged Warrior Duel” or something.

The rules of this particular duel are: duelists hold one foot in both hands in front of them (kind of like the chamber for a twist kick). Letting go of the foot is a loss. Falling down is a loss.

The duelists hop around, bumping into each other in attempts to force their opponent to exit the boundaries/step on the seam, fall down, or release their foot.

Sometimes in if there is a large weight/size difference, the instructor will handicap the match by allowing the smaller duelist to only hold their foot with one hand.


In both of these dueling games, black belts are judges. A competitor is expected to continue competing until called “out” by a judge. It is not up to them to admit defeat because they release a foot or fall down: if not called out, they should hop up and continue to compete as if the fall never happened unless a judge calls them out.

Usually the game is played for “best two out of three” wins, often with a change of strength man after a win/loss for the team. Sometimes, not.

If a team loses the first two games, the instructor will often ask the losing team if they would like to play the third game just in an attempt to “salvage some of their pride.”

OTHER GAMES:

Sometimes the teams are pitted against each other in a contest known as “Hapkido Says” (also known as “Mr. Morton Says”)

Each team puts two competitors out. It is very much like Simon Says, only there is no requirement for the “Simon” part. Competitors are simply expected to do everything asked of them.

For example, typical commands are:

- “On your stomach on your back on your feet.” Competitors must do it in that order, promptly, or be called “out”

It can get more difficult, for example, “On your stomach on your back on your stomach on your back on your feet on your back on your stomach on your feet on your stomach.”

Another difficulty modifier command is “Put your hands on your head.” Hands must remain there until instructed to remove them. Then sequences like above are called out.

- “Pushup position” (position must be held). Followed by counting numbers, a repetition of the exercise must be performed.

This position may also be followed by, “Put your left hand behind your back” and/or “Put your right leg straight out in front of you” after which the instructor will wait awhile to see if someone puts an arm or leg down.

A fun one sequence is, “Put your left hand behind your back. Put your right hand behind your back” (competitors are to fall on their bellies with both hand remaining behind back )

Other positions require balance, such as standing on head or “airplane” position: arms out to side like wings, head and upper body parallel with the floor along with one leg extended behind.

When someone fails to do the exercise or movement or to maintain a position, they are called out and another team member steps forward to compete until the team is all out of competitors and they lose.


ANOTHER game is the “Resting Game.”

The entire team is asked to assume pushup position. After the game starts, ONE team member is allowed to lay down and rest. The captain calls out who on his team should be resting. “John up, Bob rest.” If someone gives up and rests out of turn, that team loses.

Sometimes instead of one PERSON resting, the team gets to “rest” one ARM (so the “resting” person is actually giving one arm a break, but putting additional strain on the remaining arm supporting their weight).

Another position: leg lift. Legs must remain at least 6 inches off the floor and no higher than 45 degrees up, except for the resting person (or resting leg ).

That desire to “win” is a great motivator in all of the above games for the competing students to push themselves past the point where they would normally give up.

Conditioning

The instructor will simply take the class through a series of calisthenics totaling somewhere around 300-800, divided among various exercises.

For example:

10 pushups
20 leg circles: legs straight, go from leg lift starting position 6 inches off the ground, circle up clockwise/counterclockwise to 90 degrees - straight up - to back down to starting position. 10 one way, 10 the other way.
30 leg lifts (from 6 inches to straight up and back down to starting position is one count)
40 situps.

This totals 100. This series may then be repeated four times for a total of 400 calisthenics.

Another variations is the pyramid:
1 pushup, 1 situp, 1 leglift, 1 squat. Then 2. Then 3. And on up to, say 10 for 55 reps of each exercise. 55 x 4 exercises for 220, then pyramid back down to make it 440. Or continue on to a higher number like 14 for 105 each exercise, 105 x 4 for 420. Or maybe five exercises instead of four for higher totals.


If students are breathing heavily following the game/conditioning, instructor usually leads us through a “cool down” as follows:

A couple hip-rotating arm swings, then:

Feet are spread a bit wider than shoulder width. Reach up and lean back, inhale deeply; exhale as you reach for the floor behind you between your legs. Nice slow pace, easing breathing down, repeated for about 10 reps.


We don’t have any equipment to play music in the dojang where I work out.

If I ever end up being in charge of my own dojang, I might equip so students can enjoy some relaxing music while meditating on their own on occasion following formal workouts. I’m not sure about music during the workout, however.

 

[IcemanSK]

I usually end class with pushups.

 

[matt.m]

Back in the 80's we called the chambered twist kick, foot in hand duel "Chicken Fighting." The main ones of the class during that time period were Kendall, Mark Rigdon, Robbie, Darren, James, Chris Ervin, Nancy, Danny, me. Of course the three black belts were Sharon, Bruce, Anthony and dad led the class. This time period saw the beginning of hapkido says, this game is a spin off of Simon Says.

Lawrence and Rob Bullock had not even started yet.

In St. L we usually do either poomse or one steps to end before dismissal.

 

[trueaspirer]

All we really have is an endiin ceremony. We wrap up whatever we are doing a minute or so before (or after) class ends and we hold the closing ceremony, a simple little thing, meant for formality and being official about things.
But really we are a small, relaxed and laid back school, and nobody really cares if we run afew minutes overtime.

 

[Paul B]

At the close of class is Q and A time. We run over the techniques covered in the class and answer any other questions one might have about Hapkido history etc..