Hapkido as a "soft" and "internal" art?

[Raymond]

Hapkido is a wonderful art because over the decades, it has become so many things. It can be taught and practiced with a variety of focus. It can be taught as a rough, brutal art that aims to destroy and break opponent's as necessary or a softer art that uses degrees of pain for compliance. Some folks have intermingled with TKD and other Korean striking arts to add a variety of kicks.

I have always been taught the middle ground between all of these. However, I have a friend who is a disabled US Army veteran who suffered head and back injuries. Just from chatting, even though he hasn't explicitly said it I have a feeling he would like to practice a martial art but his access to instructors or schools that could cater to him are not readily available (he has a wife, child, new house and goes to school). I was thinking that I could help him learn Hapkido as a soft and internal art. Focusing on the healing value (mentally and physically) of meditation and danjeon breathing, working on balance and movement through the use of footwork and using the techniques of many Hapkido joint locks not as a means to destroy but as a means to harmonize energy with others and a sort of working meditation as he goes slowly through practicing the movements. Unfortunately hard contact techniques that are important to Hapkido, such as break falling, would not be safe for him to practice.

Does anyone here have any advice on or recommendations for this type of practice?

 

[Chrisoro]

If hard break-falling is out of the question, what about rolling? Also, I don't see any problems with putting on standing arm and wristlocks in a careful and controlled way, and letting him tap once the lock is on, instead of throwing him down. Exploring the biomechanics behind why and how various locks work is something you can do in a soft and slow way, without any danger of injury. It may not alone prepare you to use them in a practical setting, but it can greatly increase your(and his) understanding of the locks, and how to employ them from a variety of different positions and grips. Standing lock flows is also fully possible without throwing anyone to the ground. Look at how Aikidoka do randori.

 

[Raymond]

My thought right now is that the mental and spiritual benefits of martial arts for him would far outweigh any potential physical/self defense benefits. I think that would be my goal if we undertook the endeavor.

There are many great internal arts, along with many soft arts like Aikido that you mention. Its odd that you mentioned it as it is an art I was thinking about when the idea occurred to me. Trying to practice Hapkido with him in a way that the techniques serve more as a vehicle of self fulfillment. Essentially giving him something to put his mind into during practice to help erase other sorts of worldly tensions and frustrations. When you step on the mats, it is difficult to remember your daily problems as you need your whole mind to understand and learn the techniques.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

Does anyone here have any advice on or recommendations for this type of practice?

Thanks for this thread.

As you know, and as Chrisoro pointed out, you don't have to forcefully put him down or throw him into the next county, just as we wouldn't break a wrist or dislocate a knee with a practice opponent. It won't hurt for him to do some of that to you if he can. You may not know, or at least didn't mention, how his head and back injuries manifest themselves. Does he have strength enough to perform moves? Would certain movements cause unbearable pain? It doesn't mean you can't teach him any techniques, only that some may have to be avoided, or learned by him in a way he can do them. Again, as you know, it isn't really strength as much as technique anyway.

You might want to reach out to Instructor as he may have run across this or a similar situation with his distance learning. Also, I think there was a thread somewhere in the Arts section some time back that asked about teaching handicapped people. I think it was more geared toward mentally handicapped, but I think the discussion branched to other handicapped teaching techniques as well.

But I think you have a really good idea in stressing internal work. That will help him with those techniques he can do, and help him with any inner conflicts he may have due to his injuries. If you do decide to do that, I hope you come back in from time to time to discuss successes and failures so we can all learn.

EDIT: I decided to do a search using "teaching handicapped" as the search term. It brought up a whole page full of threads. Good luck.

 

[Instructor]

To me Hapkido is primarily a internal (soft) martial art. I think it's fantastic that your friend is learning in the way he is. I know on many occasions I'll demonstrate a movement with the uke and then just for fun show the same movement solo and darned if it doesn't look an awful lot like Tai Chi sometimes.
In my program we distinguish between blending motion (Hap) and the harder projection of power with follow through (ki) and so you might say we play both sides of the line between soft and hard martial arts.
I have several students who suffer from disabilities, veterans, and elderly people and we learn Hapkido in a safe and sane manner. We don't get to do as many flashy throws as you might see in some schools but we have a heck of a lot of fun and the material is still very useful. I have some students that work in law enforcement and they tell me all the time they use what I teach them in the line of duty.