I too have been finding these threads facinating, and at times the conversation seems to have been on the verge of a way to both help standardize the hapkido community and maintain various organizations individuality.
Just by way of introduction, I hold no rank in hapkido, but my instructor attained a blackbelt in what he identified as "Kuk Sool Won Hapkido" in the 70's, before he began training in our current art. He teaches forms that are variations of, but recognizably the same ones found in Kuk Sool Won, but also said that other styles of hapkido he trained in used no forms. He teaches the principle of non-resistance, the circular principle, and the water principle. I have learned many sets of numbered "hapkido" techniques. A couple of my students moved to Virginia and found and fit right in with a hapkido school of I believe Mr. Myung's organization, and hold blackbelts through that organization. So while I don't "do" hapkido, I feel some kinship with the art.
A minimum standard such as Bruce was talking about would give someone like me, if I were in the greater Chicago area (and I leave tonight and fly into Midway early morning, Woodridge-Lindenhurst is a bit of a drive, but still), a list I could review and say yes, I can do the things on this list, and he would know that I can safely participate in his workout - I would expect that he would still assess my skills while on the mat, but it would give him a starting point.
Beyond that, the conversation at times seems to have been close to what I have started to see as a Hapkido Standards Institute, or the like. What has grown up in my mind from the various threads I have been reading is sort of like this:
I could see an institute that is not a governing body, but rather an elective organization whose charter was to establish mutually agreed upon minimum standards for hapkido. Members of the Board would be people from exisitng orgs. and could serve 1 year terms, and annually update and re-certify the standards. The basics Bruce is working on could be a starting point. Somewhere in these threads he brought up that everyone seems to agree that a kick of a certain class was needed, but couldn't agree on what. In such cases, the standards could state that for blackbelt, (for example) 2 kicks of type "A" and 2 kicks of type "B" are required, and provide a list of acceptable techniques.
Orgs that endorsed the Institutes standards (presumably those on Board, as well as any others that care to), would certify that people they promote to blackbelt meet at least those minimum requirement, and allows the Org to certify those blackbelts for the institute. It would not require that any org change their standards, and most orgs would likely exceed those standards, but they would be minimum level that they could all look at and agree that if someone does at least that stuff, they are generally a blackbelt in hapkido.
If someone (for example) from Rudy's org moved and joined Mr. Whalen's org, if they both endorse the institute, then the org gaining a member knows that the new person has a certain baseline of knowledge. That wouldn't mean that the person wouldn't have to pass the appropriate test to have a level of rank in Mr. Whalen's organization, but it assures they have common ground and language.
And perhaps, if someone comes to the Institute without a certified blackbelt, the Institute could test that person and certify that their level of knowledge is equivilant to a hapkido blackbelt... Or perhaps not, I guess that would be up to the imaginary Institute Board.
Well, that is the idea all this conversation has given me - for whatever an outsider's opinion is worth.
