When TMA goes Modern

[FearlessFreep]

My Hapkido instructors calls what we do "Hybrid Hapkdio" and some classes come closer to what I guess MMA is like.

Here's what we did tonight

Hapkido class tonight...

 

[exile]

Fearless---I'm curious: was this a kind of novel, experimental training session which your instructors set up this way to explore some of the `edgier' approaches to training that might be---very occasionally---mixed in with the traditional HKD, to sort of spice it up? Or was this, like, The Way Things Are Going To Be from this point on?

 

[Rook]

We do something similar. I think that this is a sort of compromise position that is becoming increasingly popular in TMA schools. Unfortunately, there is variable quality to the trend.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Fearless---I'm curious: was this a kind of novel, experimental training session which your instructors set up this way to explore some of the `edgier' approaches to training that might be---very occasionally---mixed in with the traditional HKD, to sort of spice it up? Or was this, like, The Way Things Are Going To Be from this point on?

A little of both. I've been at this school since May or so, coming from a traditional Taekwondo school so it's new to me. I get the impression they've done this before but I'm even newer to this class and from talking to others in the clasa and the instructor, this is not a new thing but we have some new students like myself so we've been working up to this for awhile (actually we did this a few weeks ago as well and will be doing it fairly regularly...) So it's new for some of us at the school, but not for the school as a whole.

This is in an advanced clasa at the school which is basically a more intense class and part of it includes tis form of sparring. The normal class include classic Hapkido inludin Hoshinsul, kicks, hand strikes, etc....

 

[exile]

A little of both. I've been at this school since May or so, coming from a traditional Taekwondo school so it's new to me. I get the impression they've done this before but I'm even newer to this class and from talking to others in the clasa and the instructor, this is not a new thing but we have some new students like myself so we've been working up to this for awhile (actually we did this a few weeks ago as well and will be doing it fairly regularly...) So it's new for some of us at the school, but not for the school as a whole.

This is in an advanced clasa at the school which is basically a more intense class and part of it includes tis form of sparring. The normal class include classic Hapkido inludin Hoshinsul, kicks, hand strikes, etc....

I see. So this kind of thing may indeed pop up at regular intervals... very interesting and probably quite a useful approach to experiment with.

Last Fearner has pointed out that back in the day, HKD and the striking portion of what we call TKD were all together in a single kind of style of Korean fighting. It's really too bad that that separation, driven by overspecialization (especially given the Olympic WTF-style sparring competition model of TKD that's been so heavily funded and promoted) ever happened, I believe. It's cool that you're getting some exposure to this other side of what was once a unitary Korean combat system...

 

[Tez3]

I'm always curious when people call MMA "modern", why do you think it's new? It was called Pankration in the first Greek Olympics, a little before our time! Grappling/groundfighting/wrestling with punching and kicking etc has been around as long, I imagine, as man has. I do Wado-Ryu which has many elements of jui-jitsu in, again another 'old" style. I also do MMA. I've said this before and will probably say it many times again, the UFC is not the be all and end all of MMA! MMA aka Pankration is an old style! Learning groundwork is invaluable for SD, also it increases stamina and endurance, many people don't realise how exhausting it is fighting on the floor. Many fights will end up on the ground and in attacks on women that is usually the point.

 

[FearlessFreep]

I'm always curious when people call MMA "modern", why do you think it's new?

I don't. The title of the thread was a nod to the whole "TMA vs MMA" debates that occasionally come up. Our instructor is a 6th Dan in Hapkido, by common notions a "Traditional" Art. But his approach to "Hybrid Hapkido" strips some of what he considers non-practical tradition and incorporates techniques and theories from other arts, including BJJ and TKD and his own experience as a police officer and Air Force para-rescue member.

So in calling attention to our sparring last night that looked a lot like MMA (at one point I kicked a guy in the head but that let him grab my leg and he took me down and I was *this* close to choking him out before the timer went off) I was poking fun at the "TMA vs MMA" dichotomy which, as I've said before, I don't really believe exists

 

[jeff5]

It seems like what you described is a lot like training with progressive reisistance. I think its a good thing that your school is doing that. Sparring (with hands, feet, grappling, or any combination of them), is essential to becoming a complete martial artist imo. You don't have to beat the living heck out of each other all the time or anything crazy like that! But you do have to do it.

 

[Tez3]

Sparring (with hands, feet, grappling, or any combination of them), is essential to becoming a complete martial artist imo. You don't have to beat the living heck out of each other all the time or anything crazy like that! But you do have to do it.

I agree and besides ... it's great fun!!

 

[Marginal]

Last Fearner has pointed out that back in the day, HKD and the striking portion of what we call TKD were all together in a single kind of style of Korean fighting.

That covers several styles of HKD. Didn't predate HKD at all.