What is Combat Hapkido?
Combat (Chon-Tu Kwan) Hapkido is a modern, dynamic system that offers all the benefits of classical Martial Arts, but without rituals, rigidity, obsolete techniques and unsafe exercises. The art focuses on joint locking and joint manipulation, low-line kicks, targeted striking, ground survival, and weapon disarming techniques.
We teach our students how to control an opponent with pain compliance - there's not always a need to seriously injure anyone. Of course pain tolerance can vary, especially if drugs are involved, so there are solutions for that, too. There are many levels of attacks from which to defend oneself. They range from merely annoying to the ultimate - lethal. Each requires a response appropriate to that level of aggression. For example, a friend who's had a little too much to drink at a party and wants to fight will be treated differently from a mugger or rapist. We teach our students the importance of knowing your attacker, and your rights, so that you may stay safe in any situation.
Combat Hapkido is a modern, scientific style of Hapkido that is enjoyable to learn. There are no forms or katas; no acrobatic kicks to the head (our kicks target the mid-section and below), or breaking of boards. It is well suited for people of all ages and sizes because physical strength and great athletic abilities are not essential. We use the energy of the attacker against them. In fact, the Korean word "Hapkido" means "The Way of Joined Energy".
The Senior Instructors of GHMA were trained by Sa Bum Nim Arthur Blair, who ran the school as Green Hill "Combat Hapkido" for many years. Combat Hapkido has a belt ranking system beginning with yellow and going up through multiple levels of black belt. There are 10 belts on the journey to 1st Dan (degree) black belt.
Green Hill Martial Arts is proud to be a charter member of the International Combat Hapkido Federation. Grandmaster Pellegrini founded the ICHF in 1992. His mission and that of the ICHF is to promote self-defense. Grandmaster has been featured in several martial arts publications throughout the years. He was Blackbelt Magazine's 2004 Instructor of the Year. He created this style, or kwan, of Hapkido to address the threats experienced in today's world. It has been called "The Science of Self Defense".
Combat Hapkido is used by military and police forces throughout the world and continues to evolve as new techniques and innovations in self defense appear. The instructors at GHMA attend seminars, camps, and train with other artists to continue their own growth in this ever evolving world of martial arts. We never stop learning.
