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In learning Hapkido we are learning more than how to prevail in a conflict we are also learning to avoid altercation all together. Your first and best weapon in any given scenario is awareness.
We find that awareness for the Hapkidoin comes in two levels, micro and macro.
On the Micro level, first is obviously awareness of our opponent not only their location but intent and position. The Macro level, is about sensing your environment at large, the world around you.
We find that awareness for the Hapkidoin comes in two levels, micro and macro.
On the Micro level, first is obviously awareness of our opponent not only their location but intent and position. The Macro level, is about sensing your environment at large, the world around you.
Micro Awareness: Location
You know your opponents location first and foremost with your eyes. But we train not to rely on them too heavily. Your daily life has already taught you to rely completely on your eyes, nothing I can give you either here or in the dojang can compete with your daily life from minute to minute.
You should occasionally practice blindfolded or with your eyes closed. I often practice this in my darkened house every morning when I am preparing for work. My goal is to prepare while not waking my wife and kids. I find if I can move silently and with no light that I can refine my skills. However people move things, especially children, they leave toys lying about. A dark room could be a minefield for one walking in bare feet.
You should occasionally practice blindfolded or with your eyes closed. I often practice this in my darkened house every morning when I am preparing for work. My goal is to prepare while not waking my wife and kids. I find if I can move silently and with no light that I can refine my skills. However people move things, especially children, they leave toys lying about. A dark room could be a minefield for one walking in bare feet.
So I navigate partly by memory, the bed is here, the couch is there. And partly by feeling my way with gradual sliding foot movements we learn in white belt. Memory is what I call flash visual memory before the light goes out the night before I take a snapshot with my mind and I find the snapshot is still in my head in the morning. If I were fighting I would make many such snapshots of my surroundings unconsciously. So that I know what is behind me as well as what is in front. Your surroundings can be used as a weapon, for you can keep your enemy in an unbalanced state blundering into objects while you are on solid and clear ground.
I routinely do this every morning, can't remember the last time I stepped on something sharp or stubbed a toe. You see it's important to not only know the location of your opponent but also the location of everything around you. A tree root can trip you to the ground just as effectively as any opponent.
I routinely do this every morning, can't remember the last time I stepped on something sharp or stubbed a toe. You see it's important to not only know the location of your opponent but also the location of everything around you. A tree root can trip you to the ground just as effectively as any opponent.
If you find yourself in a fight in a room for example. Find open space to work if you can, hold that ground till it is safe to leave it. You should not pursue the enemy from your ground, let them come to you and then propel them into the clutter all about, you stay on familiar ground where you know where the objects are. When the attacker is subdued or has fled and you feel completely safe, then depart your familiar ground, with caution.
Micro Awareness: Reflective Surfaces
You should make it a hobby to glance at reflective surfaces. Our shiny modern world abounds with them. They can help you see the unseen. I occasionally like to tell a couple of my junior students to attack me in our aerobics room. All four walls are covered in mirrors. I can very easily see them all at any given time in the mirrors and it makes fending off my student attackers enjoyable. If you are dealing with multiple
attackers (and we always assume we are till proven otherwise) then reflective surfaces can give you clues to the whereabouts of the guy behind you and his position. I can often successfully kick targets from looking at reflections of them only.
attackers (and we always assume we are till proven otherwise) then reflective surfaces can give you clues to the whereabouts of the guy behind you and his position. I can often successfully kick targets from looking at reflections of them only.
Micro Awareness: Relaxed Focus
If you have the use of your eyes you should not focus too closely on your opponent. It is better rather to unfocus your eyes so that the view is slightly fuzzy. We do a little experiment in class. I ask my students to focus on a point on the wall and then I walk around them in a circle. At the point that I vanish completely from their peripheral vision we stop and mark the spot. Then we do the experiment again with the student not focusing on anything but instead looking ahead with unfocused eyes. I walk around them again and
ask them to tell me when I vanish from peripheral vision. This time I have moved much further behind them, pass the point where I vanished when they focused. You will see more if you relax your focus.
Learning Exercise: Try the same focus and unfocus peripheral vision experiment. How far can you see to the side?
ask them to tell me when I vanish from peripheral vision. This time I have moved much further behind them, pass the point where I vanished when they focused. You will see more if you relax your focus.
Learning Exercise: Try the same focus and unfocus peripheral vision experiment. How far can you see to the side?
When I fight I look sort of vaguely at the ground near my opponents feet. I allow my head to drift from side to side a bit which gives me additional peripheral data. I keep the opponent in peripheral
vision to a great extent. This kind of relaxed focus is necessary for combating multiple attackers. Remember an attacker will not attack you unless they are sure they are stronger and will win. The easiest way to be stronger than somebody is to bring a friend. We must always consider that another attacker is waiting just out of view.
vision to a great extent. This kind of relaxed focus is necessary for combating multiple attackers. Remember an attacker will not attack you unless they are sure they are stronger and will win. The easiest way to be stronger than somebody is to bring a friend. We must always consider that another attacker is waiting just out of view.
Note: If you watch competitive fighters from any art, style, or sport they tend to watch their opponents eyes or sometimes chest or feet depending on their training. You see in a sporting match you fight on a nice clean prepared surface with defined limits and you know you are only fighting one opponent.
Real combat is nothing like this. If you watch footage of soldiers on a battlefield or perhaps a fighter pilot in dogfight watch where they look. They are constantly scanning, their heads are on a swivel and they are constantly trying to see the enemy who could be anyplace.
Real combat is nothing like this. If you watch footage of soldiers on a battlefield or perhaps a fighter pilot in dogfight watch where they look. They are constantly scanning, their heads are on a swivel and they are constantly trying to see the enemy who could be anyplace.
Micro Awareness: Intent
We can know our attackers intent through telegraphing movement. We can predict what our opponent intends to do to some extent. The key is to practice so much against a number of people that you can see patterns and know what is about to happen before it does happen. This is not a supernatural seeing the
future. Instead it's more like calculating probabilities. For example if you see a child at the top of a hill with a toy car and he places the car on the ground, what do you think will happen next?
If you answered he will it roll the toy car down the hill then congratulations you've just taken a peek into the future. When we fight we make these sorts of calculations many times per second, whether your are aware of it or not. Just be mindful that telegraphing movement isn't the Holy Grail, skilled fighters can move one way to fake you out then do something completely unexpected to gain the upper hand.
However some things don't lie, a person has to place their feet in certain ways to do certain things, every time. Can you execute a really good front leg front snap kick from a very low horse stance? Chances are the answer is no. No matter how good a fighter is they cannot defy the laws of physics.
future. Instead it's more like calculating probabilities. For example if you see a child at the top of a hill with a toy car and he places the car on the ground, what do you think will happen next?
If you answered he will it roll the toy car down the hill then congratulations you've just taken a peek into the future. When we fight we make these sorts of calculations many times per second, whether your are aware of it or not. Just be mindful that telegraphing movement isn't the Holy Grail, skilled fighters can move one way to fake you out then do something completely unexpected to gain the upper hand.
However some things don't lie, a person has to place their feet in certain ways to do certain things, every time. Can you execute a really good front leg front snap kick from a very low horse stance? Chances are the answer is no. No matter how good a fighter is they cannot defy the laws of physics.
We can also know intent based on posture, expression, and other nonverbal cues. You should study people, the way they walk, the way they move, do they favor a leg? Do they limp? Do they have good posture? Do they seem tense or relaxed. Most human communication has little or nothing to do with words, we speak with our bodies and the expression on our face. To be a Hapkidoin is to be a student of people and the way they interact.
If a person approaches you brandishing a knife and requests your wallet, what is their intent?
Obviously it's to get your wallet, but what will they do after that? Will they stab you or won't they? Also are they really alone or did they just glance at somebody behind you? In our world of awareness intent can be a palpable commodity.
If a person approaches you brandishing a knife and requests your wallet, what is their intent?
Obviously it's to get your wallet, but what will they do after that? Will they stab you or won't they? Also are they really alone or did they just glance at somebody behind you? In our world of awareness intent can be a palpable commodity.
Next time you are in a room with many people calm your mind and find stillness. Try to feel the other people around you, what are they doing, what are they thinking? I cannot read minds but I can often read intent.
Have you ever heard about dogs and small children sensing whether someone is good or not good? It is not a supernatural sense. Dog's and very small children have the same problem, they don't communicate with words. Instead Dogs and very small children communicate with nonverbal language. The language of posture, mood, expression, and movement. The average Dog can read a person's intent like a book and they know when somebody is up to no good, it's obvious. We all had this ability to read people to some extent when we were very small, you can have it again, if you take the time to learn people.
Have you ever heard about dogs and small children sensing whether someone is good or not good? It is not a supernatural sense. Dog's and very small children have the same problem, they don't communicate with words. Instead Dogs and very small children communicate with nonverbal language. The language of posture, mood, expression, and movement. The average Dog can read a person's intent like a book and they know when somebody is up to no good, it's obvious. We all had this ability to read people to some extent when we were very small, you can have it again, if you take the time to learn people.
Micro Awareness: Position, Physical Orientation
At first blush position is the same as location. However when I say position I mean physical orientation.
Where is my attackers hands, feet, and head? We can determine this even without our eyes.
Our eyes are not the only senses we possess. Obviously as humans we rely on our eyes the most however in combat the other senses should be utilized as well. Again blindfold training is useful here. In lieu of eyes the two senses you must trust are your ears and your sense of touch.
Where is my attackers hands, feet, and head? We can determine this even without our eyes.
Our eyes are not the only senses we possess. Obviously as humans we rely on our eyes the most however in combat the other senses should be utilized as well. Again blindfold training is useful here. In lieu of eyes the two senses you must trust are your ears and your sense of touch.
Most people are quite loud and they don't even know it. They are careless when they walk and make scuffing sounds and sometimes they even stomp around like elephants. If they are moving through debris on the ground (like dead leaves) a person's movements make a cacophony of noise. You, dear student, are also louder than you should be. When you are loud you cannot hear your attacker. Many styles teach us to yell (Kiyap) when we strike. The underlying thinking is sort of like grunting when you pick up something heavy.
It compresses the muscles in your core and gives you a little added strength. I've also heard it can
startle an attacker. I personally think that silent movement serves us better. Besides I find with practice I can contract those same muscles without making a loud sound.
It compresses the muscles in your core and gives you a little added strength. I've also heard it can
startle an attacker. I personally think that silent movement serves us better. Besides I find with practice I can contract those same muscles without making a loud sound.
Silent movement makes us harder to sense, read, and predict. A street fight isn't like the ring. Sometimes making a lot of noise is the correct thing to do.
Such as: " HELP! I AM GETTING ATTACKED, POLICE, POLICE!" However, that is the deliberate act of shouting for a very specific reason.
Our walk and movement as much as feasible should be very quiet. In utter darkness our movement should
not be detectable by sound. Conversely our ears should be tuned to movement and minute air pressure
differences that represent our attacker. If you believe they are approaching, cannot see them, AND cannot hear them, then get low. Utilize stance to bring your ear closer to the ground. Chances are you will detect their feet moving.
Such as: " HELP! I AM GETTING ATTACKED, POLICE, POLICE!" However, that is the deliberate act of shouting for a very specific reason.
Our walk and movement as much as feasible should be very quiet. In utter darkness our movement should
not be detectable by sound. Conversely our ears should be tuned to movement and minute air pressure
differences that represent our attacker. If you believe they are approaching, cannot see them, AND cannot hear them, then get low. Utilize stance to bring your ear closer to the ground. Chances are you will detect their feet moving.
Be mindful, you may have full use of your eyes but they are dealing with the guy in front of you, your ears are keeping track of the other attacker who approaches unseen.
We can determine more accurately our opponents position once we've made contact with them. Our
sense of touch is critical here. You should be able to extrapolate every inch of your opponents body by
merely holding their hand. When you train with your uke do not develop the habit of watching your hands but instead keep your head up and looking around. Find the correct Hapkido Locks by FEEL
and not by sight. If you must fight and cannot escape it is best to close the distance rapidly and make
contact. Once you've made contact you can simultaneously apply a joint lock and be searching for the next attacker. In your mind you should not think about the man you are fighting but in fact who is next. Ideally you wreck the first attacker joints whilst projecting him into the second attacker.
We can determine more accurately our opponents position once we've made contact with them. Our
sense of touch is critical here. You should be able to extrapolate every inch of your opponents body by
merely holding their hand. When you train with your uke do not develop the habit of watching your hands but instead keep your head up and looking around. Find the correct Hapkido Locks by FEEL
and not by sight. If you must fight and cannot escape it is best to close the distance rapidly and make
contact. Once you've made contact you can simultaneously apply a joint lock and be searching for the next attacker. In your mind you should not think about the man you are fighting but in fact who is next. Ideally you wreck the first attacker joints whilst projecting him into the second attacker.
Awareness Macro: Detection and Avoidance
The best fight is the one that didn't happen.
We do not live in a vacuum, we are surrounded at all times by a myriad of things. Air, structures, other people, even animals and insects. At the surface of our skin is a layer of air, it's constantly moving, in a no-mind state you can even feel the little air currents on your hairs.
If you've ever tracked a deer you would know that a deer is quite a remarkable creature. It's completely aware of its surroundings. Even if the deer cannot see you, smell you, or hear you, it often knows
you are there. I have followed the tracks in a complete circle till I was following my own tracks again. How did the deer know I was tracking it?
We do not live in a vacuum, we are surrounded at all times by a myriad of things. Air, structures, other people, even animals and insects. At the surface of our skin is a layer of air, it's constantly moving, in a no-mind state you can even feel the little air currents on your hairs.
If you've ever tracked a deer you would know that a deer is quite a remarkable creature. It's completely aware of its surroundings. Even if the deer cannot see you, smell you, or hear you, it often knows
you are there. I have followed the tracks in a complete circle till I was following my own tracks again. How did the deer know I was tracking it?
Ripples....
The answer lies with ripples. Consider the medium around you not as air but as
water. In water, every move makes ripples that others can see and feel from several feet away.
How did the deer know I was tracking him? Well he probably noticed that the squirrels were scampering into the trees and hugging the far side from me. He noticed that the birds had grown quiet. He saw all the signs of my presence without actually seeing or in any other way detecting me. Eventually he doubled back and was able to give my own trail a sniff and determine that a smelly human was tracking him.
Our daily lives are in fact really not much different than the forest. We have our own signals that something has changed. The key is to be aware of them. For example you may notice that your coworkers behave differently when the boss is in the room. If you are on a subway and you see the body language of people become less open, more guarded, you can be sure that collectively they feel threatened
and perhaps you should as well. You may not see the hostile mugger but you can see the other passengers and you can in essence feel the ripples of disquiet that they have projected.
If you see a street with people walking along it happily and a dark alley that people seem to avoid, you should also avoid that alley. Whether or not an actual hostile presence exists, it could exist and therefore is probably not a safe place to be. You can feel the ripples of all those people avoiding that alley.
Remember if you do enter that alley, a hostile won't attack you unless they are certain they will win. What gives them this certainty? Is it the firearm in their pocket? The knife concealed in trousers? Perhaps it's their four friends waiting just out of view. The attackers certainty is also a ripple, you should listen.
You may think Hapkido has prepared you for an engagement of this sort and in fact it has. It has prepared you by teaching you to avoid that engagement in the first place.
It's ironic but once you have mastered Hapkido you will likely never have to fight again, and that is okay. Because again, the best fight is the one that never takes place.
The answer lies with ripples. Consider the medium around you not as air but as
water. In water, every move makes ripples that others can see and feel from several feet away.
How did the deer know I was tracking him? Well he probably noticed that the squirrels were scampering into the trees and hugging the far side from me. He noticed that the birds had grown quiet. He saw all the signs of my presence without actually seeing or in any other way detecting me. Eventually he doubled back and was able to give my own trail a sniff and determine that a smelly human was tracking him.
Our daily lives are in fact really not much different than the forest. We have our own signals that something has changed. The key is to be aware of them. For example you may notice that your coworkers behave differently when the boss is in the room. If you are on a subway and you see the body language of people become less open, more guarded, you can be sure that collectively they feel threatened
and perhaps you should as well. You may not see the hostile mugger but you can see the other passengers and you can in essence feel the ripples of disquiet that they have projected.
If you see a street with people walking along it happily and a dark alley that people seem to avoid, you should also avoid that alley. Whether or not an actual hostile presence exists, it could exist and therefore is probably not a safe place to be. You can feel the ripples of all those people avoiding that alley.
Remember if you do enter that alley, a hostile won't attack you unless they are certain they will win. What gives them this certainty? Is it the firearm in their pocket? The knife concealed in trousers? Perhaps it's their four friends waiting just out of view. The attackers certainty is also a ripple, you should listen.
You may think Hapkido has prepared you for an engagement of this sort and in fact it has. It has prepared you by teaching you to avoid that engagement in the first place.
It's ironic but once you have mastered Hapkido you will likely never have to fight again, and that is okay. Because again, the best fight is the one that never takes place.