Question about forward and backward rolls, spin kick

[wael]

Hello everyone. I trained in Shotokan Karate for five years, then Hwa Rang Do for a year, then in Hapkido for two years with a student of Master Marc Tedeschi in California. I love Hapkido and I intend to stay with it for life, though I'm not averse to studying a southeast Asian art like Silat in addition if I get the chance.

So although I loved my Hapkido training in California, about a year ago I moved to Panama for business reasons.

In California I was taught to perform a forward roll by rolling across from the shoulder to the leg, in a slight diagonal, to protect the spine. Same with the backward roll. And this is how I always see people doing it in Hapkido videos.

As for the spin kick, Marc is very adamant about dropping the head low during the spin, rather than keeping it high as the TKD stylists do, and from what I understand this characteristic (of dropping the head low) is an important element of the Hapkido spin kick. It prevents damage to the spine, makes for a more powerful kick, and evades attacks to the head during the kick.

Here in Panama I found many Hapkido schools, but they do things differently. All the schools here are run by current or former students of one particular Korean master, Park Il-Song, who immigrated here from Korea 30 or so years ago. His training was under Ji Han-Jae, but he has altered many of the techniques somewhat and now calls his style Song Moo.

One of the altered elements is that the forward roll is done straight forward, with both hands striking the ground, roll on the spine, then stand straight up. In the training stage we often grab the ankles as we come out of the roll to center ourselves.

Same with the backward roll. It starts out like a back fall: straight back, tuck the head and slap with both arms (something I never did before in a roll), then immediately move the hands up beside the head (palms down) and continue swinging the legs straight over while pushing with the hands. I find this to be extremely awkward and uncomfortable for my neck, and I worry about injuring my neck this way.

The spin kick here is done with the body upright, the head up.

My question is, are these techniques (the straight forward and backward roll, the upright spink kick) common in other styles of Hapkido? I wonder if Master Park invented them? Do you think they are practical?

There is also a big emphasis here on high kicks, jumping kicks, and acrobatics like cartwheel and forward and backward flip. Of course the students are all younger than me (I'm 41). I'm thinking of quitting my instruction here and just practicing at home, because I'm too old for this stuff and I'm simply not interested in it. I joined Hapkido to learn realistic self-defense, not flips. Or perhaps I'll take up Aikido (there is a school here) or BJJ, and continue to practice Hapkido at home.

[James O'Neill]

You were taught the proper way to do the rolls. ...And the kick too - and this is borne out by the common sense explanations you yourself just gave.

I remember several years ago when I was filling in for my own instructor at a TKD school where we taught. The owner of the school kinda came in and put his Hapkido man in & had him teach the class that night. He was teaching a jump circle fall where you intentionally land on the small of your back ( ) - one student hurt herself trying it & everyone else pretty much did the rolls & falls as our instructor taught them after that...

I don't know if it is a gymnastics influence or a Chinese MA influence but I have seen a few HKD folks doing this 'straight down the spine' or even 'land on the small of the back' thing - All I can say is that I am too old to let any form of peer pressure convince me to do something stupid that I know is going to hurt. BTDT. Bought the tee shirt too

If it don't pass the "I-could-go-outside-and-do-this-in-the-parkinglot-without-injuring-myself" test, I ain't doin' it.

I love Hapkido. Sounds like you do too - it will stil be here. Taught by somebody else. If it were me I'd take up BJJ in the meantime - and then revisit Hapkido later. Under an instructor that won't set you up to get injured & shares the Self Defense emphasis you (like most of us) seem to favor.

Good luck - Hapki

[wael]

Thanks, pretty much what I suspected. You've helped me reach a decision to stop taking classes at this school and take up either Judo or BJJ for now. At the same time I will continue to practice Hapkido at home in the style I learned in California. I actually picked up quite a bit in two years, and I could spend the next two or three years just mastering it.

[James O'Neill]

Glad to hear you will stay with Hapkido for the long haul - if you ever get to the Daytona area look us up

[wael]

So I ultimately did leave that Hapkido school in Panama and I continued to practice on my own, and with a few training partners. I also found someone to teach me Silat.

Now I'm back in California, still practicing Hapkido and Silat, and I've also earned simultaneous brown belts in Kokodo Jujitsu and Matsumura Shorin-Ryu Kenpo (I train a lot).

I've maintained my focus on self-defense and I've been happy with my development as a martial artist, especially in the last few years.

I also founded a social network for Hapkidoists, you can check it out at HapkidoNetwork.com.

Thanks for the advice I received way back when.

[James O'Neill]

That is awesome dude - I bet your Hapkido is all the better for your journey too

Again, if you ever get to the Daytone-Orlando area, drop me a line!