| The spiritual and philosophical nature of the | | | | means emptiness of mind. This is not a void, |
| martial arts is rightly gaining more and more | | | | or empty space, but rather a place where the |
| attention. Increasingly martial arts students | | | | layers with which we distort our own reality |
| in London are looking for more than a | | | | have been set aside. It is a place where one |
| physical experience - a purely beat-um up | | | | is free of fear, hatred, anxiety, or |
| experience is no longer enough! | | | | arrogance. Our ki (chi; internal energy) |
| | | | flows fluently around the body; we are at |
| London Martial Arts school Chang's Hapkido | | | | peace; we see things as they are. |
| Academy, teaches Hapkido, which is a Korean | | | | |
| martial art of self-defense. The name | | | | Master Chang continues, "As far as |
| 'Hapkido' actually combines three Korean | | | | self-defence goes, when faced with an actual |
| words: Hap means the coordination of mind and | | | | situation a very strong man can be paralysed |
| body, Ki is the inner power needed to create | | | | in an instant by fear. Therefore, MAN vs. |
| hap, and Do refers to a disciplined life. | | | | HIMSELF is the most important part of any |
| | | | martial artist's journey. In overcoming |
| It is this concept of discipline that can be | | | | dangers posed by one's own anger, fear, hate, |
| found throughout the martial arts, but what | | | | arrogance and desire one is able to achieve |
| does that actually mean? To the new martial | | | | maturity and wisdom." |
| arts student it may be about doing what you | | | | |
| are told, calling your instructor "Sir", or | | | | "I heard a wonderful story recently", says a |
| bowing as you enter the dojang (martial arts | | | | Chang's Hapkido Academy Instructor. "One of |
| training hall). At a martial arts school in | | | | my students (a white belt) was walking down a |
| London though, the Hapkido practitioners | | | | London street. A man started staring at him |
| realize that even the simple bow has much | | | | aggressively. My student said, 'The old me |
| more of a profound meaning. | | | | would have stared aggressively back, but |
| | | | since coming to Hapkido and Ki Meditation |
| During a recent London Martial Arts seminar, | | | | class I didn't need to. Instead, I smiled and |
| when asked why people want to train in | | | | looked away.' He then told me that when he |
| Hapkido, Korean Grandmaster and founder of | | | | left the shop the same guy was on the other |
| Chang's Hapkido Academy, Gedo Chang | | | | side of the street in a fight with someone |
| responded, "Some want to learn self-defense | | | | else. I think this white belt is already |
| techniques, some to condition mind and body, | | | | becoming a successful warrior." |
| some for physical discipline. No matter what | | | | |
| they want first, eventually they realize that | | | | The expert martial artist is said to achieve |
| Hapkido is much deeper, more profound than | | | | freedom. Freedom means freedom from, not |
| they ever expected. Hapkido is more than | | | | freedom to: freedom from fear, freedom from |
| physical health or self-defense techniques. | | | | anger, freedom from ego. We achieve freedom |
| The more important part of Hapkido training | | | | by making peace with our own internal |
| is inner peace, wisdom and discipline; which | | | | enemies. Ironically it is through martial |
| is what I try to teach." | | | | arts that we learn to stop fighting and are |
| | | | able to transform our enemy into a friend who |
| To Hapkido Master Gedo Chang, discipline | | | | no longer bothers us. |