In This Issue:

☯ Hapkido Is A Way Of Life 2

☯ The 411 On CSD Moorebank 2

☯ Grading Congratulations 2

☯ An Interview with Sah Bu Nim Jimmy 3

☯ From An Oldie 3

☯ Getting Your Next Belt 3

☯ My Hapkido Journey 4

☯ Watch Out, Grasshopper 4

☯ Crossword 5

☯ The Young Seed 5

☯ Doing Hapkido 6

☯ My Story So Far 6

☯ Special: ITS 2009 7

☯ ITS 2009: The Highlights 8

☯ Did You Hear? 8

☯ Train Smarter 8

☯ New IHA/AHG Members 9

☯ The Foundation Of Hapkido 9

☯ My Hapkido Story 10

☯ The Truth About Black Belt 11

☯ Upcoming Events 12

☯ The Quarter In Review 12

☯ Blast From The Past 11

Congratulations to the following students who recently graded!

March/April 2009:

Jonathan T (Orange Belt) Erin R (Orange Belt) Carl T (Orange Belt) Vivian P (Orange Belt) Atilla O (Orange Belt) Neelab O (Orange Belt) Tony G (Orange Belt) Nachiketa M (Orange Belt) Tara B (Yellow Belt) Van T (Yellow Belt) Brett W (Green Belt) Jane D (Green Belt) Jane P (Blue Belt) Harley C (Red Belt) Peter K (Red Belt) Sir Graham H (3rd Degree)

January/February 2009:

Navid N (Orange Belt) Milad J (Orange Belt) Jake N (Orange Belt) Daniel N (Orange Belt) Ben V (Orange Belt) Kevin C (Orange Belt) Cheng Z (Orange Belt) Aaron G (Orange Belt) Robert Z (Orange Belt) Vladimir V (Orange Belt) Nathan N (Orange Belt) Paul G (Orange Belt) Yossi W (Yellow Belt) Alex F (Yellow Belt) Jimmy H (Yellow Belt)

Hapkido is more than a martial art for me; it’s more of a way of life. Starting Hapkido at the age of 12 was the best thing I have ever done in my life. Having learnt such important lessons that needed to be learnt at such a young age and always having a source of guidance, if I had any doubts or worries during my journey.

My Hapkido history consists of completing the Falcon’s syllabus, with role models such as Sah Bu Nim Jimmy and Ma’am Gaye which started my transformation into the person I am today. Having fantastic instructors like this at a young age is critical in my mind as it sets the cement for the rest of the learning in the later life of Hapkido.

Once completing the Falcon’s syllabus, I started in the adults’ class alongside a few of my fellow graduate Falcons. This is when I started training under the eyes of Master Geoff and Sah Bu Nim Jimmy. Even though I had completed the kids’ curriculum, I still had a lot to learn. I see this as one of the first turning points in my life, where I had to be mature about my training.

Facing a lot of hard decisions and learning a lot of lessons came over the years of training, but one big lesson I learnt and it wouldn’t have

been possible without Master Geoff and Sah Bu Nim Jimmy, was to push myself, to never give up and to never take no for an answer. Not only adapting this to my training, but to my life, has benefited me the most.

Over the years of the adults’ system, I’ve seen a lot of my peers drop out of training and it is a great disappointment to see this. This is another source of motivation for me, as I didn’t want to be seen as one of those students that gave up.

Now I stand here, a 2nd degree Black Belt around my waist, an instructor and a role model for others. The whole situation has done a 360 degree spin in my favour as I am in the position of inspiration for others. Everything I do as well as everything that my fe l low Black Bel t s do i s continuously watched, motivating us to be the best we can be and perform at our best.

My journey has just begun in my eyes, and is far from complete. I’ve learnt so many valuable lessons during my life at Hapkido and still many more to come. But one thing I have learnt is never regret anything you have done, yet keep striving to make yourself better.

-Sir Aaron

This year will be my 14th year with CSD Moorebank and within this time I’ve witnessed the school undergo many changes.

Let’s start with our humble Dojang. The most recent changes, though subtle as most were, gave the Dojang the finishing touches for a ‘Traditional Martial Arts School’. Past locations had significantly larger floor space but they all lacked a sense of poise and character compared to what the Moorebank Dojang now has.

Moving onto the students of Moorebank, if we compared past and present students it would show a shift from tough, single-minded students, to a generation of intelligent students (especially since the introduction of the Concept Syllabus). It would seem apparent that Master Geoff’s current mission is to combine these two breeds of students to produce proficient, hard-working and conceptually thinking super-students.

Though there have been many changes to CSD Moorebank, there has been one area that’s never been compromised and that is the standard in quality. Just this year so far, there has been:

☯ The introduction of the new colour belt gradings and processes;

☯ Increased requirements for senior colour belts;

☯ Revision of the colour belt syllabus;

☯ Mandatory colour belt revision for all instructors;

☯ Unofficial release of the Black Belt syllabus;

☯ Revamp of the Black Belt Club seminars;

☯ Release of the DVD series “In The Raw”; and

☯ An array of seminars all aimed at improving your training.

Adding up all the above, the direction CSD Moorebank is heading is quite clear - a Dojang that keeps true to its tradition while producing a high-calibre of hard-working and sharp students with a standard of quality that will be the envy of the Martial Arts World.

-Sir Jimmy

How long ago did you start training and what made you get into Hapkido?

I joined the Australian Hapkido Group in July 1995, with a membership number of 731 (I had spent 2 years studying a Karate style called Shotokan prior to joining the organisation). My cousin (Quynh Nguyen who got to Red Belt) took me to a Hapkido class one night and they haven’t been able to keep me away since. Sah Bu Elias was teaching the class that night and I can almost remember everything I learnt. At the time I was a kid who reveled in fantasy violence, thus Hapkido was the perfect outlet.

As one of the highest ranked students in the organisation, what is the secret to sticking with Hapkido?

Unfortunately, there is no one, universal secret to sticking with Hapkido because what it comes down to is how driven you are. I can, however, share a few general rules and tools to keep you going in this Art. 1. First and foremost, you need to enjoy what

you’re doing! Sounds stupid, but the moment you stop enjoying classes/training/learning will be the beginning of the end.

2. Create an achievable, weekly timetable where Hapkido is your top priority. Right now, I’ve dedicated Monday and Wednesday to classes and a floating day to spend solely on fitness so I can get more out of the classes. It’s all about routine.

3. Find a partner who you can train regularly with. You’ll motivate one another to come to class and feed off each other’s energy and enthusiasm.

4. Be driven to become better than what you are and never be content with mediocre. I personally follow the creed “Perfection is a journey, not a result.”

In all your years of training, what has been the highlight?

Over the 14 years, I’ve collected handfuls of gems and memories and so would be hard-pressed to be able to pick just one. However I will say that my grade to 4th degree would be one of the top 5. I leapt through rings of fire to earn that jacket and belt but smiled all the way through. What is your favourite technique?

It’s like picking your favourite M&M, it’s all chocolate! But I am thoroughly, thoroughly enjoying KSF.

What do you like the most about Hapkido?

What I enjoy most about the Art of Hapkido is that it’s an intelligent Art that’s continually evolving. After so many years, I’m still picking up new techniques, learning new methods in applying techniques and even new concepts. It’s truly an Art that engages both body and mind.

Do you enjoy teaching?

I see teaching as an honour and a privilege in that you get to share your interpretation of Hapkido knowledge with people who are willing to learn from you. I also get a real buzz when I pour all my energy into delivering a jam-packed class where everyone is bouncing off each other’s energy.

The question on everyone’s lips: 5th degree - when?

The rank of 5th degree comes with the title of “Master” so naturally there’s a whole list of things I’d like to get ticked off before even considering grading. So the answer currently stands at “When I’m ready!”

I love to grade for my next belt. I love to work hard and come to class three times a week, and train and learn my new techniques so I can grade again. I am proud of my belt, because I know how hard I worked for it.

I love to watch the other students grade and see how happy they get, when they get their belt. I love to clap for them when their name is called out to get their new belt. I get very nervous when I wait to see if my name is called out as well!

Gradings also get to show your family how hard you have worked, and they can see how far you have come from your old belt.

I always like to read in my syllabus what the next belt’s techniques are and I love the day when I walk into the Dojang and I’m wearing my new belt and I can finally practice those techniques out!!!

-Caitlin H (8 yo)

Me and my son Tim started doing Hapkido 3 years ago as a father/son thing. I think when I walked through the door, Sir Phil, the instructor, thought I was dropping my grandson off.

Tim and I remember the pain - both of us could hardly walk the next few days. But we did face up again 2 days later and after a few weeks the soreness ceased. I was well into my 50’s when I started; since then my son has stopped through another type of injury but should be back soon.

Some of the things I like about Hapkido class is that we’re all there to enjoy the night: the mateship, training, learning

and discipline and the pro fe s s iona l way i t ’ s delivered. I am, and don’t mind admitting it, the slowest student, have trouble with b o t h t e c h n i q u e a n d coordination but everyone is so patient and helpful.

I feel we are blessed in Wagga to have such a great Dojang a n d d e d i c a t e d a n d professional instructors like Sir Phil, Sir Guy and Sir Alex and many others. My goal is to be a beneficial part of the team, encourage new students and keep going as long as I can.

The old saying is “Don’t rust and wear out”.

-Peter O’B

Hit or Myth: The fan is a Hapkido weapon.

Hit or Myth: Master Geoff began martial arts training in 1973 when he was 13.

continue to go through the hard yards of the meaning of being a Hapkidoist.

With the seminars that I began to attend it got me thinking that I wanted to enhance my learning. I went to my first seminar and it blew my mind, I loved seeing new things and afterwards I wanted to perfect them and tried to keep some in my pocket for later. The past seminars I have gone to have really opened my mind about the focus, the physical as well as the mystical and spiritual ways of Hapkido.

This has been my journey! I hope you have all enjoyed reading my story. I am confident my next story will be better especially when I reach black belt and beyond, which I have no doubt my journey will be just as inspirational as it was today and even better than tomorrow. Well until then thank you all.

I give my thanks to all those belts that have helped me on my journey especially to Master Geoff and all the black belts. I would also like to thank Ma’am Tina for her continued support and again for putting my article in this newsletter. A special thanks goes to Ma’am Donna for keeping me on track with my seminars and things to do.

-Dion K

During May of 2007 I decided to choose the path of being a martial artist. Apart from school sport I had no other physical activities to do during the week. This is where I stumbled upon the Moorebank Hapkido Dojang.

This is my journey to this current day.

I remember the first day I walked into the Moorebank Dojang and I was surprised about the amount of kids that were in the Dojang doing Hapkido. My dad and I walked up to the front desk and asked if I could have the “free lesson”. Ma’am Donna and Master Geoff were there and they pointed out to my father and I what was required. The first thing that Master Geoff said to me was, “you’re a bit big and large for the Falcons we will put you in the adults class (Eagles)”. I sarcastically remarked, “Yeah, we don’t want kids flying everywhere”. Master Geoff looked at me, grunted and carried on. To this day I regret saying that to Master Geoff though.

I remember my first chore at Hapkido was to clean the toilets. That was such a lovely time of my life. This is what started knocking at the back of my head the word and meaning of “respect”. Till today that was my highlight of being a Hapkidoist, not cleaning the toilets that is, but

learning from my Master that respect must be earned, as well as increasing in belts and achieving unimaginable things were also highlights on my journey.

My first few classes really got me thinking if I should stay or not. I can’t say it wasn’t an awesome first time for me since I did Karate, Taekwondo and didn’t get really far. The class was taught by Sir Jimmy, when Sir showed us what we had to do, I said to myself, “how on earth am I going to do that?” but I tried and succeeded in some things but not all. When we reached the physical part of the night I thought awesome time to learn new things seeing I hadn’t read the syllabus before. Sir Jimmy showed us the basics from white to provisional and I thought, “Oh man I want to do what their doing”. I continued with the night. Class ended and I talked with some other belts and they have, throughout my journey, steered me onto the path of achieving and surpassing my physical limits.

That night I said to myself, “this is what I will stick with forever”. Then my journey had some speed bumps and some problems but I said this will not put me down and so I forced myself to keep continuing and with the wisdom of my Master I have reached my goals today and I will

☯ Try to arrive 15 minutes before class starts. This gives you time to take off your shoes, get yourself into the right mental state, and give yourself a few minutes to stretch. It also allows your Instructor to know how many students will be in class and do some pre-planning.

☯ An unwritten rule for white belts is, “Don’t question

your instructor.” The white belt who always has to ask “Why” before doing anything will immediately find himself at odds with the Instructors.

☯ ☯ Under no circumstances should you ever call your

Instructor by their first name.

Across 1. Stay warm 7. Credit 8. Time to reflect 9. Spirit ___ 11. Degree 13. Yang 15. Not king or emperor 18. Going 19. Founder of Hapkido 20. Signature throw 23. Breathe easily 24. Training facility 27. Hapkido weapon 28. Builds your character

Down 2. School of concepts 3. Jump 4. Tied up 5. Not a chocolate bar 6. Hit me 7. Way of _______ power 10. Hit me too 12. Martial ___ 14. Protection 16. Strikes 17. Higher thought 21. Little branch 22. Symbolic 25. Did you make the? 26. Step

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8 9

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11 12 13 14

15 16

17 18

19 20

21

22 23

24 25

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27 28

“He who climbs the ladder must begin at the bottom”

I remember an interest ing conversation I had with Laura (Green Belt) one night after an exhausting training session with Ma’am Tina. As a newcomer and a current White Belt , Laura mentioned to me the two most important belt levels I will come across in Hapkido or any other Martial Art are White and Black, and in between the coloured ones are nothing more than steps on a ladder. Why was the White Belt equally important as its Black counterpart?

“Just as a jewel needs friction to develop its luster, a man needs trials to develop his character”

I answered my own question by pointing out, take nature and apply it to Martial Arts, and you end up with a seed. The moment you plant that seed, it will begin to grow. It will demand time and a positive environment, but most importantly, love and care. The same can be said about Martial Arts, it is a way of life and a life-changing experience. It takes time and patience to achieve the goals set. At one point in our lives we began as that seed and our goals were to see whether we would succeed at the trials thrown at us, or as Master Geoff puts it, quit!

“Knowledge of others is strength, knowledge of self is enlightenment”

In the end, success is measured by the gratitude we show, and the best

way we can truly show our gratitude is to achieve the results we aimed for in our journey.

It will be a long while until I become that fully matured tree, and the new experiences and attitudes I will surely gain from this, let it be without a doubt, it was under a Bo t r e e t h a t B u d d h a f o u n d enlightenment.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”

-Atilla O

Recently I spent some time in Freiburg, a city in Southern Germany. It is a great privilege to be invited to be there, but even so, there is a cost to everything. For me one of these is that, although there are several martial arts schools in Freiburg, there is no Hapkido. A couple of places know about it and use it a bit in their teaching, but it is very unsystematic and I have no control of what I can learn and how I train.

So while I tried some different styles of martials arts to find something that I could settle into, I reflected on what we are offered in the IHA and how it compares with other martial arts schools. The short answer is it’s hardly comparable. Although the schools I trained at were skilled at what they did and I was happy to train with them, I haven’t found anything that compares with the care and planning, training, support and instruction that Master Geoff gives to us. And, speaking from my perspective in Wagga, when you consider the time, attention and incredible facilities that are given to us here, you realise how important the Dojang, and who leads it, is. Without a framework for progress in training, a facility in which to do it and extraordinary people to lead us, we have nothing.

So thinking about and realising these things and having the experience of being in other Dojangs helped me to get some perspective about martial arts training and particularly Hapkido in the IHA. Even though I’ve been

aware of these things they have more reality when I can’t train as I am used to in ‘my’ Dojang.

Training in Hapkido or another martial art is a very privileged thing to do. What I mean by this is that a lot of things have to come together in life to be able to find the time, place and the right circumstances to be able to train. At different levels everyone has any number of issues in life that they have to deal with. These will mainly be centred around family and work or school and friends depending on your age and circumstances, as well as good health and reasonably stable living circumstances. Sometimes these things just don’t allow for any other space in life - there just isn’t the time and opportunity for something else because you have to give so much time and attention to just getting by. I’ve seen this many times - often people have the best intention when they start training but can’t continue because other things in life get in the way. Sometimes these are self-made, and that can be disappointing, but when they aren't it’s a shame because the person gives up something they love and we lose good people to train with.

So if you have been able to get to a point in life where you have good health and can balance other important parts of your life with regular and committed Hapkido training, that is a very privileged and probably even rare thing to accomplish. Maybe it’s good luck, but

I think it’s much more than this. Firstly, to have the support of family is critical - without it something will give and usually it will be training. So if you have this support be grateful for the generosity that is given to you. Secondly, there has to be a balance between work or school or family and friends or whatever else you do, and the time you can give to training. Getting this right isn't easy, but part of it is realising that you actually work better or do other things better, and are a better person if you make time to do something different and enjoyable and can feel well about yourself. Making time to do that each week through training helps to allow you to see the big picture with a bit more perspective. Work or the other things have an important place, but so does looking after yourself.

So being able to train in Hapkido means a lot of things have to crystallise at one point in time, and it’s worth stopping and reflecting how fortunate you are when they do and you can train as you want to. It’s not just good luck that everything can come together. A lot is due to your personal commitment and that is critical. But a lot of other things contribute to your goals and none of this can be taken for granted. Few things are forever, change happens. Make the most of what you have now - train hard and respect the people around you and in your Dojang who make what you do, and your good fortune in doing it, possible.

-Sir Guy

This year my friends and I joined Hapkido, not knowing what it was about or even how to pronounce it in the first place. Doing things I never thought were possible, like running, sit-ups, push-ups, squats and Sir Phil's famous "bottom wiggling" in 40 degree heat.

At our first training session we were made to feel very welcome and comfortable however it was draining both physically and mentally. I hadn't realised how unfit I really was. Surrounded by black suits, not knowing anything, we were shown various warm up exercises which led to near death for me. We saw the most incredible skills and techniques and how to apply concepts to attack and defend by different ranks of belts. We also learnt about the concepts of Hapkido, and that you can apply whichever one suits the situation, rather than trying to think of which

defence should be used against a particular attack and vice versa.

So far, over the last couple of weeks we have been practicing our white belt concepts in the Wagga Dojang. It has been most enjoyable and we have made many friends. I make a good punching bag, so I've been told. We have been training with a highly energetic gang at Wagga, which has been motivating us throughout our training so far. We have been shown many skills and techniques that are both challenging and rewarding at the same time.

We are very thankful to everyone who has welcomed and helped us over these past couple of weeks. Now that we know what's in store, we are proud to be a part of Hapkido and keen as ever to hit the mats again to reach our goals.

-Chris P

Master Geoff visited Hutchinson for a 2 day seminar as part of the 2009 World Tour.

There were 4 Adult seminars run that were divided into 3 parts: colour belt syllabus review and opportunities to earn signatures, Special Topics, and wrapping up each seminar was Q&A with Master Geoff. The Special Topics included Wave Techniques, Ki Power, Knockouts (where Sir Corey, Sir Tony, and Mark all had a little sleep) and Tae Kyun Kicking.

During his stay in Hutchinson, Master Geoff also ran an Adults grading. Six students ran through the paces of coloured belt gradings, congratulations to Sherri G (Brown), Mark S (Brown), Allan T (Green), Mike S (Yellow), John H (Yellow) and Kyle B (Orange).

We also ran Youth Seminars while Master Geoff was in Hutchinson. These seminars were a chance for the local youth to spend some time on the mats with Master Geoff. Topics covered were Tae Kyun, no hand takedowns, pressure points and lots of variations of flying, jumping and 360 degree kicks. Master Geoff participated in the kicking and the youth thought it was awesome to see him crushing the shields and holders with his powerful kicks.

The session wrapped up with a Q&A session with Master Geoff, the opportunity for individual photos to be taken with Master Geoff as well as Master Geoff signing all the youth’s Hapkido t-shirts.

An Open Seminar was also run with Master Geoff. This was an introduction to Hapkido and was open to any adult - no Martial Arts experience necessary. During the Open Seminar, Master Geoff demonstrated a variety of basic Hapkido techniques and participants got some hands-on experience with the techniques that they were shown. Master Geoff moved onto some more advanced techniques such as shopping bag techniques and how they enhanced pressure points. This session also wrapped up with a Q&A with Master Geoff.

-Sir Corey

In what was the greatest of news for both students at the ITS and those here in Australia, Grandmaster Ji Han Jae promoted Master Geoff to 8th degree during the ITS!

One moment Grandmaster Ji Han Jae was running through a technique, the next moment he announced that Master Geoff would henceforth be known as Grandmaster.

Needless to say the students were surprised at the announcement and overjoyed to have had the honour of being present at such a historic Hapkido event.

Grandmaster Geoff was visibly moved and accepted his promotion with a humble and respectful “Thank you Sir”.

Many say the promotion was a long time coming, and everyone agrees that no one is more deserving of such promotion. Grandmaster Geoff continually gives tirelessly of himself to Hapkido, his passion for the Art is unrivalled and his standard of quality compares to none.

This is fantastic news for the entire Hapkido world and one that makes every student of Grandmaster Geoff’s extremely proud.

“...4th degree is Instructor, 5th degree is Head Instructor, 6th degree is Master and 8th degree is Grandmaster. Geoff Booth is now Grandmaster - he is now 8th degree”.

The 2009 ITS saw the largest group of Black Belts ever test for degree promotions. In total, there were 10 Black Belts who tested at the ITS!

Congratulations to the following Black Belts:

Mike W - 4th degree (USA) April B - 3rd degree (USA)

Corey N - 2nd degree (USA) Tony S - 2nd degree (USA) Pete D - 2nd degree (Australia) Emmanuel O - 2nd degree (Australia) Janne T - 2nd degree (Finland) Daniel A - 2nd degree (Finland) Markus S - 2nd degree (Finland) Pauli H - 2nd degree (Finland)

Hit or Myth: Hapkido was founded in Japan in the early 1900s.

It was the topic of conversation around the Dojang for months, but all too quick April 2009 was upon us and all that planning and all that excitement was finally coming to a head.

Team Australia left on 10 April 2009, heading to the US and what was to be a most memorable ITS experience, one never to be forgotten!

Highlights of ITS 2009 included:

☯ Grandmaster Geoff’s promotion. This was completely unexpected and a memorable and proud

moment for every student on the mats. Truly an honour to have been there to see it happen.

☯ Day 3 of the ITS - Grandmaster Ji Han Jae’s seminar. We all knew this was going to be a buzz day, and we were not disappointed! Being on the mats with the founder of Hapkido was a once in a lifetime experience, and one to be savoured forever.

☯ The seminars were awesome, going through syllabus techniques, the special topics, knockouts, getting to

see the new Black Belt Syllabus and trying out the Black Belt kicks.

☯ The shopping! Cheap prices, great bargains!

☯ Watching Grandmaster Ji Han Jae make the Black Belt certificates. Each certificate took 10 minutes, and Grandmaster Ji Han Jae would blow on each certificate when it was finished!

☯ Meeting fellow Hapkidoists from the US and Finland. Sharing quality time both on and off the mats. Truly the makings of some great friendships.

☯ Grandmaster Geoff invited Grandmaster Ji Han Jae to come out and visit Australia in 2010 (yes, next year!) and Grandmaster Ji Han Jae accepted! Stay tuned for more...

☯ At the closing dinner of ITS 2009, Grandmaster Geoff announced the host for ITS 2011. The winner is Sydney!

We all start our Martial Arts Journey for many different reasons, whether for fitness, confidence building, discipline or self defence. However, we all forget that we study an art of war, an art of discipline, with physical and mental challenges, and when this is not approached with the proper attitude and respect, one of two things will happen: one either quits or gets injured.

Hapkido, like all Martial Arts, has its ups and downs when it comes to physical requirements. If approached with the right attitude and in a smart manner, a practitioner can have a long and successful Hapkido life. However when approached with arrogance and disrespect it will lead to all kinds of disappointment and injuries.

We always see fellow students at training with one kind of injury or another. These injuries can be due to our everyday life or our Hapkido Life. However, the important thing to remember is that due to the many varied aspects of Hapkido, one can continue to train while recovering from an injury or a physical limitation eg: I graded to Black Belt with a Martial Artist who only had one arm and he continues to be a source of inspiration for me (Sir Ron B).

Unless one is bed-ridden, then there is always an aspect or a concept of training that we can continue to develop and improve while recovering. If a leg hurts, stop kicking and focus on striking. If you can not fall, then work on your self defence, this allows us to maintain our physical fitness and conditioning.

If you are unsure of what you can do to continue training while recovering, approach your instructor and seek their advice on what you can do to keep training. If you give up training for a long time, then the motivation to continue becomes harder, especially when you come back and find the students you were training with have advanced beyond you.

Training should be focused on understanding your belt level techniques not attempting things outside your ability and understanding - this leads to frustration and injury. Training smarter is the only path to attaining success and a Black Belt and beyond in Hapkido.

This is the best way to prolong our Hapkido life.

-Sir Hassan

Daniel P – Finland

Karim P – Finland

Ville V – Finland

Mika A – Finland

Agastya B – Parramatta

Jayden J – Parramatta

Owen M – Moorebank

Alex C – Moorebank

Aidan L – Hurstville

Nikolas Z – Hurstville

Mark B – Hurstville

Jakob A – Moorebank

John P – Hurstville

Phillip L – Hurstville

Despina P – Hurstville

Brock O – Moorebank

Daniel K – Moorebank

Michael S – Moorebank

Hannah R – Parramatta

Kassandra D – Parramatta

Sione H – Parramatta

Virgilio M – Parramatta

Eleanor D – Parramatta

Kerrie-Anne T – Hurstville

Cassandra T – Hurstville

Jenni H – Hurstville

Rick H – Hurstville

Julian M – Moorebank

Flora L – Moorebank

Myrsina A – Moorebank

Conrad A – Moorebank

Neelab O – Parramatta

Shadi B – Parramatta

Iain D – Parramatta

Hussain E – Hurstville

Zane G – Moorebank

Elora G – Moorebank

Niklas T – Finland

Nico L – Finland

Kimmo N – Finland

Mari M – Finland

Tapio M – Finland

Jony S – Finland

Rino S – Finland

Sami L – Finland

Antti M – Finland

Tuomas V – Finland

Jani N – Finland

Jere R – Finland

Kai R – Finland

Tomi T – Finland

Niko T – Finland

Kaj T – Finland

Kari N – Finland

Kyla P – Wagga

Carissa P – Wagga

Chris P – Wagga

Artemis P – Hurstville

George P – Hurstville

Grant P – Wagga

Dominic S – Moorebank

Brendan B – Wagga

Cory S – Moorebank

Effie D – Hurstville

Alex L – Moorebank

Callum J – Parramatta

Arjun S – Parramatta

Ben M – Moorebank

Jeevi M – Parramatta

Phillip P – Parramatta

Behnam I – Parramatta

Bernard B – Parramatta

Struggle is the defining aspect of humanity. A struggle for survival, a struggle against each other, and the struggle against one’s self. Hapkido helps to develop in one’s self the qualities and tools to assist in the struggle against one’s own worst internal enemies: discipline; strength of will; respect; and confidence.

A disciplined mind and body are essential in the pursuit of overcoming any struggle, whether external or internal. In this, Hapkido proves to be a magnificent tool in the promotion and growth of self-discipline. By fostering this discipline, it gives one internal strength. For no struggle can be overcome without strength and discipline. Hapkido instills this discipline through the physical training that all students must endure, the vigorous training of one’s exterior becomes vigorous training of one’s interior.

With discipline it becomes a simple task to overcome the internal barriers one places before themselves. Discipline is a strength and by drawing on that strength one gains through training in Hapkido, each hurdle overcome and each barrier broken makes one more capable to tread the path of this martial art.

Discipline is nothing however without the strength of will to persevere in the oftentimes grueling pursuit of training in Hapkido. Without the willpower to continue, one can never attain the level of discipline required to proceed further in Hapkido. The path becomes easier once one has the self-discipline established and grounded through the development of willpower.

Respect is the foundation of Hapkido. Respect for one’s teachers. Respect for one’s fellow students, but more importantly, respect for one’s self. Nothing should be taken

for granted. To appreciate what has been taught, grab every opportunity to learn more, and have the innovation to find extra resources to help oneself to improve.

In the development of discipline, willpower and respect, one gains the confidence to not only pursue Hapkido further but also the confidence to pursue anything in their lives. For only by attaining confidence can one have a sense of control. To act without the interference of thoughts when a situation needs action; to think and control impulses to act when a situation only requires the mind to think; to listen and empathise when a situation is called for. All this is possible through struggle and sacrifice by developing the mind, body and spirit.

And, like any other forms of discipline, martial arts is a lifetime pursuit. It takes lots of practice before a student can get one kick, strike, throw, lock, or fall, perfectly right. Breathing properly in the midst of doing a technique is another aspect to focus on getting right and this takes practice. Hapkido is not a discipline that should be taken in vain. Rushing for black belt wouldn't provide one a solid foundation.

Masters and Grandmasters are eternally practicing because only through thorough practice can the martial art principle, theory, and philosophy emanate and reverberate in one’s mind, body and spirit. It’s a huge responsibility to create a bond of trust for students to see the teacher as an ideal mirror. However, Grandmaster Geoff and all the Hapkido Instructors have successfully fused that bond of trust that makes one's struggle to train and learn both interesting and challenging.

-Lori A

grading was, afterwards reality kicked in for me and the prospect of me getting to Black Belt seems quite daunting. Realistically I don’t know if mentally I could go through a Black Belt grading.

Regardless, in the here and now I am struggling on green belt, particularly with being thrown and falling. My goal at the moment is to work on falling and being thrown. It’s important to have goals and to know where you want to get to, so my short term goal is to get to blue belt by the end of 2009.

As a family we have not been on a holiday for a very long time, in fact, our last holiday was in 2006 when we spent 2 weeks at the Gold Coast! So we decided early on, right back in March 2007 when Master Geoff officially announced that ITS 2009 would be in the US, that we would be going along and then go travelling overseas afterwards. The boys have only ever gone as far as Queensland, so this will be their first trip overseas. We’re all really looking forward to it, and the boys are extremely excited!

The ITS is going to be very special for us for a number of reasons. Pete is testing for his 2nd Degree in Lancaster. As well as this, our first Saturday in Los Angeles is our wedding anniversary, so we’ll be doing something special over there. After the ITS we’ll be heading to Disneyland and Disneyworld amongst other places.

The whole family loves the atmosphere at Moorebank. It feels like our second home and it has a family/community feel about it. I am so glad that the kids train here, they have made a lot of good friends through Hapkido and generally there are kids to keep them occupied when I train.

For anyone out there who is thinking about trying out Hapkido or has kids they are thinking about getting involved, all I can say is give it a go. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain. Not only does Hapkido improve your health, fitness and well-being, but it also teaches you valuable skills. And particularly for women, Hapkido makes you feel less vulnerable.

-Donna D

My husband, Pete, started Hapkido about 9 years ago now, in March 2000. As he was a shift worker, I already didn’t get to see him all that much. With him starting Hapkido, I resented the fact that it took up his spare time and he had even less time to spend at home with the family. The words “Not Again!” were often uttered when he would get ready to head to training.

A year and a half after this my two eldest sons, Paul then 5 and Luke 3.5, also started training with the youngest of the three, Jacob who was only 2.5, starting in October 2002.

Despite my family loving the fact they were doing Hapkido, I did not think much about joining up. But then in 2004 the Dojang offered a 10-week Ladies Self Defence course. Keen to see what it was like and also encouraged by my family, I made the decision to sign myself up for the course.

Fourteen women started the 10-week course. Gradually as the course continued, some of the women stopped coming, and by the end of the 10-week course the number had dropped from 14 to 6… I was one of the remaining 6.

After the course Master Geoff sat a few of us down for a chat - the crux of the discussion was that if we could do the course, and if we enjoyed it, there was no reason why we could not do regular Hapkido classes.

It took 5 months of deliberation and procrastination, but eventually, in June 2005, I took the plunge and joined up.

As most new students can no doubt relate, regular classes were a little daunting at first. And there was no way I was going to do kiyaps! But after a short time I began to realise that I was just being self-conscious and that students in class were focused on what they were doing, not on what I was doing! I then began to relax and enjoy the classes a lot more.

I also began to realise why Pete was always so keen to get to class.

What I liked most about the classes was the fact that I was learning a useful skill, a means to protect myself and my family should the need ever arise. As it had been a long time since I had done anything physically challenging I was unfit when I joined,

but doing regular classes made a difference to my fitness and also how I felt about myself. Whilst I struggled with falling at first, perseverance and hard work in this area has meant that my falls have improved and will continue to improve.

Hapkido is great for my family, not only does it keep us fit and gives us the confidence to know we can look after ourselves, but it is something the 5 of us do together as a family which is really nice.

During the relaunch in 2006, Master Geoff offered the position for someone to help at the front desk. I was an orange belt at the time, and figured that since I was at the Dojang so much anyway (I had kids in both Hawks and Falcons classes), I may as well put my hand up for the position. I got the position and started working on the front desk in October 2006.

It’s great working on the front desk as I get to interact with new students and speak to people who come in enquiring about classes. I have also seen many changes in the Dojang in the 3 years since starting at the front desk.

October 2006 was the first Black Belt grading I ever watched. This was an experience you don’t soon forget and it is very inspiring! For me the October 2006 grading was also a real eye opener.

Pete’s Black Belt grading in October 2007 came all too quickly. The 6 months to the grading were nerve wracking and it only got worse as the grading got nearer. Before I knew it, it was the day of Pete’s Black Belt grading, and that day was the worst of all.

Pete’s grading was for me so very different to the grading I had watched the previous year. Whilst it was very inspiring, it’s really hard to sit there and watch someone you are married to get pushed beyond their limit. Luke was in tears watching the grading because everyone was ‘beating up’ his dad. Jacob on the other hand loved it! Afterwards we were all so very proud of Pete’s achievement.

It is very inspiring for the kids to have dad as a Black Belt and for a long time after the grading they were calling him ‘Sir Dad’.

As inspiring as Pete’s Black Belt

I have been to Black Belt gradings and seen people who have trained for years get all teary-eyed when Master Geoff finally ties that black piece of cloth around their waist. Some people even cry.

The fact of the matter is, there’s a lot of blood, sweat, tears, bruised shins, pain, battered fingers, and sore muscles that go into earning a black belt.

Time and time again I get asked both by students as well as people interested in starting Hapkido, “how long should it take to get a black belt?” When asked this question I tell people there is no shortcut to getting a black belt and you are only cheating yourself by looking for one. Let’s face it, anyone can just walk into a martial arts store and buy a black belt.

Many people are enticed by those 6-12 month black belt courses offered by some schools. Apparently in Korea, it only takes about a year to get your black belt. When asked, I discourage people from falling for those “get your black belt in a year” type courses. A real black belt isn’t just about your physical abilities; a large component is mental and spiritual. And these abilities take years to foster, nurture and develop.

Earning a real black belt takes time and those that take their martial arts training seriously develop a black belt mind-set over such time.

This mind-set is one of respect, for both others and for yourself. When you respect yourself, it is easier to respect other people and all other things around you.

If you make it as far as black belt you will find that just putting your black belt around your waist gives you a different mind-set. It has a magic effect on you. Because you feel different, you also act differently.

I remember the day after my Black

tougher, it was closer to 1 in 1,000. In our organisation, with close to 5,000 members, only 151 students have earned a 1st degree black belt. That’s a mere 3%!

As the statistics show, the student who makes black belt is a truly exceptional and dedicated individual. Ignoring schools that hand out black belts after just a year or 2, reputable Hapkido organisations require 4 or 5 years of intense, demanding training. If you can make it through that, you are very rare indeed.

Every one has the potential of becoming a black belt. Almost everyone who starts martial arts wants to be a black belt someday. Unfortunately the statistics reveal that most people who sign up for martial arts lessons will quit before earning their black belt. Few people achieve their potential, but if you apply yourself, you can be one of the few who do.

Why do most Hapkido students not make it to black belt? The reasons for people quitting differ as each student does, and the reasons may include not enough time to train, losing motivation and interest, or not enough money to pay fees. While these are all valid reasons, only you can determine how important it is to you to keep training in Hapkido until you get to the magical point where you are ready to grade for black belt. Don’t ever get discouraged, even if you don’t feel like you will ever be ready, trust me, you can achieve this goal.

Often I get asked how to get to black belt. There is no shortcut, no secret. Just make it to your next class. And after that class, make it to the next one. Keep it fun. And keep getting to the next class. Before you know it your big day will be upon you, and you will never forget that day for the rest of your life.

-Ma’am Tina

16 Years Ago in the Newsletter: “The AHG (Australian Hapkido Group) will be releasing a Video Manual so that all those hard working students can practice at home (just like OZ Aerobics). The new video will cost $15 and replace the old paper manual. Included with the video will be a small booklet on details of techniques”.

Belt grading, Master Geoff told us that a black belt weighs more than any other belt. As a Black Belt, you realise just how true this statement is every time you tie that black belt around your waist. And it becomes heavier and heavier as you progress.

That piece of black belt material carries with it more meaning than most people will ever realise.

And with great power, comes great responsibility.

After you pass your Black Belt grading, you have a far greater appreciation for anything and everything. Appreciation has a lot to do with humility. Humility is experienced when you realise just how very far you have come… and how much farther you still have to go! And you become more humble the higher you climb in rank – because you realise how little you really do know and how much more there is to learn. Not just about Hapkido, but about life in general. The test for black belt takes years of physical and mental preparation. Believe me when I say that it is a life-changing experience. You’ll look forward to it for years, and you’ll look back on it for the rest of your life.

You will mark the day of your birth, the day you got married, the day you had your first child, and the day you graded to black belt as among the most important days of your life. When you are old and grey, you will look back on the day you graded to black belt and you will smile.

And though I treasure it, if my black belt were ever stolen or destroyed, no one could ever take it away from me because I always wear it in my heart.

You’ve probably heard the statistic that only 1 in 100 students who start out in the martial arts ever make black belt. Back in the old days, when martial arts training was so much

Hit or Myth: Hapkido has over 10,000 variable techniques.

☯ 23 May 2009 - BBC Seminar The Art of Throwing

☯ 30 May 2009 - Belt Test at AHG Moorebank

☯ 19 - 21 June 2009 - Hell Camp

☯ 11 July 2009 - OTR Sydney & IHA Awards

☯ 18 July 2009 - BBC Seminar The Art of Weaponry

☯ 5 August 2009 - AHG Tri-Series Seminar #1

For more information on upcoming Hapkido Events go to

hapkido.com.au/forum and click on Event Calendar

“As a native Hapkido instructor, Geoff Booth is a good instructor and a good businessman. He learned Hapkido under Kim Sung Su and Ji Han Jae. Then he concentrated on managing Booth’s Hapkido Academy in Liverpool. His school serves as the headquarters for the International Hapkido Alliance, and the Australian Hapkido Group.”

-Dr He-Young Kimm (History of Korea and Hapkido, pg. 488)

Parramatta dynamicselfdefence.com.au

Hurstville

stgeorgeselfdefence.com.au

Croydon powerhapkido.com.au

Wagga Wagga

Dojang: 4/1 Field Close

Moorebank, NSW

Australia

hapkido.com.au

Finland Netherlands

America

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Issue 2 of The Hapkido Scrolls. Contributors: Sir Jimmy, AHG Moorebank Ma’am Tina, AHG Parramatta Sir Aaron, AHG Moorebank Atilla O, AHG Parramatta Dion K, AHG Moorebank Caitlin H, AHG Parramatta Sir Hassan, AHG Hurstville Sir Guy, AHG Wagga Sir Corey, IHA Hutchinson USA Peter O’B, AHG Wagga Donna D, AHG Moorebank Chris P, AHG Wagga Lori A, AHG Moorebank

The last 3 months flew by at an astounding rate, and it has certainly been a great first third of the year!

☯ The BBC Seminar “The Art of Striking” on 7 March 2009 was awesome. Master Geoff (as he then was) took us through 30 different strikes including Crane, Ridgehand, Forearm, Grazing and Elbows. All 34 students in attendance had a great time and much was learnt by all.

☯ The 5 Elements Seminar on 28 March 2009 kicked off ITS 2009 and the World Tour. Five hours of non-stop Hapkido, we went through different techniques as they related to the 5 Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and Void. This fell into the category of one of those unforgettable seminars with knockouts and Ki breaks.

☯ The 3rd AHG Black Belt Challenge and Technical Review followed the 5 Elements Seminar. Truly a Hapkido-filled weekend with Sun Bae training the next day.

☯ Two new merchandise items were released. The Hapkido Drink Bottle and the Hapkido Mug. These are great for students and retail for $15 each. Both are now available from a Dojang near you.

☯ The “In The Raw” DVDs continue to be a great hit amongst students. To date we have released the 2 BBC seminars as well as the 5 Elements Seminar on DVD. Great for those who missed the seminars as well as for those who want to review the techniques demonstrated. BBC Seminar DVDs are $25.

☯ The new “How To” Hapkido DVD Series was announced. The 3 DVD box set will cover the syllabus from White through to 4th Degree Black Belt as well as Weaponry and Bonus Material. Pre-order your copy before 15 June 2009 and save $20 off the RRP of $165.