Is Hapkido Self Defense Staged?

When watching a Hapkido self defense demonstration, it is common for an uninformed individual to perceive that the techniques are just a well-practiced action scene, just choreography and acting. In this video we talk about the truth behind that claim as well as the reasonings for why it seems that way. By Matt Hinkamp
**Music obtained from bensound.com - "November"**
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[@MrUsnavyvet]

When I was in the service, while overseas, I saw a real fight between a Korean hapkido master, against 2 well built and strong Marines who made the mistake of pulling a knife on the Master. The Master dislocated one Marines arm and shoulder, and broke the arm of the other one; fight lasted about 30 seconds.

[@MattHinkamp]

Have heard many stories like this. Those who take the arts seriously and practice them the right way always prevail. Thanks for sharing

[@tuneyt6626]

@@MattHinkamp I have been teaching hapkido for 41 years and I found that it worked very well when I used it in a real situation that the other guy didn't know that I know hapkido .

[@nusashy]

Because the US marine only are a Bunch o mercenarios ,drunks ,innocents killers and ripper women

[@warzoneclips9538]

I only got to red belt but i plan on going back veryy soon to get my black belt

[@zack801]

🧢🧢

[@ironmikehallowween]

I once tripped coming down a set of stairs. I just rolled right out of it. I was very happy to escape without injury. As with any traditional martial art, not every technique is useful in combat against a trained fighter. Sometimes, as in other traditional martial arts, techniques are developed to combat the styles you will face in point fighting, techniques to neutralize attacks in competitions with certain rule sets, etc. But, you also learn valuable skills and abilities that easily translate to self defense applications. In Hapkido, you learn an amazing array of techniques: kicking, throwing, joint locks, take downs, etc., and techniques to counter them. I have been training in boxing/kickboxing for several decades now, as well as some grappling. Hapkido has proven to help me in unexpected ways. It is not, in my opinion , a complete art in terms of fighting, but then, no traditional art is, but it does offer a lot, and is a great option for those looking to study a traditional martial art offering both versatility and practical utility. If fighting is a goal, go with, or cross train, in combat sports: boxing/kickboxing, etc., as well, which will better prepare you for that endeavor. But, I for one, am very glad that I was involved with Hapkido before moving to pure combat sports. There would have been many things that I missed out on.

[@MattHinkamp]

Funny I just posted a video about what you’re saying here, defending against someone who is trained vs untrained is a whole different story

[@jkdbuck7670]

I slipped on ice in our office parking lot. My feet flew out from underneath and the next thing I knew, I was in a perfect side breakfall. No bones broken, just sore. I was probably 40 at the time and hadn't trained for 15 years. Muscle memory.

[@joefran619]

I ended up in a windshield of a car after being hit by a car. I walked away from it. I am convinced my past training helped me to avoid serious injury!

[@jashardwallington]

Every technique has it time in place wont work all the time but you still have it in the tool box is my sayin

[@martinshillitoe4735]

I am a taekwondo practitioner and we incorporate a lot of hapkido into our self defence training. It looks very different when delivered on someone who does not know what is coming next. It might look flashy between two trained experts but it doesn’t look at flashy when the “attacker” isn’t. However, it is incredibly effective and devastating!

[@inter.arniskaliassociation692]

I'm Hapkido 7dan master, I've been teaching Hapkido for 27 years. Same all other traditional martial art, brings teachings very old, and from a time when the world was not the same as today. the martial art teaches much more than just self defense, it teaches personal formation, character, respect and many other values ​​that have been lost over the years. in the face of this, it also teaches you to defend yourself, but how effective your defense will be depends a lot on how much you train, dominate your body, and prepare your body to fight. In my Hwarang Kwan Hapkido style, we do all the technical part foreseen in the style, choreographies for demonstrations and we still fight very hard. all martial arts do this, and if we are to question their effectiveness, it depends on the country you live in, and the violent reality of the streets.

[@MattHinkamp]

Love it, thanks for commenting. This is a common way of thinking for many high-ranked masters that I’ve seen, and not so much for the newcomers. Hopefully there is enough out there to keep these underlying aspects alive as society evolves

[@leoparafuso6367]

My hapkido instructor is tae soo son 73yrs old from South Korea,my last class with him we practiced break falls. I’ve seen a lot of judo throws being done with some type of arm lock in place, if you don’t go along with the movement I learned very fast you will get your bones broken (hurts like hell)

[@MattHinkamp]

Yes! That’s what can make this art dangerous for those who aren’t experienced

[@shanaadams4456]

Honestly, I miss that pain lol.

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

I just started Combat Hapkido and it is amazing. Boxing/Dirty Boxing & Judo are my foundation, but I have studied Shotokan Karate, Escrima and Pai Lum Kung fu. I have also been in a couple of real on the street fights. I am here to tell you that even if you win you still go home or and hospital in pain and damaged in some way. So try and avoid fighting......unless you are a pro fighter.

[@MattHinkamp]

Thank you for using your experience to shed light on the topic. It’s not like the movies where you always make it through with a couple of scratches on your forehead just because you’re the protagonist

[@30Vyacheslav]

Unfortunately, there is a great number of fake techniques at any hapkido performance. Those ones cannot be applicable in a real situation due to their complexity and the opponent's indifferent behaviour. Normally, the effective techniques are never demonstrated at such performances because of their plainness.

[@MattHinkamp]

You are 100% correct. The basics are the most tried and true, and they’re the easiest to master which translates into most effective. However, having the added portions and flashy moves is a way to keep students engaged so that they don’t feel “bored” by doing the same thing all the time, even if doing the same thing is what will train them most effectively. It’s also a way to attract outsiders which is why the demos are set up as they are. But I totally agree with your point. Great comment

[@nusashy]

Show a example

[@williebasford1482]

If you don't roll with it it will run your joints

[@leevancleef358]

The skill in these demonstrations is absolutely AMAZING!! I mean - it can't be easy for those guys to flip and go head over heels all over the place to try to make the Master look good..very impressive. Bravo.👏👏

[@torotaxi1]

Our hapkido syllabus has wrist locks from the beginning, yellow belt is all clothes grab stuff, green is kick/punch defence, blue is lots of jiu jitsu throws, sweeps etc, red is knife etc. We also do kicking sparring every two weeks which is great practice.

[@MattHinkamp]

This is similar to our curriculum and really many Hapkido curriculums...as I said they come from the same root but have really branched off since then, still holding onto a few of those traditional aspects

[@bernarddussault1]

You are one of the few people around who truly understand martial art. It is thousands of repetitions that create the muscle memory that will kick out on a street emergency. And no, it will never look like the demo version. But you will just move, without thinking, on muscle memory.

[@jimbojones6206]

...but training means sparring, right? You can't apply shit if it's Kata-like sequences.

[@atlien1988]

​@@jimbojones6206 no, sparring is just one aspect of training that prepares combatants for actual fights. You still have to train & work on techniques in any combat sport outside of sparring.

[@DArtKang]

Well, put. you don't want broken bones and wrists in demonstrations. You kind of have to move your body to compensate for those dangers. It also happens to look flashy.

[@MattHinkamp]

Nicely put. Happens to look flashy is the correct analysis. Kind of cool that something so inherently practical to protecting your body (breakfalling) is also just naturally beautiful to watch

[@KnowPorcelain1]

Good video, in this video you see 2 icons of HKD in Marc Tedeschi and Ji Han Jae, many have said, Hapkido looks pretty, and your opponents in training are too compliant, but as you know, the consequences of resistance in HKD techniques means you need to bring a dust pan and brush, to sweep up your joints. yes IMO martial arts need pressure testing of techniques taught, in Hapkido is not one of these arts. Whilst training HKD, I never committed to Tan Jon Breathing, now older and wiser, understand the importance of Breath work, the importance of conserving energy, restoring yourself, and the importance breathwork is, in controlling your emotions under stress, and being able to execute correctly in stressful situations is paramount. If I was advising a younger me, my advice would be, enjoy what you do, understand what you do and why you are doing it, don't be afraid of asking questions, and get to know yourself , and do not stop learning, never. but then again, I only achieved 3rd Dan, I see you are 4th Dan, congrats, and hope you are enjoying HKD, as much as I did.

[@MattHinkamp]

Peter Ingram yes, I do hear from many of the “older” martial artists, my mentors, that we focus too much on the physical aspects of martial arts and really turn them into sports. While the internal parts, breathing, and spirituality may not seem like they do anything at first, there’s a threshold that takes years and experience to break through before you begin understanding their benefits

[@mario.619]

there are 2 more icons of Hapkido in this video! GM Lee Chang Soo and GM In Wan Kim!

[@KnowPorcelain1]

@@mario.619 yes they maybe, but they are the same age as me, so forgive me for looking further back

[@alexstinis3058]

Excellent video. I enjoy the tone of these videos for their relaxing music and nature :)

[@MattHinkamp]

Thanks again! Keep the positive attitude and spread it to others

[@DanflortheElf]

I wonder how you feel about the criticism regarding only testing self defense techniques against compliant partners? While some of the throws you showed clips of are certainly effective, there were other “directed energy” moves that simply would not work against a resisting opponent. Particularly in the last minute or so of the video. This is separate from the point you make about uke protecting themselves, which I do think is very well made and often overlooked.

[@MattHinkamp]

Yes, it’s an often-criticized point of Hapkido. There are a lot of schools that basically always train compliant, and while that can teach effective technique, you will never know how to use it in real life. You have just memorized choreography at that point. However there are schools who put those techniques to the test by having an opponent resist within reason. Too much resistance will cause injury which is also not the goal

[@Qitrainer]

Your so right about what people see and the need to lear all the different falls. If you did not fall will your hurt..Falls do the most physical damage if you do not do them will. Most people have NO real experiences with joint locks and being thrown and if you do not do the fall right you will have broken arms head what ever. What I like you learn both defense and attacks as a balance force from the very beginning. How to attack without punishing and take down person. People who learn hapkido learn to fall to not get hurt and if another Hapkido person does one of these attacks you can fall with it and get up. It is not for show it learning the Art to protect yourself and OTHERS. Keep up the good work in giving understanding to Hapkido for you have to learn LOT to be good. . It does matter which form of hapkido you learn given the instructors focus in his Hapkido training..

[@MattHinkamp]

Yes, I’ve learned the hard way through injuries that there is a wrong way to fall

[@Qitrainer]

@@MattHinkamp The skill on falling people see it and think it fake or staged but if they do not fall just so they will be hurt. One reason I pick Hapkido was the throwing ability in the art unequal in range and effectiveness to end fight . You get a big person and do a real Hapkido throw he will not get up for it just deadly. You direct that person fall into the ground and make him land on parts of the body like the head goodby. The skill to throw is deadly unless the other person is just quicker then you in the throw. There is a lot go big guys but a good throw is the end of game or fight. Thanks for replay. It real art to learn to be throw. It great to see these young guys able to do it. I tell people and they do not get it Hapkido is all about PAIN in every part of the art.

[@newjerseycombathapkido7238]

Excellent video. Very good points made.

[@assoverteakettle]

The famous Dan Inosanto - heir to Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, kali master, and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jean Jacques Machado - took up aikido in his 80's because he believed that martial arts offers more than just a means of fighting. As he was getting older he was becoming concerned with his balance and falling so he took up aikido to learn to fall properly.

[@yusufpolatkesen8468]

I had the honour of training under grandmaster kim yong sup in coburg Melbourne, I stopped for 10 years now I’m back training again and feeling happy.

[@barrycrouseofficialyoutube7668]

Hapkido wrist techniques can be very painful and bones can be fractured and broken

[@MattHinkamp]

Very true. A lot of schools opt to not pressure test much because of that danger, but that in itself can be dangerous as its practitioners are not well prepared

[@barrycrouseofficialyoutube7668]

@@MattHinkamp sorry but the last reply I misunderstood I agree with you about wrist locks

[@hapki9]

Hapkido self defense is not staged. I would know because I have been training in Hapkido for 15 years, I am a second-degree black belt, and there have been times when I’ve had to use what I know in situations to protect myself.

[@prosyko486]

Which tehniques

[@paulhunter2505]

Matt showing some good Hapkido masters. Nice

[@talesfromthetoiletseat8295]

Some of those wrist throws are wild. I always wondered how they did that without breaking the wrist.

[@keithaguilar9790]

It’s real. Most demos are if someone grabs or pushes you. The rest tend to be the fancier kicks. When we trained to fight, we never tried to block or catch punches and kicks. You rolled with them, applied basic defense like boxing, etc. It’s impossible to accurately demo the most effective techniques because they almost always involve snapping a joint, thus tapping before you get hurt or allowing yourself to be thrown, flipped, and or be dragged to the floor.

[@MattHinkamp]

Very true. But I agree, my go-to in real life situations would be the basics that I feel most comfortable with, not necessarily the extremely aesthetic and rhythmic techniques used in demos

[@NatBriegel]

Good video, of course demonstrations are staged in order to show the techniques without hurting anyone. It s actually way more difficult * not to hurt* than plain *hurt*. And this is what martial arts are all about: controlling the pain and the damage caused by those techniques, that also is what makes the difference between masters and students. I was lucky to learn with GM Ji Han Jae and GM Juerg Ziegler ( RIP), believe it or not, as they were demonstrating very heavy techniques on myself, I ve always felt very confident and secure as I could feel that they indeed not only mastered those techniques but also my limits towards pain, falling, anticipating,etc.

[@MattHinkamp]

Thanks for sharing your story...I agree with that. The good ones will coax you into performing the proper breakfalls or other positionings to safely arrive at the immobilization. That is true mastery, not reaching your goal by brute force but by graceful technique. That is Hapkido

[@lancehobbs8012]

Basically yes its like aikido . Clumsy telegraphed non-attack, then freeze , then flip yourself dramatically in the air

[@MattHinkamp]

Not quite

[@zachariahtaylor7811]

Granted, the rolls and ukemi is to preserve the “attackers” well being for demonstrations, Why not also demonstrate the slow and controlled, submission approach? It would seem your workout is going to be primarily based off learning how to “stunt man” rather than the finer points of sparring drills, strike to grapple sessions, “floating” catch entries, etc.

[@matthinkampcooks]

Thank you for this, very insightful

[@MattHinkamp]

Hey wait a minute

[@JHnat]

Its like in skiing and snowboarding. Go with the fall. Break fall. If you go with it, you will walk away from it. Someone gets you in a wrist lock etc. Find a way to use them to get out of it instead of fighting it. Only a blue belt, and no real knowledge other then what I learned, but I'm starting to trust my instincts. Stay out of situations and try to use whatever momentum you can generate with least force. Sam rang do. Is the style

[@MattHinkamp]

You may “only” be a blue belt, but you certainly possess the right mindset! Go with the flow, and the best defense is avoiding needing to use your training in the first place. Thank you for watching and good luck training!

[@sublim3princ371]

Very true!

[@Akadjjay]

Great Video! Thank you !

[@MattHinkamp]

Thanks Jason!

[@posho9308]

It is necesary to do those "Marvel poses" when they throw an adversary???

[@MattHinkamp]

Not sure what a marvel pose is but it is necessary to “undo” a wrist lock by turning the rest of your body i.e. flipping, unless you can prevent it before it happens or if the practitioner doesn’t know how to properly apply it and you can resist it

[@porter-hkd4084]

Correct the point of the break falls is to preserve your limbs and joints. Some of the self defense doesn't work an is kept in the art for traditional purposes a good Hapkido Practitioner will modify the techniques to make them practical in a real world situation also perform them on a someone else to show the effectiveness.

[@MattHinkamp]

Correct, some will hesitate to change tradition but I don’t think there is a problem with modernizing a technique if it makes it more effective. We are humans and we always evolve so it’s only natural to find better ways to do things as time goes on

[@brancoeazulesetecrucesmais9094]

Como todas las artes marciales todo depende de lo bien aplicadas que esten las tecnicas y lo rapido que sean hechas. Y el sorprender al contrario

[@MattHinkamp]

Claro q si, y eso solo viene con practica y repetición. Todo es situacional

[@BoratfromKazakhstan]

I totally see what you're saying but at the same time if you can't test you techniques with resistance and movement, you will never know if they work

[@MattHinkamp]

It’s true, it just requires careful preparation, patience, and an instructor who can dictate the correct amount of balance so as to reduce injuries as much as possible but not too much to where the technique is never tried for real

[@Sabumnim666]

Yes but even if you resist at some point in a correctly applied technique the lock will become too painful to withstand or it will break the limb, finger or what ever is under pressure. At this point you will need to use your training in how to break fall and or tap to show you have had enough. This is my 26th year of training and teaching hapkido and hold a masters level, as such I consider myself to have extensive knowledge and experience as do the many people I have taught.

[@SebastianSchachner]

I train different. Normally, if I train with someone and wants them to get the technique, i try to resist until it hurts and i have to fall or whatever. That way Me and my trainingpatner know the technique works. With those, who i know they can do it, i fall much faster, cause i don't need to test them anymore

[@MattHinkamp]

This is a good approach. Slowly working into the techniques is safer, and mutual resistance and giving each other feedback allows you to find your ways around the techniques naturally

[@williebasford1482]

Some of that stuff is training like the rolling and stuff

[@eliotquintana9802]

Fighting techniques Korea 🇰🇷 displays fix loss martial arts practice hapkido

[@stevenlowe3245]

So demos and practices should be done with real criminals carrying live weapons?

[@fitepitsnbonfires]

Okay i.disagree i think the techniques are exactly why you would be a practitioner and why you would use every technique in your tool box when confronted or when necassary.or why train in the first place ,if it works use it ,if the opponent dosent want to get hurt ,he should not have attacted you .!

[@MattHinkamp]

Judging by your comment, I think we agree. Yes, as Bruce Lee says, be more afraid of the man who has practiced one kick thousands of times, rather than thousands of kicks one time. Learning a handful of “go-to” basic techniques is really all you need. The rest of the flashy and more complex techniques are fun and fine, but a basis should always be established and heavily drilled first

[@remopiccioni9456]

No technique from any martial art including boxing goes as smoothly as it does in class. Real fights are sloppy and uncontrolled. Classes are meant to be taken slow and controlled so you learn technique.

[@MattHinkamp]

Absolutely. Any good instructor makes that clear to students. Best to practice in ideal conditions and slowly work away from that

[@remopiccioni9456]

All demonstrations are staged. Who would teach a class with a loaded gun or a knife and say come at me as if you are really trying to kill me.

[@MattHinkamp]

@@remopiccioni9456 right. Well there is a difference between instruction and demonstration. If you’re trying to teach something you must break it down. If it’s just supposed to be a demonstration with no education, then it should lean more realistic...but yes, still a degree of choreography

[@ameerrafati3587]

Hapkido is not staged... the attacker purposely flips himself as defense for himself and so his wrist doesn't break... flipping takes pressure off

[@matsjonsson1704]

100% if you don`t follow, it breaks

[@robertmeno6400]

Hapkido is the real deal

[@redpilljujitsu9068]

Pressure testing eliminates useless moves.

[@jashardwallington]

It teaches you how to use the moves you learned an modify it to work

[@williebasford1482]

You fall with it because otherwise it will ruin your arms and joints

[@MattHinkamp]

Correct!

[@okish02]

Im a hapkidoist and yes those are staged and frankly ridiculous which is why we dont do demo.

[@matthinkamptunes]

Wow

[@robertjenkins4234]

Krav maga use their strength a against theme like aikido. So hapkido want work against krav maga. Krav maga can escape hapkido and use deadly finish on the hapkido. Krav maga was use in law enforcement, army and navy seals. My Krav maga teacher took out a hapkido practitioner have leaft his arm and leg broken and could use a deadly finish attack to the neck. If this martial art did not work it would not approved to law enforcement or navy seals. So hapkido is no match to krav maga and hapkido is a fantasy.

[@MattHinkamp]

I would be careful making blanket statements as the one you are making. While it can be true that one art can “beat” another or win in a fight, I don’t think that’s where our sights should be anyway. Trained people should never fight one another outside of organizations like UFC. If they do, their training has failed them. There is no art that is superior over the other, but rather it is more important the quality of the school you attend and the instructor you learn from

[@robertjenkins4234]

@@MattHinkamp sure ok what ever you say you are very right. Its crazy how styles come together. I try to learn thangs but if i was not disable. But finding something that works in reality nothing works but do know it save people live. So left a long time a go. Maybe hapkido will help me even though im handicap and crippled i might not do much for my self but have what everyone else have would be something. I would not mind to pay a hapkido class to go and watch.

[@prosyko486]

@@robertjenkins4234 get a gun

[@Hayden81arnold]

Nah it does work u just have to wait for the right time and u have to do it right

[@robertjenkins4234]

Nope it dose not work.

[@Sabumnim666]

Totally correct

[@dennishein2812]

Ever had it used on you? Ever use any of it on someone else? It works.

[@MattHinkamp]

This is what is said in the video

[@lalalalalalalalalala214]

Teach me

[@douglasmacneil4474]

In demos yes, of course you comply. After all an armbar throw can snap your arm. Problem is, most hapkido (and most tma) practitioners never pressure test. Which results in a low skill level.

[@MattHinkamp]

The more you practice something realistically, the more chance you have for injury, even if you teach the most proper technique in the world. I tend to err more on the side of safety at my school, but others feel differently and I think having that diversity is great for new students to choose from

[@KnowPorcelain1]

whilst I would agree, Hapkido is an art that at full contact, too much damage would be done, I left HKD a long time ago, too expand my horizons, Hapkido and its principles are sound, and work outside the realms of the art, as well as in the art, I have trained in 3 arts, two to 3rd Dan, and one that does not have a grading system, 3 things become self evident, you stop breathing, you stop moving, too much tension results in failed technique, circular movement either with your opponents movement, or in the opposite direction to your opponent, results in a net benefit, despite my 3 arts, I keep coming back to, blend with or avoid, redirection of force, and circular movement, on my feet or on the ground, working with these principles just seems to work, regardless of my position. I agree pressure testing is vital, but not in HKD. you cannot apply these techniques safely at high speed, the continuous movement and transition of technique is key here and needs to be the pressure test, there are so many combinations to locks and holds, and throws, adapting to your opponent, when the lock is on its on, so is the reversal, or the transition to a secondary move, if you have never been on the receiving end of a HKD combination, then you cannot comment on its techniques, people talk of HKD beginnings, and its similarities to Aikido, or Daito Ryu, but the training principles are extremely different. I still use HKD principles and techniques in my current art, not because I like them, but because they work.

[@scarred10]

@@KnowPorcelain1 just read your own post again ,its exactly what was said 27 yrs ago at the first UFC,that martial arts were too deadly to practice full contact without rules.None of those arts were effective in mma precisely because they did not train full contact with grappling included in sparring. The lesson I've learned and observed through 35 yes in combat sport and traditional arts is that if it cant be sparred with then it cant be relied on under pressure.HKD fits that bill perfectly, complete nonsense.

[@scarred10]

The video explains nothing.Everyone knows they are going with the locks to protect themselves during demos but that should be just for demos,not training. If your art relies on something only trained with compliance, its useless. We all know you could break or sprain something if you allowed one of these locks be applied BUT they in most cases could not be applied in the first place because they never experience resistance. What continues to amaze me is that you have grown men,masters with decades of experience in these bullshit arts that do not understand full contact striking and grappling at all because they have never done it.Its a bizarre situation that you never see in combat sports,that's why they actually work.

[@MattHinkamp]

You are correct in saying that techniques applied without resistance do not simulate real life altercations, however they are not useless. The point of a classroom is to start with the ideal world, learn the techniques cleanly, and then begin to introduce resistance and other factors. If you throw a student into a situation where everything they do is resisted, they will not properly learn, and become discouraged. I agree that it is important to practice with resistance and at full speed, but the more that is done, the more risk takes place in the classroom. Each school sets the limit at their discretion. There is no perfect way to practice, and there is no way to prepare for every potential situation. You can only try your best, and keep training

[@scarred10]

@@MattHinkamp the no resistance stage is only for learning OR drilling a tech you already know works because you have used it against resistance, analogous to shadow boxing or judo uchikomi,or wrestling drills.The hapkido and aikido shite stay at the beginning stage forever they arent even drilling motor memory that works because they never pressure tested it to find out.

[@620ronin]

@@MattHinkamp Matt your insight regarding the context of training is spot on. People such as scarred10 do not wish to entertain any other training paradigm except that which creates life lasting misery. Keep the good work!

[@lionsden4563]

@@620ronin, Scarred10 is right. Demo is demo. Live training is important. Sparring is important. Doing compliance training all the time makes you a delusional fool.

[@giovannimannelli2158]

Yes it is.

[@Oldhandlewasabitcringe]

Short answer yes Long answer yea but its ok because our moves are too dangerous lol Justify it however you want but if you arnt sparing you arnt learning to defend yourself

[@MattHinkamp]

Correct. Many of the techniques taught in Hapkido are too dangerous to practice regularly at full speed. That provides a disadvantage vs other simpler techniques that are much easier to control and can be practiced easily without much risk. But yes, if a technique is only practiced in ideal conditions then it most likely will not be ready to use if ever faced with a real life situation

[@shanaadams4456]

Honestly, if you don't move in the direction of the force, your bones break. After I reached a certain level I couldn't train with non-practitioners because I could seriously injure them before I had learned self-control. Sometimes the moves are so effective you can drop someone to their knees quite easily with little force, if I really amped up my aggression I'm sure I'd see bones protruding through the skin. That's not even an exaggeration. My training partner dislocated 2 fingers in 3 different places from blocking my punch, and tore the lining of my spine when taking me down to the ground. I was concussed for 3 months because of the speed he generated. Watch some military training vids. Most of them learn Krav maga and hapkido for cqb.

[@Oldhandlewasabitcringe]

@@shanaadams4456 ok im sure you are convinced you are this killing machine that could break bones because your friend hurt their fingers. I guess whoever your instructor is did a great job convincing you. But if all you do is staged moves with no resistance you arnt going to pull this off on actual opponents. And also yes alot of krav magra that the military use is also crap. I advise you to join your local mma gym for 6 months and you will soon learn that youve been wasting your time. It happened to me, i wasted years training Krav i even became an instructor under the IKMF. Then i started training MMA and i realised that 90% of what i was taught and what i taught others didnt work. Despite over a decade of experience i was getting toyed with by people who only trained 6 months. Its really hard snapping out of a delusion like that and admitting you arent as dangerous as you think you are. Most people dont, so please dont be fooled

[@shanaadams4456]

@@Oldhandlewasabitcringe but we spar every class and some of our guys do fight in MMA. That was me who got injured, not someone else. That person who injured me is going into the military and he was advised that hapkido would give him a competitive edge. I just hope one day you have an open mind. My instructor used hapkido in war and it saved his life. I got attacked by 2 people, and it saved mine.