Hapkido #1

I know I described Hapkido 1-5 below over a year ago, but my understanding of them has changed due to a class last night with Master G. So here goes: the new and improved Hapkido #1.

Hapkido #1 is performed as a defense to an inside neck strike. So formally, your attacker would start in a left climbing stance and step forward with his right foot, striking with his right hand from left to right in a downward angle. As the defender, you step backwards and to the side in a right back stance (right foot forward) to avoid the neck strike. Fan block the attack with your left hand and obtain a grip on his arm, turning it over into a wrist takedown.

The key to this technique is to keep your weight on the backfoot the whole time, and this is something Master G. really stresses. Instead of stepping forward and going to a larger circular movement like an aikidoist would, we want to just bend our knees and drop the attacker straight down with this technique.