The world’s first and foremost independent martial arts teachers organization.

AIKIA World Martial Arts Masters

World Hapkido International

The art of “Coordinated Power”

Possess skill in

1. -kicks
   

2. -locks
   

3. -takedowns
   

4. -throws
   

The Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-1945 may be identified as a source for many of today’s innovations in Korean martial arts. Hapkido (the way of coordinated power) traces its roots to the inclusion of aikijitsu to the karate style kicking skills.

Hapkido was virtually unknown in the US before 1971. In that year, the late Bong Soo Han played the stunt double for the Billy Jack character in the highly popular independent film entitled “Billy Jack.” So impressive were the Hapkido skills of Grandmaster Han that the film quickly created a buzz in the martial arts industry. Hapkido became the art of the day in the early 1970s.

For the most part, Hapkido became best known for combining fluid and powerful kicks with locks, takedowns and throws associated with both jujitsu and aikido. Hapkido as an art had no traditional kata or forms. Over the last four decades some Hapkido masters and innovators in the US have added forms, or placed an emphasis on the “ki” or breathing exercises. Some have even removed the high-kick identity and replaced it with a variety of skills.

World Hapkido International was designed to include all interpretations of Hapkido from the ultra traditional to the ultra modern. We do not dictate what you are to teach. WHI is a service organization designed to assist you in marketing your program and providing expert advice and instruction. WHI Dan testing and certificates are available for only $30 per Dan level.

Today many TKD dojangs teach TKD as the primary art and add Hapkido as the self-defense art. AIKIA agent members may use the WHI logo for use in advertising, both in the school, on the web and in newspapers, etc. You may place the WHI logo on school T-shirts and gear.

“World Hapkido International”