Dan-jeon-ho-heup (단전호흡) is the Korean term for abdominal breathing techniques. Control over your breathing is essential in all martial arts. Controlling your breathing enables you to control yourself. With your breath you can stay calm. Good breathing also enables you to use your power more efficiently.
Nak-beop (낙법) is the term we use for falling techniques. Nakbeop is a form of self defence. You can defend yourself against the otherwise usually harmful consequences of a fall. Myung Jae-nam kuksanim stated that practicing martial arts is good for your health, but mostly for the person taking the falls. Good falling technique helps you to keep your body relaxed.
Bal-cha-gi (발차기) or kicking techniques are highly developed in hapkido. After learning the basic single kicking techniques, a student progresses to kicking combinations and jumping kicks. The spectacular kicks often shown in demonstrations should not fool the spectator into thinking that kicks are only for show. The strength and control needed to execute these kicks can be devastating when used in a self defence situation.
Gwon-beop (권법) is the name for all strikes and blocks. Gwon means fist and beop means method. Unique to IHF Hapkido are the spinning strikes taught. These so called ‘jeonhwan gwonbeop’ are strike combinations taught to advanced students after they master the ‘dansik gwonbeop’ (single strikes).
Gyeok-gi-do-beop (격기도법) is about free fighting. Everything learned is put into practice with an opponent. This can be done in competition form against an opponent or in a demonstration with one or more partners.
Ho-sin-do-beop (호신도법) is all about self defence. It is also known by the name hosinsul (호신술). The beginning student learns how to free himself from being grabbed. Later joint locks and throws are used to control the attacker. A advanced hapkido practitioner is able to defend himself against a wide arrange of attacks.
Byeong-sul-do-beop (병술도법) literally means ‘stick techniques’ but it refers to all weapons that are part of the hapkido curriculum. Mastery of weapons is usually taught to advanced students and can include the use of the short, middle and long stick, nunchucks, knife, cane, rope and sword. It usually does not only involve the use of weapons but also armed and unarmed defence against those weapons.
Gi-hap-do-beop (기합도법) is about the ki-development of the hapkido practitioner. Ki is an Asian concept that describes the flow of energy. The perfection of techniques leads to an execution that almost seems super natural.