Shinsei Hapkido

Infobox Korean name
hangul = 신세합기도
rr = Sinse Hapkido
mr = Shinsei Hapkido

Shinshei Hapkido is a style of hapkido founded by Joseph B. Lumpkin in 1982. [http://www.koreahapkido.org/ Official Shinsei Hapkido website] The style is highly influenced by several other Hapkido styles as well as Japanese Aikido.

Founder

Lumpkin is ranked as a 7th dan with the World Kido Federation. In the book, Warrior's Heart Revealed, Lumpkin is ranked as a 3rd dan in Akayama Ryu Jujutsu by its founder, Mark Barlow. In addition, he holds the rank of 2nd dan in Kodokan Judo, and 2nd dan in Shotokan Karate. Owing to his background, the founder took the more reliable elements from each of the styles and added them to the foundation and framework of Hapkido making Shinsei Hapkido a mixed martial art with elements of Hapkido, Kodokan Judo, Shotokan Karate, and Akayama Ryu Jujutsu.

tyle

Shinsei Hapkido is based in part on the Hapkido style of Myung, Jae Nam. Myung was born on 31 December 1938. He began training in Hapkdio in 1948, training alongside and with some of the most influential men in Hapkido. Myung was one of the original Masters on the board of directors of the Korea Hapkido Association and was awarded his 8th Dan in 1972. Seo, In Sun, the 10th degree head of the World Kido Federation was a lifelong friend of Grandmaster Myung. This connection is one of the reasons that the Shinsei Kwan of Hapkido is now aligned with the World Kido Federation, under the Direction of Grandmaster Seo, In Sun.

In 1965, Myung, Jae Nam was the only master of Hapkido to heartily welcome a Japanese Aikido instructor, Hirata Sensei, who was touring Korea. Most of the Korean masters offered a less than warm reception to a visiting Japanese Sensei, primarily due to the Korean's distaste for the Japanese due to Japanese occupation, however, Myung, realizing that Hapkido originated from a Japanese style and not from the Hwa Rang Warriors as ofttimes falsely claimed, received this instructor into his home. For the next several years, Myung exchanged techniques with Hirata Sensei. Myung eventually formed an alliance with Japanese Aikikai. Thus, the Hapkido style from this branch has a more circular form due to its Aiki principles.

Lineage of Shinsei Hapkido

Grandmaster Myung trained many hapkido practitioners including Park, Byong Kyu. Park's hapkido had a strong Aiki influence in his techniques due to the influence and training of Grandmaster Myung. Shinsei Hapkido was developed from the Hapkido taught by Choi Yong Sool which was his version of Aiki-Jutsu. Shinsei Hapkido traces its roots through generations from Choi. Those generations are: Choi through Ji Han Jae and Myung, Jae Nam to Master Park, Byung Kyu, then to James Hiner and finally to Joseph Lumpkin. In those few generations little was altered.

Shinsei Hapkido has only a dozen soft style kicks. After Choi began his art, kicks were learned from monks in the area of Korea he was living. These soft kicks came after Choi first started teaching. Shinsei contains these kickes with the addition of a small number of kicks taken from Shotokan Karate and added later by Lumpkin. It does not contain the high, aggressive kicks added by Ji Han Jae toward the end of the development of Hapkido, but instead Shinsei adheres more to its Aiki-Jutsu roots. Kicks are simple and low. In Shinsei, grappling and throws were added from Judo, four basic hard kicks, and four hard strikes were added from Shotokan, and ground work was added to round out Shinsei Hapkido into a more complete art.

Shinsei Hapkido retains its Aiki-jutsu-like qualities as it was taught by Choi in the earlier form of Hapkido as well as an Aikido like quality as taught by Myung. The Shinsei system is taught by theory and philosophy which are demonstrated through technique. In this way each person must understand and develop the art within themselves. Only after the student shows he or she has internalized the concepts of the art can a black belt be awarded. The timeframe for this to occur varies between individuals but usually takes place between 6 to 10 years.

Philosophy of Shinsei Hapkido

The philosophy of Shinsei Hapkido is recorded in the book, The Warrior's Heart Revealed.

The philosophy is a simple one. It can be summed up in three words.Evade - Invade - Control

There are two ways to evade. An attack is evaded and blocked by stepping toward and to the side of the attacker, placing the practitioner at or behind the shoulder of the attacker.

The practitioner may also step into the opponent's center by blocking while stepping. In these two ways the attack has been evaded and the defender has invaded the attacker's proximity. Once this is done, control is taken by a throw, lock, bar, choak, punch, or kick.

There may be thousands of techniques, but there are only a few theories and philosophies at work. If these are understood the art simply becomes a real-time application of these principles.

Organization

Shinsei Hapkido has a world-wide student base with clinics and classes held throughout the U.S.A. and around the world. Shinsei Hapkido has its Western Headquarters in Alabama and its Eastern Headquarters in Seoul Korea.

Shinsei Hapkido is a member of the World Kido Federation, and is recognized by Kang Rhee, Erle Montiague, George Petrotta, Mark Barlow, UMAAI, and many other highly ranked and well known artists.

References