Hapkido Ki Breathing by Andrea Stone

Hapkido Ki Breathing (DanJun Hohup)

By Action Radio Network Spokes Model, Andrea Stone, Hapkido Black Belt at the American Dragon Martial Arts Academies in Clermont, Florida, certified by the Korean Hapkido Federation.

Hapkido Ki Breathing is an essential part of the Hapkido system. In the martial art of Hapkido we breath in, inhale, to build or develop Ki energy and we breath out, exhale, to move Ki energy. This allow the Hapkido practitioner to apply the moving Ki energy to their techniques. The Haemukwan Hapkido system is well know for this application of Ki energy in all of the techniques.

Hapkido Ki Breathing Exercise #1

To the Front

Step 1:  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees facing straight forward. Bend your knees slightly so you are almost in a horse-back-riding stance.  Tilt your pelvis forward so that your back is straightened and all your Ki centers are aligned, look straight ahead.

Step 2: For the first breath, inhale deeply, through your nose, bringing your hands up to your chest, with you fingers curled slightly to cup your hands.

Step 3: On the exhale, bend you knees further into the horse-riding stance so that you lower yourself straight down. At the same time, push your arms straight out in front of you, keeping your hands verticals, with palms parallel to each other.

Step 4: As you finish exhaling straighten back up and bring your hands back to chest level. 

Hapkido Ki Breathing Exercises #2

Upwards

Step 1:  Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart with your knees facing straight forward. Bend your knees slightly so you are almost in a horse-back-riding stance.  Tilt your pelvis forward so that your back is straightened and all your Ki centers are aligned, look straight ahead.

Step 2: For the first breath, inhale deeply, through your nose, bringing your hands up to your chest, with you fingers curled slightly to cup your hands.

Step 3: On the exhale, bend you knees further into the horse-riding stance so that you lower yourself straight down. At the same time, push your arms up, with your palms facing away from you. Your index fingers and thumbs should create the shape of a triangle. Bring your arms straight up over your head, as you look through the triangle. When you’ve reached tup as far as you can, you should have about finished exhaling, at which point you should lower your arms back to the resting position.

Hapkido Ki Breathing Exercise #3

Downwards

Step 1:  Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart with your knees facing straight forward. Bend your knees slightly so you are almost in a horse-back-riding stance.  Tilt your pelvis forward so that your back is straightened and all your Ki centers are aligned, look straight ahead.

Step 2: For the first breath, inhale deeply, through your nose, bringing your hands up to your chest, with you fingers curled slightly to cup your hands.

Step 3: On the exhale, bend you knees further into the horse-back-riding stance so that you lower yourself straight down. At the same time, turn your hands so palms face downward, with your index fingers and thumbs recreating the triangle shape from exercise 2. When you have pushed your arms all the way down, turn your palms outward, so that the backs of your hands are facing each other (thumbs down). Then rotate your hands back to the standard position and bring them straight up and straighten back into the standard resting position.  

Hapkido Ki Breathing Exercise #4

Outwards

Step 1:  Stand with your feet shoulder-length apart with your knees facing straight forward. Bend your knees slightly so you are almost in a horse-back-riding stance.  Tilt your pelvis forward so that your back is straightened and all your Ki centers are aligned, look straight ahead.

Step 2: For the first breath, inhale deeply, through your nose, bringing your hands up to your chest, with you fingers curled slightly to cup your hands.

Step 3: On the exhale, bend you knees further into the horse-back-riding stance so that you lower yourself straight down. At the same time push your arms out to your sides, as if trying to hold open the doors of an elevator manually. Once fully extended, rotate your wrists so that your hands are now thumbs-down. Keeping your elbows slightly locked, bring your arms back to the front, and when they meet in front of you, turn your hands so that your palms are parallel, and bring your arms back to the standard resting position.

About the author: Andrea Stone is a Black Belt in Haemukwan Hapkido at the American Dragon Martial Arts Academies in Clermont, Florida. She is also the official Spokes Model for the Action Radio Network and an honors student at East Ridge High School in Clermont, Florida.

www.americandragononline.com   www.haemukwan.com   www.actionradio.net   www.worldmartialartsnetwork.ning.com

From the South Lake Press News Paper in Clermont, Florida

At a Hapkido school in Clermont, Florida a 15 Year Old Girl Earns Third Black Belt!

Clermont, Florida Hapkido Black Belt Andrea Stone

Andrea Marie Stone, a 15 year old student at East Ridge High School in Clermont, Florida recently earned a black belt in her third martial art.  Having previously achieved 1st degree rank in the Korean martial arts of TaeKwondo and TangSooDo, Andrea switched to Hapkido when her family moved to Clermont from Miami.

“I could have continued on with TaeKwondo, but I prefer the more realistic self defense training that Hapkido offers.  It’s not a sport or a stylistic art, but rather a reality based self defense system for both men and women.  It’s what they teach the Korean police and Special forces. I visited and trained at every martial arts school in Clermont, Florida and was lucky to find the best school.”

Andrea trains in Clermont at the American Dragon Martial Arts Academy, located at 1158 Fifth Street in Clermont.  Her instructor, Master Mi Yi, is a sixth degree internationally reknown expert and co founder of the DukHoKwan style of Hapkido.  She also holds a fifth degree in Tae Kwon do and offers instruction in either art for both adults and children, as well as offering an after school program.

Hapkido Black Belt Andrea Stone of Clermont, Florida

“I like training under a Korean instructor,” Andrea explained.  “You get a more accurate explanation of what the moves mean and how they are supposed to be applied.  I have been doing this since I was five and can really tell the difference.  Of course I’m still learning, but I do know that you don’t want any mistakes or have any misconceptions when it comes to self defense training. That is why I want to learn from the best.”

For further information on th best Hapkido or TaeKwonDo training you can contact the American Dragon Martial Arts Academy in Clermont, Florida. Ph 352-536-1122.
www.americandragononline.com   www.actionradio.net   www.haemukwan.com   www.worldmartialartsmagazine.com