In This Issue:

Welcome to 2010!

An Interview with Sah Bu Nim Tapio 3

Dieting, Hapkido and You

My 3 Sublime Moments in 2009

Do You Want To Fight?

Adults Grading Congratulations

Kids Grading Congratulations

Complete Self Defense Hutch

One More Forward Roll, Please?

New IHA/AHG Members

You Can Make 2010 3 Times Better

Bayside Grading

The Misconceptions of Hapkido

And The Winner Is...

AHG Sydney Spirit Award Winners!

10

My Hapkido Journey

10

HurstvilleRebranded, Refreshed...

11

On Its Own

11

5 x The Masters, 5 x The Fun

12

AHG Turns 17

12

Upcoming Events

12

Each year I write a letter to CSD about the plans for the
year and I wanted to share some of them with you as I feel
they are appropriate to the IHA/AHG as well.

The launch of the AHG Sydney Spirit Awards;

The release of our new How To DVD Series; and
My recognition as a Grandmaster by Dojunim Ji.

As usual we start each year with an annual motto or saying

that is meant to reflect our plans and/or vision for the year.
20

So this will be the year known as Two

10 out of 10! Thousand & Ten out of Ten!

Before I get onto the plans for 2010, I wanted to briefly

touch upon some of the milestones from 2009:

The USA and having Dojunim Ji teach;

The return of Hell Camp (most successful ever!);

In 2010 we are continuing the awesome events with:

The BBC series Art of (probably our best);

The BBC Series How To. A great tool for breaking

down many aspects of Hapkido and understanding
them in far more depth than class allows us to teach.
Our first Weekend of Masters to be held in March
where we will be hosting a number of different
Martial Arts Masters for an excellent weekend of
training.
The visit of Dojunim Ji to Australia. This will be his
4th visit for us and possibly his last as he has started to
wind down his international travelling. This is a oncein-a-lifetime chance to spend some quality mat time
with our Arts founder! Plans should see DJN Ji visiting
with us during September.

Last year a new initiative was launched and that was the
formation or the unification of the 3 Sydney Dojangs to
form AHG Sydney. This combined Dojang drive was created
to bring our 3 Dojangs closer together. This is one program
that we will be continuing and building throughout 2010.
On the International Scene, we will continue to work with
our International branches to make sure that their standard
continues to grow, with 2 visits planned overseas this year
in April and August. There will also be more information
released about our plans for the 4th International Training
Seminar (ITS) in 2011, here in Sydney.

The first AHG Sydney Christmas Party (with over 200

attending it was a huge success);

On a personal note I will be on the mats with a focus to

improve our quality and this year we will be introducing
the new Sun Bae program aimed at getting our senior
coloured belts ready for Black Belt, and the Black Belts
ready for Sahbunim and Master levels!
2010 should see our Black Belt family grow with plans for
a Black Belt test in October (dependant on sufficient
candidates).
All the great new ideas and plans we have for 2010 will be
listed on the Hapkido Forum and also in our Event Calendar
to help you plan your attendance to our great events this
year!
09 was Sublime and I feel it definitely lived up to that, of
course we need to continue to set the bar high and this year
we are aiming at that- 10 out of 10!
- Grandmaster Geoff

How long ago did you start training and how did you get
into Hapkido?
My first contact with martial arts was with boxing when I
was 13. Then in 1993 I was dragged to a Hapkido
beginners course by a friend. My friend stuck around for
exactly that very first class but I am still on that road.
Have you done any other martial arts
and if so, what rank (if any) do you
hold?

What do you like the most about Hapkido?

Most I like the diversity of Hapkido and the fact that I can
realise my own style and the way of doing things.
What is your favourite Hapkido technique?
There are many but at the moment I am very fond of
finger locks. I like teaching them too
since they are very practical and
effective regardless of ones size and
age.

I have tried out and trained in many

self defence and martial arts styles.
Besides Hapkido my other major
martial art is Defendo in which I am
at the highest level (S.T.A.R). I
occasionally still train Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu in which I hold a Blue Belt.

As one of the 4th Degrees in the

organisation, what do you consider to
be the secret of sticking with Hapkido?
Train hard with the right attitude. Set
yourself goals with realistic timeframes
as for instance a new Kup you want to
achieve.

How did you first get involved with

Grandmaster Geoff?
In 2000 we founded the Finnish
Hapkido Federation and this year we
have our ten year anniversary. At the
time we were looking for an
experienced collaboration partner
with a strong vision in the field of
Hapkido and a practical syllabus. And
so in 2001, we invited Grandmaster
Booth to Finland to teach us.
What has been the highlight for you
throughout all your years of training?
The highlight for me has been the
founding of HMAC (Helsinki Martial Art Centre). Its my
dream come true. Now I can teach and train Hapkido as a
profession. Can it get any better? :) Another very
memorable moment for me was when I passed the test for
4th Degree.

The word 'diet' gets bandied around a

lot. Some people cringe, others roll
their eyes, some come down with a
case of the shakes and start wringing
their hands in fear and shame.
Sound familiar? Well, don't get too
upset about it. There's a veritable
dearth of information and it's easy to
get confused about what the term 'diet'
actually means. The truth of the
matter is this: If you approach a 'diet'
as a temporary measure, you will fail.
Your eating habits need to be part of
your lifestyle, not seen as a 'quick fix'
to all your problems. Pass the fries,
will you? Thanks.
Anyway, I just wanted to remind
everyone that what you eat is indeed

Remember to enjoy your achievements

and dont be too critical about yourself.
Maintaining a routine is very
important for your development.
Breaks that are too long make it
difficult to jump back on the train.
Thus try and establish for yourself a
schedule so you are able to train on a
weekly basis. Be open and get
acquainted with your fellow Hapkido
students. Without good relationships
long lasting training is hard. I advise
students to pick up other forms of
physical activities like jogging,
swimming and so forth because if you
are in good shape Hapkido is even more fun.
Enjoy yourself and smile when training, it gives you power
for your every day life too.
Remember, one day you will need to defend yourself never give up! Dont quit training!

very important. There's a very simple

formula which 'experts' would have
you believe is this highly technical,
unattainable mystery that can only be
solved by three easy payments of
$29.95.
Calories In > Calories Out = Weight
Gain
Calories Out > Calories in = Weight
loss
That's it. No magic. No smoke and
mirrors. That's all it ever was. Fat,
carbohydrates and proteins make up
the bulk of this. It gets more indepth
(different types of fats/carbs/
proteins/vitamins etc), but it can be
kept relatively simple.

So if you're concerned about your

weight or just interested in the whole
idea; I encourage you to do your
research and learn. It's quite
interesting.
To end with a word of warning; Start
reading the labels of items you buy.
The amount of rubbish that gets
thrown into food is amazing. 'Low fat'
is often stuffed with carbs, or salt, and
vice versa.
And to those who know me and are
sniggering; Yes, I do fail to follow my
own advice. 'Tis good to be human.
- Jeremy B

Three big Hapkido aspects stick out

for me from 2009. Of course, CSDs
2010 welcome letter outlines some of
the Hapkido high points like the ITS in
USA, Hell Camp, BBC seminars, Do Ju
Nim Ji and Master Geoffs promotion
to Grand Master. These are big events
in 2009 and I (and you, I suspect)
enjoyed them immensely.
My thanks to GMG (and others
involved) for making this happen.
Imagine how much planning went
into making these wonderful events
happen. Think about the planning
required to fly 30+ students overseas,
accommodation, training with
Hapkido Masters and Do Ju Nim, and
to see Mickey Mouse (Ok, not much
planning required there :)). [The ITS
was easily 2 years in the making (after
Finland 2007)].
And finding a location then running
the Hell Camp as a weekend of joyful
torture with students pushing their
bodies to greater limits. [At least Six
years had passed since the last Hell
Camp, perhaps because theres a
waiting period between Hell on
Earth :)]
So I move onto my first big Hapkido
moment for 2009, starting with an
overseas focus which is training with
Grand Masters! Imagine meeting one
GM for each of the Sydney Dojangs
(with one more available just in case).
We got Do Ju Nim (DJN) or GM Ji Han
Jae in the USA. And he was assisted by
a Master and joined by a Grand

Master, Grandmaster McKenzie. DJN

on the mats is a sight to enjoy (Ive
done 99, 03 and 09 now), laughing,
playing and demonstrating his
Hapkido, revelling like a happy kid
with the Australian travellers.
Of course there was that unforgettable
moment of promotion when DJN says
from now on you call him Grand
Master, referring to Master Geoff. Ill
bet theres not one student who was
present that will ever forget that gem
moment.
Ive seen many promotions in my time,
so imagine your Instructor getting
recognised and promoted in such a
way; it was like a reverse mirror on
the usual promotion situations, with
the Australian students being able to
recognise their instructor on this big
occasion. A gold coloured gem
indeed!
There was also GM Kim from another
Hapkido school near Los Angeles. A
small band of AHG students enjoyed a
seminar with GM Kim, his son (a
Master at 6th degree in their style) and
several of his Black Belts. Their style is
like ours Hapkido :)
We had Hapkido good fortune in this
opportunity; being picked up for a 1
hour drive to train (public transport
wouldve been 2 hours easy),
enjoying the seminar and sharing a
meal with our newly formed friends,
then travelling home again.
Think about the pride and joy that
must exist when a GM who had

After the great success of the BBC Art of

Fighting seminar Grandmaster Geoff decided
to broaden our learning by adding a Sparring
Class.
Not only is this a great challenge but it is a
good opportunity to smack each other in the
head.
Sparring class on fortnightly!
Next class Friday 6 February at 8:30pm.

recently undergone a minor surgical

operation still gives his time to show
his Hapkido, including his breathing
technique.
Why pride and joy? you ask.
Imagine that our small Aussie group
was probably the last international
group to train with GM Kim. Hapkido
lost another GM one month after we
bowed into his Dojang to train.
The second aspect is closer to home,
with the increasing energy going into
the Sydney Dojangs working closer
together. This is also big to me because
of the reminder that Hapkido not only
connects us internationally but also
presents opportunities closer to home
as well. Imagine 3 times your Hapkido
fun; 3 times more training; and 3
times the students and heat on the
mats: - all of this at least triples your
Hapkido fun! (maybe like Huey, Duey
and Louie well you get my drift :))
And finally, the third aspect which
sticks out to me is recognising that
2009 was just so much fun. And with
that realisation I recommend all
Hakidoists get involved and share in
the activities to make your (and
AHGs) year as big as it can be.
Picture three more things you can do
from 2009 to make your Hapkido fun
gauge sky rocket way past the 09 and
into the 10s for this 2000 year.
- Sir Adrian

Congratulations to the following Adult students who recently graded!

Bianca H

Dylan V

Joshua K

Tony G

Channing P

Darren W
Vladimir V
Nathan N
Peter K
Brijesh J

Thomas L

Karam K

Antony L

Wei H

Mark M

Muralidhar N

Chang L

Grahame H

Jelena T

Alex O

Emmanouil H

Tim D

Daniel S

Charles C

Jimmy H

Hans S

Evan H

Shaddie H

Bridget H
Nam N
John H

David Q

Peter K

Congratulations to the following Kids who recently graded!

Peter M-Y (Hawk)

Faigy W (Hawk)

Kimberley G (Hawk)

Tara D (Hawk)

Darren F (Hawk)

Nikolas C (Hawk)

Marcus D (Hawk)

Alankar G (Hawk)

Savva A (Hawk)

Joseph M-Y (Hawk)

Eklavya M (Hawk)

Eleanor D (Falcon)

Alisar K (Hawk)

Flora L (Hawk)

Masen E M (Falcon)

Jacob A (Hawk)

Nikolas Z (Hawk)

Anmoldeep S (Falcon)

Tyler R (Hawk)

Artemis P (Hawk)

Cody M (Falcon)

Yianni M (Hawk)

George P (Hawk)

Jayden M (Falcon)

Konstantino M (Hawk)

Thomas C (Hawk)

Leon V (Falcon)

Kathleen M (Hawk)

Zushe W (Falcon)

Dominic S (Falcon)

Jesse R (Hawk)

Paras J (Falcon)

Daniel K (Falcon)

Mahesh P (Falcon)

Jeevi M (Falcon)

Julian G (Falcon)

Shavan P (Falcon)

Leonard M (Falcon)

Abyan K (Falcon)

Zac T (Falcon)

Dante L (Falcon)

Jason R (Falcon)
Jared F (Falcon)
Emily F (Falcon)
Jake R (Falcon)
Martin H (Falcon)
Eric C (Falcon)
Christine O (Falcon)
Edward O (Falcon)
Nathaniel O (Youth)
Elise P (Youth)

Rochel W (Hawk)
Shneur W (Hawk)
Evren T (Hawk)
Shira W (Falcon)
Kassandra D (Falcon)
Joshua L (Falcon)

Jessica P (Falcon)

Dylan H (Hawk)
Luke D (Falcon)
Paul D (Falcon)
Tyler P (Falcon)
Michael L (Falcon)

Mother Nature gave us a rather large amount of snow for

the Holiday Season. The knee-deep snow however was not
enough to keep the students from attending the 2nd
Annual "Parent Night".

We also had a special visitor this year that must have got
lost in the snow storm and ended up in Minnesota instead
of the North Pole. The good thing was that the Elf had a
bag full of goodies that she handed out to all the good boys
and girls on her list.
For some reason though my name was on the bad boys list.
Which resulted in me getting a small bag of coal from the
Elf. The youth found that to be extremely funny. Hmmm
I'm still not quite sure what put me on that list, but
something to work on for next year.

We had an exceptional turnout with the new Cubs

program participating this year as well as the Adult class
getting involved.

The New Year is off to a great start so far. The How To

DVDs are in and over the next month we will be focusing
on incorporating the updates from each belt level. This is a
great fit for the Dojangs New Year Resolution, which is
increased Quality and Focus.
We as a Dojang are looking forward to Grandmaster
Geoffs visit to see our new Dojang. We are excited to get
on the mats with him to show how we have developed
from last year as well as the opportunity to train and learn
from a Grandmaster.
- Sir Corey

I would like to share my vast Hapkido

experience with everyone, all 12
weeks of it.
I had done 4 years Karate albeit 20
years and 20 kilos ago, so I would like
to think I had a bit of an idea what
was in store for me as I bowed into the
Dojang at Parramatta and I eyed
Maam Tina for the first time. I
wondered what would this 5 foot 5
2nd Degree Black Belt with the flared
Dobok pants have in store for me at
my first class. Thankfully she took it
easy on me (or was that pity?) and I
didnt have to do all the fitness work
or bust a gut on the stuff I could do.
As long as I was doing something and
I gave it my best effort Maam was

happy with that, so for the first few

weeks I had it a bit easier than my
training partners, but after that it was
all bets are off and I had to pick the
pace up.

But with every class I do

Im slowly getting the
hang of it.
Slowly my fitness is improving as I
start to lose that excess 20 kilos and
believe me we have some nights at
Parramatta where I think I lose that
20 kilos in sweat.
But with every class I do Im slowly
getting the hang of it except for the
forward rolls, theres a bit of an issue

there. Maam has her work cut out for

her there gee, I hope she likes the
challenge. I have asked everyone at
Parramatta for their advice and most
of the people at Moorebank so watch
out Hurstville, the big man is coming
for a visit.
But as the White Belt signatures start
to accumulate I can see my next
challenge clearer and clearer which is
of course Orange Belt, but first I just
have to master these forward rolls, so
Maam, can you show me just one
more time please?
- Craig L

Christopher E Parramatta

Paul N Minnesota

Evan K Hurstville

Dion C Moorebank

Nicholas K Hurstville

Craig L Parramatta

Elizabeth K Hurstville

Theo R Moorebank

Rick N Hurstville

Buddy N Parramatta

Justin Z Hurstville

Rajeev V Moorebank

Garry A Hurstville

Reece F Hurstville

Kevin A Hurstville

Phoebe V Moorebank

Liam R Hurstville

Eric P Moorebank

Jamilee B Parramatta

Michael S Hurstville

Verbeek Y Amsterdam

Les R Moorebank

Joseph K Parramatta

Ethan A Hurstville

Geert vK Amsterdam

Jordan R Moorebank

Peeters J Amsterdam

Sarah F Parramatta

Davy V Amsterdam

Grace T Moorebank

Thomas R Amsterdam

Claire K Moorebank

Timothy I Minnesota

Shannon B Moorebank

Carol V Amsterdam

Vas K Moorebank

Jessica B Minnesota

Cassandra B Moorebank

Reyuders J Amsterdam

Kinnon H Minnesota

Kevin A Hurstville

Nicholas T Parramatta

Shannon S Minnesota

Theodora K Hurstville

Christopher T Parramatta

As I mentioned in my article on Page 4,

heres your chance to get involved with
three (3) times the Hapkido action
than you did last year.
Think about three more times (3+) or
aim for the stars, three times more
(3x)! Imagine your fun gauge
rocketing high and increasing your
action from 2009.
Here are some ideas to make it
happen, built from a theme Ive heard
from several GMs the way to get to
Black Belt is to come to the next class
(or event):

Attend 3 more classes a month;

Practice 3 more techniques

(kicks/ strikes/ self defence) after
class;

Attend the 3 Sydney Dojangs for a

class or seminar event;

Learn How To in 3 (or more)

BBC seminars during the year;

Implement 3 more Dojang rules;

Meet 3 new Hapkido family

members;

Train with 3 different students,

on your belt, another belt, and
maybe even a Black Belt (oh my,
this ones a scary idea);
Focus on the 3 most important
aspects to help you progress (ask

your Instructor for suggestions);

And the big one - train with 3 Grand
Masters during 2010 (see the 2010
Event Calendar for details).

The way to get to Black Belt

is to come to the next class
(or event)
The list could be endless and is limited
only by your imagination and your
action!
So take the challenge to get into action
now and imagine how this will help
you to obtain that Hapkido fun shot (No man, Im on the Hapkido
high).

Imagine your fun gauge

rocketing high
Keep your Hapkido enthusiasm boiling
by planning ahead (Yep, Im going to
that event next month because itll be
fun). Then springboard yourself onto
the next event! (Man, that was
great whens the next one?)
So get involved and start planning,
doing, reviewing. Take it from me that
this regular action keeps the fun gauge
high - check the calendar now for
events youll attend and make 2010
even bigger for you, and Hapkido.
- Sir Adrian

On Wednesday 9 th December,
Bayside Hapkido QLD held its first
ever Kids Grading. There were 2
Falcons and 6 Hawks grading.
The evening started with a briefing of
what is required and then kicked off
with lining up. Unfortunately the kids
managed to get their first warning for
not calling out YES SIR loud
enough. From there the whole
atmosphere changed. All the Hawks
and Falcons were focused and knew
they had a job to do.
With the adults helping hold hand
targets, the strikes and blocks were
done with ease, knowing all the kids
had practiced that week. Once the
strikes and blocks were done, it was
straight into the kicks. These where
done in class lines and then also
individually, demonstrating the best
kick possible. There were some really
impressive efforts here.
From here the rolls begun and to
make things that bit more testing, the
kids had to demonstrate a roll then a
strike, or a roll then a kick. Well here
is where the 2nd warning kicked in as
some of the hawks started to snoop
around the grading instructor notes.
This even made them step up even
more and the remaining self defence
went off brilliantly.
Well done to the new Hawk and
Falcon Orange Belts. Looking
forward to the next grading around
March/April next year.
- Sir Nathan

So you study Hapkido, isnt that like Taekwondo with some

locks?
That of course is possibly the most common misconception
about Hapkido. Of course it is not the only one. So what
exactly is Hapkido and why is it so unknown or in fact
misunderstood by most?
Hapkido is like Taekwondo in that the name is a recently
new one coming from the 1950s. It is also alike in that it
owes its lineage to different arts that have had a much
longer heritage. Beyond those similarities the comparison
ends. Hapkido is a small art in the scheme of the Martial
Arts; this lies mainly due to 2 factors; the first reason being
the lack of promotion through any form of competition or
tournament scene, and the second due to the complexity of
the art and the limitation of instructors because of this.

Hapkido loosely breaks down to

mean the Art of Coordinated
Power.
As far as its relation to the techniques of Taekwondo is
concerned both are Korean and the similarities basically
end there, the confusion stems from the Taekwondo type
kicking which many Hapkidoists have added to their skills.
Traditionally Hapkido kicking was very circular and was
always aimed at destroying a joint or similar.
Hapkido is also commonly confused with the Japanese
Aikido. Partially this is due to the name which reads the
same way in Japanese Kanji and secondly to the techniques
that are shared from a common ancestor. However, the
main differences are the large variety of strikes and kicks
in Hapkido as well as its more combat like philosophy. Pre
war Aikido was indeed more like Hapkido, however
Ueshibas change in direction for Aikido after the war
ensured that the two arts shared even less in common with
its large shift in philosophy.

[Hapkido is]...possibly the first of

what we now term the mixed or
eclectic martial arts of today.
Hapkido loosely breaks down to mean the Art of
Coordinated Power. This of course doesnt describe in any
context what the art contains, unlike say Taekwondo (Art
of Hand and Foot) or Karate Do (Art of the Empty Hand).
Hapkido is a complete art in that it has aspects that cover

Congratulations to Manuel K for his award winning

design of the 2009 AHG Sydney Christmas Card!
As winner of the Design the 2009 AHG Sydney
Christmas Card Competition, Manuel received a
month of training FREE!
Thank you to all those students who contributed
designs, and well done Manuel.

all the martial ranges. Influences from the Japanese Daito

Ryu Aiki Jujutsu brought the grappling, throwing and redirection techniques, Tae Gyeon where the traditional
kicking and striking elements were added. From that base
the art has been affected by its exposure to other arts and
through its formative years in Korea it developed into
possibly the first of what we now term the mixed or
eclectic martial arts of today.
In Korea Hapkido was always the art that was used for the
practical hands-on types, for example: the Korean Special
Forces, Korean Presidential Bodyguards and the Police. The
use of Hapkido by these groups also affected the
development of Hapkido as its focus became more finelytuned as a combat art specifically designed for Self
Defence. This was one of the processes that made the art
more adaptive and in time resulted in the large variations
found in different styles of Hapkido seen today.
Beyond the purely physical techniques Hapkido also has a
large focus on developing energy or Ki which is done
through breathing exercises and meditation. This shows
how the art stayed as a true martial art even though the
physical techniques were honed towards being more
efficient. It is quite normal for a Hapkido class to begin
with Ki breathing exercises and finish with meditation.
The philosophy of Hapkido also shows both its heritage
and focus with there being 3 principles that the art is
based on. The three principles are Circular Motion, Water
Theory and Non-Resistance to force.
Hapkido is also heavily affected by different instructors
specialities. There are forms of Hapkido which are more
striking focussed, like Taekwondo, and there are other
forms of Hapkido that are more circular movement based,
like Aikido. With many different Hapkido Masters
focussing and changing the way they express the art
comes more and more versions. This in turn adds to the
misconception it is simply another art with parts added.
The fact that the art can emulate and in many ways looks
like other arts is the principle reason for the
misconceptions. With influences from Daito Ryu Aiki
Jujutsu came the similarities to the Judo, Aikido and
Jujutsu, from Tae Gyeon and through modern kicking
came the similarities to Taekwondo. However, the
continued focus on both the Metal/Philosophical levels as
well as the physical levels has guaranteed Hapkido its own
position amongst the combat arts we can choose to study
today.
- Grandmaster Geoff

With over 200 people in attendance, the 2009 AHG Sydney Christmas Party was
a huge success!
There were prizes and competitions, speeches, a weapons auction, not to
mention great company and great food.
The promo of the new How To Hapkido DVDs had everyone cheering wildly
for an encore screening on the big screens. And a special surprise was that the
DVDs were handed out of a Christmas Stocking by Grandmaster Geoff to all
those students who had pre-ordered them.

My Hapkido journey began in early

February 2009, undoubtedly making it
one of the memorable years of my life.
It was my mothers suggestion that got
me hooked into martial arts, for I was
unfit and lazy. Sports and I never really
got along well. The longest I had lasted
in any was a week, maybe two. I could
not seem to find that spark of
excitement in any sport or training.
Interestingly, the plan to join
Hapkido did not really create any
doubts of quitting within me, whilst
others sports always had. To my
surprise, this time it was definitely not
the same. The day I entered the
Dojang, I knew there was something
about that place that captivated me.
Ever since then, every time I enter the
Dojang I feel my best, regardless of the
long, tiring and troubling day. The fact
that training helps block the negative
thoughts makes it even more special.

Of course the Christmas Party could not be complete without the presentation of
the AHG Sydney Spirit Awards to the winners. Congratulations to the following
winners on an outstanding achievement:
DSD

CSD

CMA

Best Technique:
Callum J (Adults)
Anmol S (Falcons)
Caitlin H (Hawks)

Best Technique:
Nick P (Adults)
Jacob D (Falcons)
Joshua P (Hawks)

Best Technique:
Henry Y (Adults)
Jessica P (Falcons)
Joshua K (Hawks)

Best Attitude:
Laura J (Adults)
Tayla W (Falcons)
Alankar G (Hawks)

Best Attitude:
Mira K (Adults)
Luke D (Falcons)
Jesse R (Hawks)

Best Attitude:
Daniel S (Adults)
Zeinab E-C (Falcons)
Flora L (Hawks)

Best Effort:
Adam M (Adults)
Hannah R (Falcons)
Rochel W (Hawks)

Best Effort:
Ros B (Adults)
Daniel K (Falcons)
Cory S (Hawks)

Best Effort:
Grahame H (Adults)
Alex I (Falcons)
Savva A (Hawks)

Best & Fairest:

Neelab O (Adults)

Best & Fairest:

Dylan V (Adults)

Best & Fairest:

Jacob B (Adults)

Did You Know?

That as an Orange Belt or above you are eligible to
join Black Belt Club (BBC)? Being a member of
BBC means lifetime access to BBC seminars for
free, discounts on merchandise and no grading
fees (CSD only). And best of all BBC membership
can be paid by instalments. Dont delay, join today!

Being away from the mats due to an

injury has made me realise that
training in Hapkido is not only a part
of my routine, but has become a
major part of me, of who I am. I have
become so dedicated to it that there has
not been a day that passes by where I
do not wish that I am able to put my
uniform on and step on the mats.

Hapkido... has become a major

part of me, of who I am.
I think it is important to be mentally
hooked into something to be able to go
further, because we not only need
physical fuel, but also need mental fuel
to stay devoted and on the warrior
path.
- Neelab O

Last 2009 was a significant year for the

students of St George Hapkido
Academy. Sir Hassan had made the hard
decision to step down as their Chief
Instructor and go back to being a full-time
student.
Sir Hassan, had spent three years
helping grow the Hurstville
Dojang to what it is today. He
relocated the Dojang from its old
location to Barratt St and with the
help from a few senior students, he
created a new home for the
Hurstville students.
After three years of juggling with a
day care centre, his wife and two
children
he
found that he no
longer had any
time to train in
the Art he loved
so
much.
Coupled with his
desire to earn his
4th Degree, he
made the humble
decision to step
down
as
an
Instructor and go
back to student.
So the question
left to answer
was "Who will be
the next Instructor? At that same time, Sir
Jimmy was in the planning stages of
opening up a new Dojang under the AHG.
Knowing this, Grandmaster Geoff had
offered the position to Sir Jimmy. It was a
perfect match; Sir Hassan needed a new
Instructor and Sir Jimmy needed a new
Dojang. Sir Jimmys commitment to his
new position lead him to moving part-time

at his current job to ensure Hurstville

becomes his top priority.
As the changeover was imminent, Sir
Jimmy had decided to rebrand the
Dojang as Concept Martial Arts and give
it a much-needed facelift. Brett Watt
(a Green-belt from Moorebank) had
kindly volunteered his services to
assist with the cosmetic changes.
Within three days, the floorboards
were laid, the change-rooms had a
drastic restructure, an addition of a
new bag and knife rack, a feature
wall for the front counter was
painted and a fresh coat of paint was
placed on the walls. Brett Watt certainly
d i d
n o t
disappoint.
With the Dojang
rejuvenated and
rebranded,
the
official reopening
was celebrated
on the 29th of
November with
an
amazing
seminar held by
Grandmaster
Geoff and over
50
students
attending.
So what does the
future look like
for Concept Martial Arts? Well with a
strong heritage of over 10 years, the guide
and support from the other Dojangs, and a
new captain at the helm, the Hurstville
crew will brave new waters and venture
into new land. So watch this space for
some amazing stories.
- Sir Jimmy

Out now on DVD, the new IHA

Hapkido How To DVDs.
Covering the IHA Syllabus from
White Belt through to Black Belt,
the new DVD series is now
bigger and better than ever and a
must for any student serious
about their training.
Yours to own for only $215. Buy
your copy today!

Welcome to 2010 fellow

Hapkidoists! A new decade
and what better way to work
off the unwanted Christmas
podge than to sweat it out by
pushing yourselves to your
limits.
This year for me will see me
reach Blue Belt
(work
permitting). It will also be
about managing my work/
life priorities. I rate Hapkido
in a category of its own
Why? Here are a couple of
reasons;
1. Before training I get a bit
excited about what is going
to be covered in class. There
is always something different
to do even when you
attend 3 days a week. I get to
meet with the people I train
with and I can see that most,
if not all of them, feel the
same as I do.
2. During class My mind is
totally and completely on
training and not focusing on
anything else. Hapkido has
the ability to isolate work and
social adversity, roll it into a
b u n d l e a nd e j e c t it
somewhere into the ether.
3. After class I feel as
though my body is
thoroughly exhausted and
my mind has been refreshed.
My thoughts are now clear
and Im able to go to bed at
night and get to sleep
instantly (a rare occurrence
for me).
I wish everyone the best for
2010, and hope all your
Hapkido goals for this year
are met.
- Adam M

Hit or Myth:
Hapkido is like
Aikido but with
strikes.

Thank you to everyone who

contributed to Issue 5 of The
Hapkido Scrolls.

Dont miss the Weekend of Masters on 6 & 7 March 2010.

Contributors:

Your chance to train with 5 Masters with a combined total of over 200 years of
Martial Arts experience.

Grandmaster Geoff
Maam Tina, AHG Parramatta
Sir Corey, IHA Hutchinson USA
Sir Adrian, AHG Moorebank
Craig L, AHG Parramatta
Jeremy B, AHG Parramatta
Sir Jimmy, AHG Hurstville
Neelab O, AHG Parramatta
Sir Tapio, IHA Helsinki Finland
Adam M, AHG Parramatta
Sir Nathan, AHG Brisbane

With Masters in Aikido, BJJ, Hapkido, Kungfu and Kickboxing, this weekend will be
a great opportunity to learn from some of the best practitioners in their dedicated
arts.
5 times the Masters, 5 times the fun, and 5 times the learning.
Weekend seminar costs $60 per day or $105 for both days!
Or pay by 15 February 2010 to get the Early Bird Special Price of $95 for the entire
weekend!

Happy Birthday to the AHG

which turned 17 on 19
January
2010
and
congratulations
to
Grandmaster Geoff who had
the vision 17 years ago to
create the highest quality
Hapkido organisation in
Australia. To celebrate, a
special seminar style class
was held at Moorebank on
18 January 2010.

Dojang: 4/1 Field Close

Moorebank, NSW
Australia
hapkido.com.au
Parramatta
dynamicselfdefence.com.au
Hurstville
conceptmartialarts.com.au
Croydon
powerhapkido.com.au

13 February 2010 - AHG Sydney Adults Grading @ Parramatta

27 February 2010 - AHG Sydney Pre-Test
6 & 7 March 2010 - The Weekend of Masters
27 March 2010 - BBC Seminar How To Strike!
11 April 2010 - AHG Sydney Adults Grading @ Hurstville
22 May 2010 - AHG Sydney Pre-Test

For more information on upcoming Hapkido Events go to

hapkido.com.au/forum and click on Event Calendar

Wagga Wagga
Bayside

Do, or do not, there is

no try. - Yoda
Finland
Netherlands
America

Contributions for The Hapkido Scrolls

are always welcome!
If you would like to write an article or if
you have something you would like to
share with fellow students eg: a martial
arts related cartoon or joke, please send
to hapkido@dojang.com.au