Attributes

Attributes of Hapkido

If the Three Principles are the “themes” for Hapkido the attributes are the basic forces to be used, influenced and manipulated to accomplish a goal. Certainly a good Hapkido practitioner can be technically proficient simply by virtue of competently replicating the same technique as done by his teacher under a given circumstance. In such cases what is forgotten is that the technique is but one way that has been identified for manipulating or influencing a select group of variables in order to produce a result. Depending on the teacher, the organization and the intention of a particular Hapkido group these variables or “attributes” can be as few as 3 or four or as many as fifteen or 20. In the Yon Mu Kwan approach to Hapkido we regularly identify seven attributes which are those qualities and influences good training will allow us to maintain for ourselves. At the same time we also seek to disrupt these same qualities and influences in our partner. These are the “counter-attributes” and are the alternate side of each attribute in that while we work to maintain the attribute in our self, we are simultaneously striving to disrupt this same quality in our partner.