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Dojunim Ji Han Jae says, "I do not care about money. My name is the most important. If you learn techniques properly, my name is good. If bad, my name is bad." The meditation techniques Dojunim is teaching are thousands of years old, handed down by word of mouth. The book that is the foundation of Dojunim's practice is seven thousand years old. the knowledge is priceless. He is passing it on to you.
Sin Moo Hapkido: Sin Moo is a way of life. Sin Moo Hapkido may be translated as" the fighting art of the gods", Hapkido is the physical half of the martial art, while Sin Moo is the spiritual half. Physical training begins with Hapkido and at the higher level surpasses any physical limitations through Sin Moo. There are three aspects of the whole: physical, mental, and spiritual. The well being of each one of these; the body, the mind, and the soul-guarantees a strong and healthy existence. Conversely, any illness in even on one of these elements weakens the whole and detracts from the other components as well. Sin Moo Hapkido is a method of meditation focused on the development of mind and body through the maximization of "Ki" power. Sinmoo draws from Buddhism (Mind), Confucianism (Body) and Zen (Spirit) training. Through Buddhism moral training the practitioner seeks the clean mind techniques; were the network of feelings controlled by your mind are balance in good and bad feelings. From Confucianism training we focus on doing nothing in excess. We are governed by the sense of touch and so Confucianism is associated with the body. Through Zen we learn to practice long steady deep controlled breathing. We build "Ki" power development through these techniques. Zen is also connected with the senses,Thus; we maximize the experience of our world through our senses. Much of the Philosophy of Sinmoo Hapkido comes from what Dojunim Ji learned from Master Lee and Grandma. Long hours were spent training, meditating, but mostly in conversation. He was trained in what he calls Samrangdo. In the Pakchae Kingdom, it was the counterpart to the Hwarangdo in the Silla Dynasty. It was based off of the teachings of Dan gun, the founder of Korea. The ancient text, Samilsingo is from the teachings of Dan gun. Samilsingo means something to the effect of "Three-Makes-One Mind Techniques." It involves combining the three parts within each of us; the spirit, the mind, and the body, into one complete self. The Nine Rules of Sinmoo are based off of this concept as are of the meditation techniques. Only by working on all three aspects of our self, can we realize our true potential.
The Basic Principles of Hapkido: Hapkido can be broken down into three philosophical words "Hap - together or harmony," "Ki - power," "Do - the way." HapKiDo can be translated as the way of co-ordinated power, or the way of strength and Harmony. Still the literal the translation dose not encompass the true meaning of Hapkido which is the art of combining the power of our mind, body and spirit. Hapkido’s goal is to attain mutual life, not killing. To subdue the enemy and let him go is Hwa (harmony), Won means to move in a circular motion; Yu means to flow like water thus you must feel the strength and weaknesses of the opponent to blend in with his aggression and subdue him. Base on this 3 principles, you can strike vital points, lock the joints or throw the opponent. Only whe you have master the 3 principles of hapkido Sun the peak of mental discipline, can be achived.
Moral Tenants of Hapkido: Confucius moral training give great impetus to education and learning, and the study of rules of right conduct with a view to their practical application. According to Confucius teachings’, man’s primary end is to know and make the most of himself as a member of Society. Confucius taught his disciples and followers principles of good life and social harmony. Confucius laid great stress on the cultivation of character, purity of heart and conduct. He exhorted his followers to develop a good character first, which is a priceless jewel and the best of all virtues. Hapkido’s moral tenants derive directly from Confucius teachings. The 3 Tenants of hapkido are; a) Righteousness: also referred to as rectitude. The hakidoist is a man/woman of principles. A moral fair and just individual. b) Courtesy: The hapkidoist is a considerate, cooperative, and generous person. c) Patience: The hapkidoist seeks to achieve a state of endurance under difficult circumstances. Striving to always persevere in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset. Seeking to exhibit forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties.
 Three Laws of Sin Moo: The three laws of Sin Moo are intended to make the body and mind strong by controlling the self. This can be achieved by learning to; 1) Stop feeling, calm down, and relax. This is Buddhist clean mind or empty mind techniques (“Mushin”). 2) Long breathing, this empties the mind. And 3) Stop the senses. This makes the Body strong. When you are able to follow all three - stop the emotions, slow down the breath and stop the senses then you can make strong mind power for meditation and develop internal "Ki" power. This is the key point to control all three areas of the self in combat. Once you learn to control your “Ki” you will be on your way toward developing the power to open the “Third Eye”. Sin Moo Hapkido draws upon Buddhism, Zen and Confucianism. Whenever we think of our meditation we should think of each of these practices and how they are united into a larger whole. Each practice has six basic precepts. When combined they form eighteen. Each practice has a different emphasis. Buddhism focuses on moral training and is associated with the mind. Zen focuses on breathing and is associated with the spirit. Confucianism emphasizes feelings/sense of touch and so focuses on the body. Sin Moo means the mind, body and spirit united. Through the uniting of mind, body and spirit we maximize our ki. If we develop only one area, we are weakened. Dojunim says, "For meditation, in Korea, people go to the temple to learn. But I teach you exactly. The whole meaning of my book is in what I teach today. When trying to understand these concepts think of the whole meaning, the larger concept. Combine the philosophies of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Zen into one. Then you will understand the whole meaning. Combine feeling, breathing and touching into one whole. See how the concepts relate. Then you will see the whole meaning. Three is one, one is three. This is the pure and exact meaning of Sin Moo. Once you understand and live these tenets, you can study Sin Moo Hapkido - or any other martial arts - efficiently and learn control effectively." Rules for Being Human:
1. You will receive a body. You will like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period you're around. 2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid. 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work". 4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson. 5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned. 6."There" is no better then "here". When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will, again, look better than "here". 7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself. 8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours 9. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
THREE IS ONE, ONE IS THREE  I. The Body: Food Control, Sex Control, Proper Meditation. In today's world wealth is measured in dollars, euros, yen, gold, and stocks. All of these are superficial and can be taken away in a heartbeat. True wealth comes from health and the first part of health is the physical body. f you work to maintain a healthy body you will always be able to work to attain those things which you need in order to survive. Confucius Moral Training teaches doing nothing in excess. We are governed by the sense of touch, and so Confucianism is associated with the body. Following the path leads to a healthy body. There are six elements that should not "touch" the body. Associated with the ears is cunning. Do not listen to cunning, sly deceiving words. These words touch the ears. Do not flatter or listen to flattery. Flattery is associated with the eyes. When people are flattering you their eyes sparkle, the forehead wrinkles, and the eyes shine. Flattery touches your eyes. Fishiness is associated with the nose. It is the sense that something is "fishy" or untrue. It is a sickening rotten disgusting smell like blood. Do not let this fishiness touch your nose. The fourth sense is associated with the mouth. Never let excessive cold touch your mouth. The fifth sense of touch is sex or making love. Dojunim says that everyone makes love. Zen People, Buddhists, Confucians. But do not get too excited or the touching and bond between the two people is not right. To have to strong of feelings, like debauchery, lechery, and lewdness is not good. These feelings are emitted through the skin. The bad feelings, this negative sex, lead to epidemics. Wrong sex can lead to personal problems, sickness like Aids and syphilis. The sixth sense organ is the skin. It is important to work out properly. To get cut, to bleed, to get an infection when you are working or practicing is not the proper way to work. Avoid this.
Causes of Five Major Organ Illnesses: When one's disposition is constantly cheerful and optimistic, one will not suffer from illnesses such as depression, insomnia, gastro-intestinal disorders, high blood pressure, and myocardial infarctions. Mental well being means physical well-being.
- Liver Disease is caused by short temper. Their short tempers, swift frustrations, and dour expressions easily identify people with liver problems.
- Heart Problems are perpetuated by excessive excitement and prolonged emotional highs.
- Gastro-Intestinal Disorders stem from intense emotional agony.
- Lung illnesses are brought about by overt anxiety.
- Kidney Diseases are a result of insecurity and fearfulness.
Seang-Ni-Hak (Physiology); the Human brain is connected thought out the body though a series of neural dendrites or or neural receptors. This complex system spreads throughout the body sending sensorial messages to the brain of all external stimuli as well as internal stimuli that the individual experiences. To use this as a weapon Hapkidoist learn to identify vulnerable and expose areas were this neural receptors are expose to the touch. Meom (Body); Human body pressure points; as part of Hapkido training the practitioner learns all the anatomical soft spots of the body to inflict maximum effect in all and every applied blow or technique. This knowledge can also be use to heal since they are the same concepts used in ancient Chinese healing arts such as Acupressure and Acupuncture.
II. The Mind: Anger Restraint, Greif Management, Control Ones Greed. There are three major sources of harm: poisons or toxins, external forces or trauma, and the mind. y far, the mind can be the most damaging. A weak mind relinquishes control of the body and leads to accidents. When the mind is weak, the body is weak. Reaction times are slower, coordination is compromised, and the chance for mishaps is drastically increased. Emotions are the source of the mind's strength and weakness and our response to emotions and events is within our control. Why waste time and energy on destructive emotions? The Buddhist Clean Mind (No Mind – Mushin) techniques one must strive to balance good and bad feelings. Balance the six feelings (happiness, anger, fear, sadness, greed and laziness). The network of feeling is controlled by the brain. There are three steps to pure knowledge though this path. To understand, to look and search and to know. And there are three stops in the act of distinguishing. To move with one’s mind, to procrastinate (hesitate or pause) and to make up your mind. Shim-Ni-Hak (Psychology) For a hapkidoist his strongest weapon is his mind. Through physical and mental training the hapkidoist learns to detach from ego driven responses that often clouds an individual’s judgment when confronted with an altercation. The hapkidoist learns to understand and control the body's primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares us to "fight" or "flee" from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival Known as the "fight or flight response". Hapkido as a mean of self defense start well before any physical confrontation, Self-defense starts with self-awareness and awareness of one’s surroundings. To avoid putting ourselves in situations that would require an aggressive response. The hapkidoist learns to neutralize a situation before it even starts. For the hapkidoist the least acceptable method of self-defense is to engage in physical confrontation. The hapkidoist learns to understand the psychology of aggression and fighting in order to be able to establish a response in such flexible way that can be implemented and transformed in response to the developing confrontation. Controlling One's Emotions: Be mindful of these emotional stresses and you will maintain strong and healthy internal organs.
1. One may obtain luck from simplicity, and virtue from humbleness. 2. Understanding comes when one is calm. 3. Anxiety comes from passion. 4. Misfortune comes from worldliness. 5. Mistakes come from recklessness. 6. Sin comes from impatience. 7. Eyes: Be cautious not to look at one's evil doing. 8. Lips: Choose your words carefully, and do not speak untruthfully. Speak only the truth, kindly and softly. 9. Self: Do not keep company with untrue people, rather, be close to people who are compassionate and kind. 10. Respect your elders. 11. Honor virtuous character. 12. Choose wise, intelligent men as leaders. 13. Forgive wisely those who are ignorant and undereducated. 14. Do not refuse that which comes to you and do not hold things that leave you. 15. Do not expect to be treated like you are better than others. 16. Do not hold a grudge about that which is already done. 17. When one hurts another, one hurts one's self. 18. When you depend on someone else's influence, you will meet with misfortune. 19. Control your temper with mild emotion. 20. Evil is conquered by good deeds. 21. By always giving, one controls selfishness. 22. Truth will master hypocrisy. 23. "Dear students deeply understand these words and be true, wise, and strong martial artists."
III. THE SPIRITUAL SOUL: Sunshine Control, Water Control, Air Control. According to Dojunim, three God-given things are free in this world. They are water, air, and sunshine. Most places of worship contain bowls of water, incense to represent and feel the air, and candles for light in place of sunshine. These three elements are essential for survival and used to strengthen and charge the spirit. The spirit is universal and timeless and is therefore not confined to this life. If the spirit is strong, it is protective and clears the path. If the spirit is weak, the mind and body cannot reach their full potential, and problems will no doubt arise.
Zen is the practice of long breathing. It controls the lungs. There are six phases in long breathing. In taking in breath and inhaling, you pull in the breath, settle your breath and then exhale and expel. In the exhalation there is the cycle, moving out or back, and pushing to the side or clearing away. If you breathe properly, keep your emotions at peace, control your physical sensations than you can develop your Ki properly in meditation. It is important to know how to control and move your Ki. Zen is the path of controlling the emotions. This practice governs the bone marrow, making the Body strong. It also has six phases. In delivering the Ki you receive Ki, place it and then relocate and send Ki. Then you distribute the Ki by moving it up, sending it out and having it reach its final destination. Sending and delivering are two different things but yet the same thing. When you breathe in there is weight. Ki has no weight. The three laws have effect on how you send Ki. Sky is taking in air, ground is exhaling. If you know how to distinguish as Sky (breathing in) and ground/earth (exhaling), between good and bad emotions, balance the senses then you can use Ki Power to the maximum and benefit the most from these teachings. The workings of the Sky are pulling the air in and settling the air (inhaling). The workings if the ground/earth are the cycle of twisting and turning, pushing out and finding the path or searching (exhaling). Spirit control head (Sky) and Body (Earth), human controls the Body.
DEVELOPING THE THREE MASTERING THE ONE  Nine Rules of Sin Moo Hapkido: Sin Moo Hapkido, at its foundation, has nine rules as a guide to live by. These rules were developed by Doju Ji, Han-jae as instructions to allow your body to reach its full potential. The rules are broken up into three sections. Three rules deal with the physical body, three rules deal with the mental mind, and three rules focus on the spiritual soul. These rules are designed to help each of these parts of yourself reach their full potential. There are 3 types of power - mental, Body and medical. Mental Power controlled by the third eye is the most powerful. Body Power in the form of adrenaline (you Ki) is next. And last is the Power provided by medicine. So remember, your mind can be your most powerful weapon.
1) Food Control: eat well; do not eat food that inhibits the Ki’s full potential. Do not eat pork because it restricts the heart and circulation, Poultry reduces the oxygen intake of the lungs and slows the body’s natural healing process. Scale-less fish (e.g. Calamari, octopus, eel, shark) suppress the detoxification properties of the liver. Too much peppery, spicy food cause stomach uclers, while overdoing salt destroys the kidney’s filtering abilities. Do not drink alcohol as it kills brain cells. All these items are poisonous foods that harm the internal organs, thereby inhibiting the production of the adrenaline hormone in the Body (adrenaline gives us superpower, helps healing/stops pain & opens the third eye). Adrenaline is your physical Ki, and it is blocked by the harmful influence of these foods on your Body. If even one of your major internal organs is ill, it affects the other organs and weakens them considerably.
Foods that inhibit KI's full potential; eat well. Do not eat pork because it restricts the heart circulation. Poultry reduces the oxygen intake of the lungs, and slows the body's natural healing process (web-footed birds like the duck are all right to eat; it is the open-clawed birds that are unhealthy.) Fish without scales (e.g. calamari, octopus, eel and shark) suppress the detoxification properties of the liver. Too much peppery, spicy food causes stomach ulcers, while overdoing salt destroys the kidney's filtering abilities. Do not drink alcohol as it kills brain cells. All these items are poisonous foods that harm the internal organs, thereby inhibiting the production of adrenaline hormones in the body. Adrenaline is your physical KI and it is blocked by the harmful influence of these foods on your body. If even one of your major internal organs is ill, it affects the other organs and weakens them considerably.
2) Healthy Sex: do not misunderstand! A man rejuvenates his energy and a women enhances her countenance through the act of making love. However, ejaculating too often saps a man’s strength and may weaken him to the point of Death. A woman, on the other hand, benefits each time she orgasms. Breathing through the nose, with the mouth closed, helps a man retain his energy and control his climax. To create woman, God removed man’s left rib. Man lost not only his rib, but part of his strength as well. He may recover this lost Power only from a woman during the act of making love.
3) Beneficial Meditation: Slow, controlled breathing lengthens life. Breathe only through the nose, with the mouth closed, and use the stomach to move the diaphragm - not the chest or shoulders. Inhale deep and long, allowing the nasal passages to warm the air as it enters the lungs.The normal breathing cycle lasts 6 seconds (3 seconds to inhale and 3 seconds to exhale). Learn to inhale for at least 8 seconds, retain the breath for another 8 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Your breathing cycle will be 3 times longer than normal, and you will live longer. Close your mouth, bite down and make the "mmm" sound, feeling the vibration in your molars. This action "opens the gate" and initiates secretion of the adrenaline hormone. Hot or cold water damages the molars, and prevents the production of adrenaline.
Proper meditation; With numerous breathing and meditation exercises, Sin Moo Hapkido shifts the focus from the multitude of external kicking and joint locking techniques for which Hapkido is known, and places it on internal training and ki development. Danjun Breathing (DJB) is the first technique taught by Grandmaster Ji Han-Jae in the art of Sin Moo Hapkido. Slow, controlled breathing lengthens life, breath only through the nose, with the mouth closed, and use the stomach to move the diaphragm-not the chest or shoulders. Inhale deep and long, allowing the nasal passages nasal to warm the air as it enters the lungs. The normal breathing cycle lasts 6 seconds (3 seconds to inhale and 3 seconds to exhale) Learn to inhale for at least 8 seconds, retain the breath for another 8 seconds. Your breathing cycle will be 3 times longer than normal, and you will live longer. The legendary white crane lives 1000 while a dog lives a mere decade. Why? The white crane takes in 6 months to exhale- one breath each year! However, a dog pants quickly with his mouth open and tongue hanging out.
There are three times of day that Grandmaster Ji recommends practicing DJB regularly. Before sunrise, noon when the sun is highest, and sunset are all important energy times of day that are perfect for mobilizing ki within your body. In correlation with the time of day, it is important to have the sun to your back while practicing DJB, especially when practicing outdoors. The back side of the body is the Yang side, and while our back is toward the sun, our "body becomes charged" in much the same way a solar panel becomes charged by the sun. The opposite effect happens when you face your front, or Yin side of the body, toward the sun. This will tend to sap your strength and the benefits of DJB will not occur. Dojunim says that when meditation is done properly, many good questions will come up. If you have no questions, then you are not doing it properly. For martial arts training, moving ki can increase strength and power in given techniques. Ki can help muscles work more effectively to form protective barrier against strikes as well as to move to areas of injury to help facilitate healing. in everyday life, proper ki movement helps control respiration and digestive functions, which can help one relax, make better use of oxygen intake, and assist in proper food digestion. There are different roads you can push your Ki through to do different techniques. There is control of the Ki for throwing, for killing, for proper practice of martial arts.
4) Do Not Be Angry: The face turns red and the circulation increases tremdemndously when you are angry. The heart works overtime, and this leads to heart attacks. How do you reconcile traumatic accidents ? Think of it as repayment of dept from previous life. Perhaps you borrowed money from someone. and they reclaim it in this life by stealing it from you. 5) Do Not Be Sad: Excessive sadness weakens the brain to the point of insanity and eventually Death. How should you prevent despair ? Realise that your fate has been fulfilled, and it is time to continue. You cannot avoid that which comes to you, not hold on to that which leaves you. 6) Do Not Be Greedy: Greed is the root of a thousand sicknesses. it taints everything and harms all areas of the Body. When you die, only your soul goes with you; your Spirit is the only thing that really belongs to you. You leave behind the Body that you’ve used as well as any material possessions. The earth is God’s garden, and everything is on loan to us. The only thing of yours that you leave behind is your name. Your name may be good, bad or ordinary. An ordinary name is remembered for a few years by those that were close to the person, and then forgotten. Good names are remembered with pride for a long time while bad names retain their infamy indefinitely. 7) Water: Drink the right amount of water at the right temperature. Too much as well as too little water causes Death. Do not drink water that is too cold nor too hot, do not let it touch the molars. The teeth trigger production of the adrenaline hormone causing vibration to the Middle brain. Once stimulated in this way, the Middle brain begins manufacturing adrenaline. Close your mouth, bite down and make the "mmm" sound, feeling the vibration in your molars. This action "opens the gate" and initiates secretion of the adrenaline hormone. Hot or cold water damages the molars, and prevents the production of adrenaline. 8) Air: Too much air (pure oxygen) or too little air leads to Death. Breathe in and out only through the nose. Take slow deep breaths so the air is neither cold nor hot as it enters and leaves the lungs. Use the stomach to control and deepen breathing. Exercise and use the lungs fully to enhance circulation and provide sufficient oxygen to the blood. The legendary white crane lives 1000 years while a dog lives a mere decade. Why? The white crane takes 6 months to inhale and 6 months to exhale - one breath each year! However, a dog pants quickly with his mouth open and tongue hanging out. 9) Sunshine: Excessive amounts of sun as well as not enough sunshine brings Death. Getting the right amount of sunshine is like charging a battery; learn to keep yourself highly charged. Meditate with the sun behind you: face west in the morning, turn towards the north at noon, and look to the east in the evening and at night when there is no sun. Without sunlight we cannot see. If something happens too quickly or too slowly, our physical eyes cannot perceive it. However, the mind’s eye is timeless; you can learn to "slow time down". In the martial arts, this perception can be used to react in what seems like lightning speed to an opponent’s attack.
Guidelines to Follow: In the last few years Doju Ji, Han Jae has been emphasizing the elements of Sinmoo Hapkido that help the mind and spirit. The following are recommendations to help maximize your Ki Power Development and your Sin Moo training. They are left for you to research as they are new for all of us. Sin Moo Hapkido is not simply a martial art, but rather a way of life. Follow these 9 Rules of the Body, mind and soul, and help people, teach them. 1. Too much watching Television or Sitting at the computer dries out the blood. 2. Too much sleep diminishes your Ki. 3. Sitting for a lengthy period of time creates muscle damage. 4. Walking for a lengthy period of time creates tendon damage. 5. Standing for a lengthy period of time creates bone damage. 6. Do not talk too much; Good names are Jesus Christ, Buddha, Confucius, George Washington, etc. Bad names such as Hitler, Napoleon, Al Capone. How do you make a good name for yourself ? 7. Do not sleep too much. 8. Do not eat too much.
Philosophy of The Element  Earth: The essence of earth is found in the solid foundation of Hapkido and its strategy. To achieve strategy the hapkidoist needs to” Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground. From one thing, know ten thousand things. When you attain the Way of strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see.” The core principle in strategy is timing. The hapkidoist most be able to adapt strategy to timing with skill, thus developing a heightened realization of when to attack and when not to attack. Water: Water is the spirit of Hapkido. The essence of water is found on fluidity, adaptation, and malleability. Just like water “The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind.” Water is about Hapkido’s understanding of the human dynamics of change. “Each man belongs to a style which claims to possess truth to the exclusion of all other styles. These styles become institutes with their explanations of the “Way (Do),” dissecting and isolating the harmony and natural flow, thus; bypassing the purpose of Hapkido and creating “flowery, artificial and ritualistically practices.” Water demonstrates natural flexibility as it changes to conform to the boundaries which contain it, seeking the most efficient and productive path. So also should one possess the ability to change in accordance with one’s own situation to easily shift between disciplines, methods and options when presented with new information. A person should master many aspects of life allowing them to possess both balance and flexibility.Through the spirit of water we learn that a fluid spirit that can defeat one man is the same as that which defeats ten million men”. We also learn that spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Wind: The essence of wind is about understanding your opponent’s strategy and other schools martial traditions. “In the long history of martial arts, the instinct to follow and imitate seems to be inherent in most martial artists, instructors and students alike.” Within So won Sool Hapkido the intention is for the master to teach you his way in order for you to male your own way. “Real combat is not fixed and is very much ‘alive’, the fancy mess created by ritualizing fighting, is nothing but a blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of practicing routines or stunts that lead nowhere.” The best way to defeat your opponent is to understand the opponents strategy. Fire: The essence of Fire is about fighting and Hapkido’s fighting spirit. The essence of fire is its fierceness weather the fire is small of big. Hapkido achieves’ the essence of fire through the way of” no mind or no-mindness”. Through this state the hapkidoist mind becomes free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat and everyday life. There is an absence of discursive thought and judgment, thus; freeing the hapkidoist to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. The Void: The essence of void is the way of no way and the path of no path; acquiring the principles by not acquiring the principle. “The essence of void is the incessant acquisition of knowledge and understanding, always remembering that all knowledge ultimately means self knowledge. “To be a true martial artist means to be an artist of life.” Void refers to understanding nature, its fluidity and firmness, its gentleness, and its roughness, most importantly understanding the rhythm of nature in order to overcome ones opponent in a natural manner.
Inner Power and Intention Meditation 健 祥 康 Health Happiness Peace Power | Energy | Harmony | Healing | Intuition | Awareness | Dimension | Creation | Absolute |
The meditation of inner power and intention is is a form of meditation practice that belongs to the Mikkyo Buddhist tradition. It consists of the verbal and physical manifestation of one’s intent over one’s reality. This is accomplished by projecting physically and verbally nine symbols, which represent the energy chakras of the body. Once activated these energies can empower a thought in order for it to interact with one’s reality and adapt that reality to obtain the desire effects. This practice involves the combination of many tools to focus all of the practitioner’s attention: hand gesture, spoken words, mental visualization, philosophic contemplation, focus points on the body. The main symbols used in this meditation are, health, happiness and peace. The meditation relies on our KI energy or the energy that derives from our nervous system in order to use physical, mental, and spiritual strength to charge our inner Chakras. It also uses concepts of elemental philosophy to enhance our inner strength our connection to the matrix of the universe. This meditation helps the development of the body, the mind and the spirit. It is believed to help enhance the nervous system, the endocrine system and the energy channels of the body (chakras). It also enhances one’s mental abilities, comprehension, focus and attention. Further it improves one’s quickness of body and mind. At its most advance level of practice this discipline is believed to help with physical, psychological and emotional healing, in addition to influencing the flow of events in one’s life. This practice is not by any means sorcery, or some form of magical power. It is simply an analogical form of conscious self-empowerment through symbolism. The symbols are a series of grids composed of horizontal and vertical slashes. The grid is empowered by the person’s conscious mind. Once activated the grid becomes a representation of our natural world. Through the grid our intent is summon as emotional energy in order to elicit positive change in our environment. This practice follow a simple, yet elusive principle; positive thoughts, produces positive outcomes. This practice requires a state of respect, compassion and devotion to the self and to our natural universe.
Definitions of Terms
Sin" (Shen, Shin); Mind or as in the case of Hapkido higher mind, spirit, or sometimes translated as God. The concept of Sin in the system is basically placing a stronger emphasis on the non-physical aspects of martial arts; thus focusing on perfection, personal and spiritual growth, making yourself a better person, and not simply self defense or fighting.
Moo (Mu, Wu): refers to the military concepts or martial art concepts that drive the system.
Hap: Translates in our system as together or to bring together. This means bringing together all parts of a person; mind, body, and spirit. In the same context of the Samilsingo; “three making one”.
Ki (Qi): or Energy. This is another complicated concept that does not have a direct English translation. One of the more common translations is simply Mind and Body, but this is oversimplifying the concept. In Sin moo Hapkido, Ki, in this instance has to do with the Mind, Body, and Spirit and the three aspects that make up a complete person.
Do: translates to the Way or a way of life. Sinmoo Hapkido is not simply a group of techniques that are used for self defense. The philosophy and rules that serve as the foundation of Sinmoo Hapkido make it a way of life that will permeate everything that a practitioner does; ie. Diet, Meditation, Exercise, Sex, etc. Sin moo Hapkido touches on all aspects of life and is not just something that a person can practice once or twice a week.
Hwa: principle of harmony and non resistance, using the opponent’s energy and momentum to your advantage.
Won: the principle of the circle, all movements are round. The Hapkido fighter moves as inside a ball. Influencing forces are rerouted from the outside and neutralized at the surface of the "ball".
Yu: suppleness, flexibility or agility. The principle of the river; as the river, which adapts extremely flexibly to the landscape and nevertheless in the moment the buildup develops an enormous strength, the Hapkidoka also sensitively reacts to his opponent, in order to let his pent-up "Ki" flow by the technique into the opponent in the crucial moment.
Sun: the peak of mental discipline and culture is called sun (serenity in a clear and peaceful state of mind). Sun can be obtained through Chung (tranquility of the mind). In Hapkido, through physical movement, one can achieve Chung. Thus, through physical movement, one can obtain sun. In other words, one can maintain a calm and concentrated mental state during the vigorous physical movement of Hapkido.
 Symbols and Characters  This is the original Hapkido Symbol. The circle signifies the universe, inside the universe is man. The angles intersecting the circle on both sides represent man's thumb and finger, indicating his action in his world, his ability to attack and defend, to be soft or hard. The intersecting angles also represent Ki (power, energy) and Uom & Yeang (opposites), they show that changes are constant in our world and that the balance between opposites produces harmony.
The original Hapkido symbol shows two hands with a stretched "ki finger" within a circle. The circle is represents the universe. Within the universe man exists; the shapes of the hands represent the action of man (capability to attack, to defend, to be hard or soft). The hands are shown in the opposite way (Uom & Yeang). The opposite way of the hands represent man’s existence in Ki, which means that we have to deal with constant changes in life by trying to find a balance in Ki. If we achieve this through Hapkido training we achieve SUM which result in harmony. (From an interview with Master Myung Kwan Sick (RIP), 2001).  The So Won Sool Hapkido School Logo: This symbol is intended to be an expression of our art and the traditions that have influenced it over the years. a) The triangle or arrow heads: The tradition of Choi Yong Sul and Myung Kwan Sik. Represents man, power, speed, the triangular stance, the triangular entrance in combat, the method of striking and the method of grabbing. b) The Circle: continuity, circular motion, fluidity, recycling of energy, economy of motion, emotions. c) The square: The tradition of Sokaku Takeda. Represents focus and concentration on the moment; solid throwing techniques, solid pining techniques, personal will. d) The eagle claws: The tradition of Ji Han Jae. An eagle uses its open talons to capture its prey. The open talon’s represents the gripping techniques, (joint locks, takedowns, and pressure point strikes) which is representative of hapkido. The eagle circles around its prey prior to attacking. Like hapkido’s circular and pivoting movement.
 Nin: This symbol usually associated with Ninjitsu, is prominently depicted in Dojunim Ji Han Jae’s first Hon kong Golden Harvest movie, Lady Hapkido (latter renamed to Lady Kung Fu). Nin can be translated in many ways but its essence refers to tolerance, endurance, perseverance and patience. The character itself is composed of two characters the literal meaning of the symbol could is to have a blade placed over the heart/mind. This can be interpreted in many ways for example; the blade forces the heart/mind to remain stealth in order to persevere. Another meaning is that the heart/mind should be as sharp and pure as the sword. A common translation is the path of patience and perseverance.
 Mushin (無心): "without mind" is a mental state into which very highly trained martial artists are said to enter during combat. This mental state is also practice during everyday activities. The term is shortened from Mushin No Shin (無心の心), a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the state of "no-mindness". That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything. Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat or everyday life. There is an absence of discursive thought and judgment, so the person is totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but what is their trained natural reaction or what is felt intuitively. The mind could be said to be working at a very high speed, but with no intentions, plans or direction. In analogy a clear mind is compared to a still pond, which is able to clearly reflect the moon and trees. But just as waves in the pond will distort the picture of reality, so will the thoughts we hold onto disrupt the true perception of reality. A martial artist would likely have to train for many years to be capable of attaining and sustaining Mushin. "Sword and Zen are same." (Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi).
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