Ai Ki Do & Hap Ki Do
Practiced today in over 140 countries, Ai Ki Do was founded with the goal of defending oneself, without harming the attacker. The name translates to “Way of Unifying Energy”, referring to the concept of flowing with an attacker's movement and energy (Chi) in order to control their actions with minimal effort. Hap Ki Do contains many similar techniques for joint manipulations and pressure points but adds in precise hand attacks or kicks to knock an opponent off balance before applying the controlling techniques.
In Ai Ki Do, the hands are typically used more than the feet, developing a strong hand grip through the application of offensive and defensive movements applied to different angles against the attackers body. Hap Ki Do features the same grip development through targeting joints, pressure points and nerves to form effective self-defense techniques, but emphasizes the use of hands and feet equally. This emphasis makes Hap Ki Do movements more angular than the completely circular movements from Ai Ki Do.
In Ai Ki Do, the hands are typically used more than the feet, developing a strong hand grip through the application of offensive and defensive movements applied to different angles against the attackers body. Hap Ki Do features the same grip development through targeting joints, pressure points and nerves to form effective self-defense techniques, but emphasizes the use of hands and feet equally. This emphasis makes Hap Ki Do movements more angular than the completely circular movements from Ai Ki Do.
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In the video (left) students practice a variety of Ai Ki Do and Hap Ki Do self defense techniques against different situations, including knife attacks. Note that all the movements emphasize controlling an opponent by manipulating their wrists, shoulders, or elbows and directing their energy properly. The Ai Ki Do techniques will purely use the opponent's movement and energy against them, flowing with the attackers strikes. The Hap Ki Do techniques employ striking techniques from either the hands or feet in order to knock an opponent off balance and more easily apply the joint locks and manipulations. The goal for both styles is to control the attacker in a way that protects from further harm or prevents additional attacks.
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See what you can gain through Ai Ki Do & Hap Ki Do training!
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Self-Defense
Ai Ki Do self-defense is all about controlling your opponent. Unlike other styles, you can use Ai Ki Do to subdue an attacker without permanently damaging them by choosing how much force to apply in any given situation. Ai Ki Do is particularly effective when defending against a larger attacker, since it requires very little force to subdue your opponent. Combining Ai Ki Do which focuses more on preventing someone from being able to move without harming them, with the harder striking techniques that can break or dislocate an attacker's joints found in Hap Ki Do allows for a wide range of options when defending yourself.
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Flexibility
Having Ai Ki Do or Hap Ki Do performed on you, or practicing the warm up stretches as shown in the video (right), is a great way to build flexibility. When done properly, the joints are stretched in ways we don't typically encounter in our daily lives. This causes the joints to open up beyond their normal capacities, promoting blood flow and helping to prevent negative conditions such as carpal tunnel. For those who spend long hours at a computer keyboard or who suffer from arthritis or joint stiffness, Ai Ki Do is the perfect way to help regain flexibility and suppleness in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
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Strength
Many Ai Ki Do movements require a strong grip on your opponent in order to maintain control of their movements. Through the practice of applying joint manipulations, practitioners build up their hand and forearm strength. The hard strikes from Hap Ki Do also teach students how to apply strength from their whole body to precise targeted points on your opponent's body. The other benefit of practicing Hap Ki Do and Ai Ki Do is building strength in the tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues surrounding the joints. This gives a more complete and balanced strength development and helps prevent larger muscles from tearing away from the joints.
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