Hapkido club teaches ancient art

Mil Gi, Job Gi, Keuk Gi and Dungee Gi. These are not terms familiar to most people, but for a hapkido black belt, these are some of the many tactics in his or her vast arsenal.

Hapkido is a Korean martial art that focuses on self-defense. The above terms are hand techniques used in hapkido that involve taking someone’s hand off you, then putting your hand on that person, putting him or her in pain and throwing the person on the ground.

The IU Hapkido/Self-Defense Club teaches these and many other moves necessary to becoming a black belt in hapkido.

The club meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation 095. Members also meet from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in HPER Fort.

“It is fun and will build your confidence. You grow as a person when training martial arts,” said Jeni McShane, senior and Hapkido/Self Defense Club secretary and public relations officer.

In addition to the club, the University offers four hapkido classes through HPER. With a permission slip, the classes can be taken more than once, black belt senior Matt Wickwire said.

Dues for the club are $40 per semester. Other costs include $30 for each belt test taken and $15 to join the United States Hapkido Federation after gaining a green belt.
 
“IU is one of the few universities with USHF recognition,” said green belt sophomore, Kevin Pustz.

The club does offer a scholarship to two people every semester that covers the cost of belt testing for yellow through purple belts and USFH dues.

If a student is interested in joining the Hapkido/Self Defense Club, he or she can attend up to three classes before having to pay club dues.

When starting hapkido, club members learn basic skills and subsequently build upon these foundations as they gain higher belts.

Members also learn about the appropriate levels of response. They are taught when it is and is not acceptable to use their training and which tactics are suitable in certain situations.

Hapkido also uses a lot of joint manipulation. As a black belt, McShane said she knows more than 100 different maneuvers of this type.

Another part of hapkido is practicing random scenarios of being attacked from different sides.

In hapkido, the lower belts are yellow, orange, green and purple, while the upper belts are blue, brown, red, temp black and black.

To give an idea of the difference between a yellow belt and a black belt, the test to earn a yellow belt takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes, while the black belt test takes two to 2 1/2 hours, according to Wickwire and McShane.

Testing for lower belts will take place March 1 and testing for upper belts will be March 3. All testing will take place in HPER 095, except for temp black and black belt testing, which will take place in HPER 169, McShane said. 

Another upcoming martial arts event is the Don Burns Martial Arts Tournament. The Hapkido/Self Defense Club will be helping put on this event in the Ora L. Wildermuth Center. During this tournament, competitions in San Shou, judo, tae kwon do, push hands and fencing will take place. The event will begin at noon March 26.