STILL STANDING
Many martial artists regard armbars and other joint locks as techniques that are meant only for use on the ground. They think that way because they’re unfamiliar with hapkido, which contains numerous joint locks designed to be executed while standing. In an altercation involving the Korean art, the opponent often feels the effects of a joint lock and then hits the ground while the practitioner remains on his or her feet.
OK, I’ll admit that my interest in hapkido was sparked by Bong Soo Han’s kicks in Billy Jack — especially the one he delivered right after Tom Laughlin said, “I’m going to take this right foot, and I’m gonna whop you on that side of your face — and you wanna know something? There’s not a damned thing you’re going to be able to do about it!” But it was the joint locks and control techniques that motivated me to move to Korea to learn the art in the land of its birth.
In addition to serving me well during physical encounters while I worked security, hapkido’s joint locks taught me how the human body functions, and learning ways
