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 movements in order to control their actions with minimal effort. In Ai Ki Do, the movements are both hard and soft, with the target areas being the joints, pressure points, and nerves. In this style, the hands are typically used more than the feet, building a very strong hand grip through the application of offensive and defensive movements in different directions, angles, and curves against an attackers body.
In Hap Ki Do, a similar style, the movements are also hard and soft, and feature the same target areas of the joints, pressure points, and nerves. However, hands and feet are used equally with these offensive and defensive movements. This style also includes many striking techniques making it the more angular than circular movements seen in Ai Ki Do.
In Hap Ki Do, a similar style, the movements are also hard and soft, and feature the same target areas of the joints, pressure points, and nerves. However, hands and feet are used equally with these offensive and defensive movements. This style also includes many striking techniques making it the more angular than circular movements seen in Ai Ki Do.
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In Ai Ki Do practice, students practice self defense techniques that emphasize controlling their opponent by manipulating their wrists, shoulders, and elbows. Like Ai Ki Do, Hap Ki Do emphasizes self-defense applications but includes striking techniques in order to knock an opponent off balance in order to more easily apply the joint locks and manipulations. Check out the video (left) for some examples of different Ai Ki Do and Hap Ki Do techniques.
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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 is necessary 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 and Hap Ki Do allows for a wide range of options when defending yourself. Ai Ki Do movements focus more on preventing someone from being able to move without harming them, while Hap Ki Do includes harder strikes to break and dislocate an attacker’s joints.
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Flexibility
Having Ai Ki Do performed on yourself is a great way to build flexibility. When done properly, the joints are stretched, causing them to open up beyond their normal capacities. This can promote blood flow, and help prevent negative conditions, such as carpal tunnel. If you suffer from arthritis or joint stiffness, Ai Ki Do is the perfect way to help regain flexibility and suppleness.
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Strength
A lot of Ai Ki Do movements require a strong grip on your opponent. If you work a job that requires you to sit at a desk or computer all day, then improving your grip strength and developing nimble fingers will greatly benefit you. The hard strikes of Hap Ki Do build a similar strength while teaching you to apply that strength very precisely on your opponent's body.
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