Hapkido is a traditional Korean martial art. Elements of hapkido have been studied in Korea for centuries. Following the social and political turmoil of the Japanese occupation, the indigenous Korean martial arts entered the modern age. These were hard times. The culture of civil war, poverty, and military government would aid in forming clear objectives.

The spirit that arose from the practical need for self-defence during these times of hardship remains with Hapkido today. Thus, to its practitioners, hapkido is not considered a sport nor is violence considered a game. The belief is that violence should be avoided at all costs because in a confrontation there are neither rules nor winnners. Ribbons and trophies are not awarded to the participants of a violent street confrontation. Accordingly, in hapkido there are no forms and we do not enter tournaments. The skills of kicking, striking, throwing, grappling, and joint manipulation are all practiced in situations that reflect the dynamics of street style violence. Therefore, hapkido intends to arm its practitioners with the skills to quickly eliminate a threat if physically attacked.

Along with the skills necessary for self-defense hapkido offers a physical art to master. The art can be found in the application of its many techniques.
"When a river encounters a stone it moves around the stone. When a river encounters a leaf it washes the leaf away."
The above passage refers to two styles of application in hapkido; "hard" and "soft". The hard style is applied if your opponent is not moving, in which case you should be. Conversely, the soft style is applied if your opponent is moving in which case his/her energy should be used to ones advantage by receiving and redirecting. Thus the martial artist seeks a level of awareness to enable him/her to be responsive to the flow of energy in a confrontation.
In hapkido we train towards the constant refinement and simplification of technique which is why hapkido is so effective on the street. It represents the economy of motion. This concept is derived from the belief that in a violent confrontation the practitioner's automatic response should be quick, simple, and combined with constant motion. In hapkido we train so such a response comes naturally regardless of body type or situation.