Category Archives: INFO

Black Belt

Melbourne Hapkido Academy

Black Belt

A black belt is someone who did not give up and completed the foundation of Hapkido martial arts techniques, for a black belt is the beginning of your Hapkido martial arts journey.  A journey to 1st Dan black belt is different for every student, needing at the very least two-to-three years of regular training to achieve that grade. Melbourne Hapkido Academy black belts are awarded by the Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association a registered South Korean Government institution and the oldest continuous Hapkido school in the world. 

Anyone can award anyone a black belt, and when students embark on their martial arts journey the goal of becoming a black belt is the goal sold to them. Many martial arts instructors align to many other organisations, styles and give away cheap black belts because they can. They sell the black belt goal without the linage and lore, by merging styles, forms, philosophies and personalities, for example: Karate with Arnis or Taekwondo with JuJitSu. 

The true worth of a black belt is in its linage and history, syllabus and depth, instructors and institutions.  Instructors that associate with world class institutions, like the Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association, offer genuine martial arts syllabus, linage and lore to their students.  Martial arts training is not easy, borrowing from Kung-fu it is ‘hard work’, and students who achieve their black belt at Melbourne Hapkido Academy earn globally recognised Dan grades.

When grading for first Dan Black Belt students demonstrate over 150 acquired techniques, breathing exercises, patterns, kicks and break-falls to name a few. This is just the start of their journey, for second Dan students learn 150 integrated techniques layered on top of the first 150 techniques. For third Dan over 100 concepts are acquired and on it goes from there. Unlike many others nothing is borrowed, Hapkido is the original integrated system of martial arts skills. 

On achieving your Black Belt you will be invited to attend the greatest martial arts journey’s any martial arts can provide, the total immersion in to Hapkido and South Korean culture, experiences, training and meeting the extended Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido family. Click here to read about what we get up to.

 

 
 Join today, click on the links below:

South Korea tour 2024

South Korea, Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association adventure, November 2024,

We went…

Master Cairney, his eighth trip to South Korea since 1999, once again took a group of black belts to South Korea to attend the Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association annual end of year black belt and masters and instructors weekend training camp in November. The tour also included 10 days for training, cultural immersion, food, training, food, tours, training, food, friendships, food, fun and more training.  This is not any ordinary trip to South Korea, this is a complete immersion into the martial art, culture, experiences and history of South Korea and Hapkido provided by our hosts.  Here is an amazing list of some of what we did:

• Friday: arrived, met up with our hosts who laid out the schedule.
• Saturday: travelled to Baeyo for Master and Instructors training, arrived 1pm and trained until 10pm with 1 hour in between for dinner.
• Sunday: woke up at 5am for breakfast at 6pm, then training from 7am to midday [for a total of 14 hours of training with many Grand Masters].
• Sunday: night time attendance of the Seongnam City Sports Council end of year Sports Association End of Year celebration.
• Monday: a cultural tour of some forts, several temples and training.
• Tuesday: More touring, visiting a few dojangs and training.
• Wednesday: we visited the Seongnam City Sports Council offices, visit the Seongnam City Parliament Chambers, had a formal tea ceremony by a Tamonnim (Tea Master) in Master Kim’s dojang and training.
• Thursday: we visited SG Sports (Moo Moo Kwan supplier), toured Incheon, visited Kang Hapkido dojang in Incheon to do some training.
• Friday: visit of a Buddhist temple in Namhansanseaong for 108 prostrations [that was our training], touring to Namhansanseong Fortress over looking modern Seoul.
• Saturday: we were honoured to attend the Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association end of year party, where Master Cairney was given an award in recognition of his dedication to Hapkido by the Founder Kim Young Man.
• Sunday: we were honoured to have lunch a Grand Master Kim Ki Ho’s house before a little bit of shopping in the early evening [and no training].
• Monday: saw us return home.

This was no ordinary South Korea trip. This trip was a total immersion into what Hapkido is.

The last trip in 2018 was a wonderful South Korean and Hapkido cultural and training tour. The planned 2020 trip was cancelled due to a pandemic. Therefore 5 years later the opportunity came visit the wonderful people of South Korea again. We are booked and went.  Join today and train hard to get ready for the upcoming 2026 planned trip to South Korea (you must be at least a black belt to come). The next trip is being planned now.

The Oldest. The First. Unequalled.

60+ years of Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido.

Grand Master Kim Young-man began his Moo Moo Kwan school in March of 1963 during a tumultuous time in South Korea’s history.

Grand Master Kim’s persistence has seen Moo Moo Kwan to become the oldest Hapkido school today, with branches all over the world.

Moo Moo Kwan style of Hapkido is unique, comprehensive, powerful and challenging, few students have the fortitude to learn this traditional martial art. Therefore, students who train hard and earn a Moo Moo Kwan Black Belt grade hold one of the most highly respected, recognised and prized Hapkido and martial arts Black Belts globally. Even Bruce Lee understood the power of Hapkido.

Today Moo Moo Kwan is administered by the Korea Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido Association with Grand Master Kim still active today.

 

Solar Powered for our Planet

Melbourne Hapkido Academy is Solar Powered.

Self defence for our planet.

Since August 2020 Melbourne Hapkido Academy has invested in  solar power to help do our bit protecting the environment while we train.  Melbourne Hapkido Academy is 100% solar powered for ten (10) months of the year, and over 85% solar powered during the shorter winter months of July and August.   Join us today to learn a traditional martial art and powerful self defence while saving the environment in Melbourne’s only permanent Hapkido dojang. 

Many days of the year we derive 100% of our energy from the sun.