Our students develop the ability to be self confident in their training. They also learn the importance of goal setting. Our curriculum is designed for students to achieve their goals through our stripe system, which allows the student to work towards their next belt level once they have mastered that particular area. As a result of the focus required in Hapkido, students carry over the discipline they have learned in class to the school setting and in their everyday lives.

One of the first things our students learn is respect towards other students and to the people around them (parents, teachers, siblings and friends). Students learn that in order to be respected, they must also respect one another. We teach our students that the striking and self defense techniques can be dangerous if used improperly. Therefore, our students learn to practice with each other in a safe and controlled environment where they develop the respect towards their partner. They train to help one another. They learn that their techniques should only be used if absolutely necessary and that martial arts are not the first option when resolving a conflict. Our students possess the ability to walk away from a conflict but also possess the ability to defend themselves if necessary. A great saying is “It is better for a bully to pick on a child who is a black belt than on a child who never trained in martial arts, because the black belt has the training and the confidence to walk away.”

Martial arts are featured prominently in our mainstream media today through TV shows, movies, and online videos. Most children will see their favorite show and will try to mimic what they enjoy seeing. We teach our students the importance of discipline when training. Children want to freely express themselves when they mimic their favorite marital arts characters/shows. It is important to emphasize patience when training. Our students learn that their success is dependent on both the instructors and students working in tandem together.