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Practical Martial Arts has a strong belief in the practicality of learning, training, and practicing several different disciplines. The main disciplines that our school focuses on are outlined below.

TAE KWON DO

Tae Kwon Do literally means the way of (do) kicking (tae) and punching (kwon). This is a very basic definition of this intricate discipline. Tae Kwon Do is known as self-defense and is an international Olympic sport. Although Tae Kwon Do is comprised of mainly punching and kicking techniques, there are over 2,000 years of philosophy and art that have taken this discipline to what it is today. To read a further detailed history and explaination of Tae Kwon Do, click HERE.

HAPKIDO

Hapkido, the roots of which are hap (harmony, or joining), ki (spirit), and do (the way of), is a dynamic Korean martial art, a form of self-defense that utilizes joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other strikes. Practitioners train to counter the techniques of other martial arts, as well as those of common, unskilled attacks, seeking to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength. To read a further detailed history and explaination of Hapkido, click HERE.

HWA RANG DO

Hwa Rang Do is a Korean martial art that teaches fighting techniques, weapons, spiritual training, intellectual enhancement, and artistic pursuits. It employs over 4,000 techniques, as well as 108 weapons. These techniques and weapons are taught in progression as a student advances in his or her training. A practitioner will typically learn a long form, eight basic techniques, around 30 "one step sparring" techniques and about the same number of self-defense techniques, and some short forms. In addition, three main weapons are taught: the Ssang Jyel Bong (nunchaku), Jang Bong (long staff), and the Gum Mu (sword). For a further detailed history and explaination of Hwa Rang Do, click HERE.

JUDO

Judo, meaning "the gentle way," is regarded as a modern sport, derived from ju-jitsu. The essence of judo is the skilful applicaition of a combination of techniques, such as the power of resistance and effective timing. The main focus of judo, however, is the utilization of your opponent's body weight and strength against him or herself. There is some similarity in principle between judo and sumo wrestling, in that a small person can overcome a much larger opponent using skill, strategy, and technique, and not merely rely on strength. For a further detailed history and explaination, click HERE.