Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense

Having practice the martial arts for over ten years, I find this book to be an excellent resource for both the Korean martial art of hapkido and self defense. The history section is great. The ki section is very interesting. The self defense section is very detailed and teaches true hapkido. This book is a necessary addition to anyone library. Recommended.

Before I read this I did not know about hapkido at all. After I looked through the book very thoroughly, I was well informed. The illustrations were so good, anyone could master the moves easily. The book talks a lot about the history and development of the art very well. It is really good. Everyone should get it!

Great book on Hapkido. The best one I have seen. No nonsense. This book really teaches straight ahead, usable, self defense.

As a practitioner of Hapkido for fifteen years and an Instructor for ten, I think this is a great book on Hapkido -- it really takes the reader to the essence of the art. Hapkido is such an elaborate system of self defense, I think few people really realize how impossible it is to truly illustrate this art in the form of a book. Master Scott Shaw, does just that, however. Through very clear detailed descriptions and photographs, he instructs the reader in the true self defense aspects of Hapkido.

The self defense techniques in this book are very well illustrated. Mostly, what I found exceptional is the historic truth that Master Shaw provided in detailing the history of the Korean martial arts and particularlly Hapkido. It really made me understand many things that as a history buff I had previously questioned about Hapkido.