Practice the Basics

Regardless of the martial art you choose to study, you must remember to practice the basics. In Hapkido, we have a lot of techniques, from very easy basic techniques to more complicated techniques that would be more difficult to actually use in a self-defense situation without a lot of practice and proficiency with them. Because of this, sometimes people have a tendency to practice more on the difficult techniques and neglect practicing the basics or easy ones.

Just because these techniques are easy to learn does not mean you don't need to practice them!

Repetitive practice, in a realistic mode, such as going all out on a heavy bag, is crucial to ingraining these basics so you can use them under the high stress of a physical attack. So continue to grow as a martial artist by learning new techniques, strategies and so forth, but do not neglect the basics. For defending yourself, a solid core of basic techniques, that you have practiced over and over, will be the ones that help you survive.

Yours in Training,
Alain