Sword Classes

Every culture has a sword as a central element of its martial tradition, and in Hapkido, the sword plays a foundational role. To truly understand Hapkido—or any martial art—it's essential to grasp the principles of swordsmanship.

Our sword classes are designed to introduce fundamental sword techniques and principles. These concepts enhance your understanding of weaponry and deepen your ability to apply the core principles of Hapkido. These concepts are essential to mastering armed and unarmed combat, helping you develop a more complete martial arts practice.

Our Sword classes draw on European and Asian sword traditions, offering a comprehensive exploration of martial arts principles through different styles of swordsmanship.

Both sword classes are rooted in core martial arts principles that can be applied to any unarmed martial art, helping deepen your understanding of combat.

You can study in either class independently of our Hapkido curriculum, as the sword classes function as standalone systems.

 

Principles of the Sword

The Principles of the Sword class, held on Tuesdays, follows the Asian tradition and is practised with a bokken (wooden sword), similar to the Korean Kum or the Japanese Katana.
 
However, the techniques taught are not tied to any specific Korean or Japanese school of swordsmanship. This class has a formal testing system to track progress.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fight like a knight


The Fight Like a Knight class on Saturdays focuses on European sword combat, mainly 14th-century Medieval techniques drawn from historical manuscripts. This class emphasises European weaponry and combat styles.