These are the reasons why:

• - Korean Grand Master Young S. Kim, 9th Degree Black Belt, has over 50 years of teaching experience in Martial Arts.
• - Team of 10+ Black Belt Instructors provide a low student to teacher ratio.
• - All Instructors trained and certified by Grand Master Kim.
• - Well-Equipped training facility with safe gymnastics mats.

These are the reasons why:

• - Teaches traditional Korean art of hard and soft styles of self-defense.
• - A fun way to get in shape and acquire a healthy lifestyle.
• - Develops courtesy, self-control, perseverance, integrity, and wisdom.
• - Fosters a positive attitude with winning habits to improve school grades, discipline and self-confidence.

We teach Taekwondo and Hapkido, both Korean Martial Arts. Following is a brief description of both of them.

Taekwondo

The Taekwondo is a former Korean art of self defense. Translated literally, Taekwondo means "the art of fighting with the foot and the hand". This art is the last thing in self defense and physical aptitude for men and women of all the ages. Across the scientific use of the body in forms and skills, the Taekwondo points to develop the character of the person who participants. The practice of this art demands vigorous and persevering training; his rumuneration is the auto confidence, physical aptitude, mental awakening, leadership, patience and respect.


Hapkido

HAP means: United, together, coordinated. Designating the union and the harmonization of my body, my energy and my spirit, with me itself, my opponent and the universe.
KI means: Energy, breath, spirit. Japanese word that represents the intial demonstrated energies of material and spiritual origin.
DO means: Way, route, path. Japanese common term to several martial Japanese and Korean arts, based on the thought of the Taoism and the Zen Buddism. It means the route, the direction, the way, the sense or clearer; the search of the lighting, the autorealization and the understanding that leads us to the origin (The Tao).

Origin:
The Hapkido was born in South Korea, in 1958, with the Great Teacher Yong Sul Choi, who fused the martial traditional Japanese art (Daito Rui Aiki Jutsu) with several martial traditional Korean arts (Taekyon, Hwarang, Subak).

Description:
The Hapkido is like a spider in his spiderweb, where it waits to his prey to wrap it between his threads and this way to conquer it. One does not fight against the force of the opponent; one harmonizes with it, flows with smoothness and harmony, this way to control it.
A martial art with soft skills - circular and hard - straight, where his student discovers that they are training 2 different but tied styles.

Characteristics:
Hapkido has 270 basic techniques. They qualify in 3 catagories:

- Empty hand against empty hand
- Empty hand against weapon
- Weapon against weapon

Each of these catagories divide in skills of defense and assault, executed in several positions (foot, knelt down, seated and stretched out), and includes grasps (keys, throwing, strangulations and immobilizations) and knocks (hands, feet, head and joints/ shoulders, elbows, wrists, hip and knees), that are divided into skills of point (prick), line (knocking), and circle (to cut). These skills manage to reach approximately 3,864 variants, which give origin to more than 10,000 combinations, which gives an infinite flexibility to the Hapkido.

Classes at Rancho del Rey:

Belt	Time	Room
Color (Beginner)	5:00-5:45 p.m.	MPR2
Black Belt	5:50-6:50 p.m.	MPR2
Color (Int./Adv.)	5:15-6:00 p.m.	MPR3
All Color Belts	6:00-6:45 p.m.	MPR3

Classes at Eastlake:

Belt	Time	Room
Color (Beg./Int.)	5:30-6:15 p.m.	MPR
Color (Int./Adv.)	6:15-7:00 p.m.	MPR
Jr. and Adults (All Levels)	7:00-8:00 p.m.	MPR

Fees for training are set by the YMCA and not us. There is a fee for YMCA members and a different one for non-members. For more information, please contact the appropriate YMCA, depending on your location and/or preference.

To register, contact the appropriate YMCA, depending on your location and/or preference. Once you are registered, all you need is to come to class (please refer to the class schedule in this section.) You will need comfortable, loose clothes for training. You will also need a uniform ($40 for any size). Just ask the instructor in charge about it during your first class. That's all!

Anyone from ages 4 to 90+, as long as they have a good clean bill of health. If you have any ailments, diseases, physical or emotional issues, or anything else that you are not sure, please consult with your physician and/or one of our instructors. We must be aware of any health issues with the students so we know how to teach you in a safe, healthy manner.