First Meetings - A rememberance, By Amed Hazel

I remember walking into a musky dojo, several years ago. I had many years of martial arts training and my latest achievement was 2nd dan in Tang Soo Do. I was in good shape and very flexible. I sat on some old bleachers, waiting for the instructor to come. After a few minutes, a very small Korean man walked in the Dojang. He looked to be forty or forty five years of age. I introduced myself and he gently shook my hand.

He retired to a dressing room and returned wearing a dobok and a black belt with no patches or rank on his belt. That was something that I was unaccustomed to seeing, especially with someone who had a reputation as impressive as Grand Master Rim. Looking at me, he asked, “You want some exercise.” Embarrassed that I didn’t have on my uniform with my patches and stripes on my belt, I declined. Walking to the edge of the mat, he told me that I couldn’t understand Hapkido from watching and that he would like me to feel it. All that I had on was my favorite jean shorts and a freshly pressed tee shirt but reluctantly, I kicked my shoes off and socks, bowed, then stepped on to the mat.

We began with some neck and hip rotations and exercises that were strange to me but did seem to loosen me up a lot. I was unaware of how much tension I had in my neck and shoulders. As ten minutes or so of neck rotations passed, I seemed to forget the apprehension that I had felt, about coming to a new school and unexpectantly being asked on to step on the mat.

Shortly after completing the warm-up exercises, the class began. As GM Rim paired up other students for practice, I waited to see who was going to be paired with me, trying to anticipate which student was going to give me the most problems. At six feet one inches and 240 pounds, I was the biggest person in the class. Finally just he and I were left and he said “you come with me”. As we walked to a portion of the mat, I noted that I stood over him like a giant, as I was to come to find that he only stands at five foot, two inches.

“Grab my arm” he said. Being familiar from Tang Soo Do techniques, that were based on wrist grabs, I did as he asked. I noticed that his wrist was like a small tree trunk. Before demonstrating the first technique he stated, “This is the first motion that is taught to all beginners". Funny, I didn’t feel like I was a beginner because after all I had studied Tae Kwon Do my whole life and had just received my 2nd in Tang Soo Do! In the next instant, I felt pain in my arm and face, as my head slammed the mat. I remember him pushing his wrist toward me but that was all. It was if I had thrown myself down. Pinning me using his leg, he said “try and get up”. I tried hard as I could but couldn't.

He allowed me to stand and said “Now the other side”. He explained that in Hapkido all motions are done on both sides. Again he demonstrated again but slowly this time. I could feel the awesome power in his arms. He then allowed me to practice what he just demonstrated on me but I was unable to get it the first time. Then I realized, that I was a beginner. After a few more techniques, he said “Let me show you some of the many motions of Hapkido” and began to thow me over and over. I was getting tired, fast, but didn’t want to quit.

In one technique, he grabbed the waist of my shorts and finger jabbed me in the throat. I heard a rip! I was unsure where the ripped occurred but I thought it was my throat, by the sharp choking pain that I felt in my neck but as I struggled to stand, my shorts fell to my ankles. He didn’t just rip my favorite shorts, I was standing there in my briefs. Before I could pick up my shorts, he threw me down again and again. I spread my legs to try and keep my shorts from coming completely off. This went on for a few minutes, until he pinned me and smacked me on my behind. He laughed and said for me to get up. I could hardly stand and I felt like I was about to pass out. I ached all over, but didn’t understand why I was so tired. I could get in a ring and point spar for twenty minutes straight.

He said, “You want more Hapkido or do you want to join”. I thought to myself that if I said I wanted more Hapkido, that would mean that I would take more of a beating but if I joined, I could escape, sit down and maybe fill out an application.

“Join” I said!