Power Hapkido - Master Essentials Full Color Edition

In this review of Power Hapkido - Master Essentials, the bottom line is simple: this book is for advanced students and instructors who want a compact, technique-focused reference that completes the Power Hapkido series. Grandmaster Myung Yong Kim delivers a full color manual that concentrates on the advanced breathing, counter defenses, sparring footwork, and weapon work a Hapkido master should know, making it the single best reason to buy for those progressing beyond basics.

Key Features

• Comprehensive master techniques: Covers the advanced counters and defenses that consolidate a practitioner's understanding of higher-level Hapkido applications.
• Advanced breathing exercises: Presents breathing methods intended to improve control and power for advanced training and demonstration.
• Practical self-defense scenarios: Shows counter defenses to common Hapkido attacks such as side arm grabs, bear hugs, and head locks for real-world application.
• Sparring prep with kicks and footwork: Includes advanced kicks and footwork patterns designed to refine timing and distance for sparring situations.
• Short stick and cane techniques: Details Dan Bong short stick and cane techniques to extend empty-hand skills into effective weapon defenses.

Who It's For

Power Hapkido - Master Essentials is aimed at intermediate to advanced students, instructors, and seminar leaders who need a focused reference on higher-level Hapkido material. The book is most useful for those who have already mastered basic techniques and want to expand into counter strategies, weapon work, and sparring footwork.

Beginners and casual readers may find the content dense; those new to Hapkido should start with earlier volumes covering fundamentals before moving to this final master-level installment.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear emphasis on master-level techniques helps consolidate advanced curriculum and teaching points.
• Full color presentation improves clarity of technique photos and step progression.
• Good coverage of both empty-hand counters and weapon techniques offers a broad practical scope.

Cons

• Material assumes prior knowledge of basics, so it is not a standalone beginner textbook.

Specifications

Title	Power Hapkido - Master Essentials
Authors / Brand	Myung Y Kim, Ki Kim, Jung Kim
Edition	Full color version
Focus areas	Breathing, counters, kicks, footwork, short stick, cane
Intended audience	Advanced students and instructors
Series position	Third and final book of the Power Hapkido series

Our Verdict

Power Hapkido - Master Essentials is a valuable capstone manual for committed practitioners and instructors seeking a compact, full color guide to master-level techniques. It consolidates advanced breathing, counters, sparring work, and weapon techniques into one reference, making it good value for those ready to progress beyond fundamentals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this book suitable for beginners?
The book is designed for advanced students and assumes prior mastery of basic Hapkido techniques, so beginners should start with earlier volumes.

Does the book cover weapons?
Yes, it includes detailed sections on the short stick (Dan Bong) techniques and cane techniques alongside empty-hand counters.

What makes the full color version better?
Full color photos and illustrations improve clarity for technique progression and help instructors demonstrate details more accurately.