"Combat Hapkido" by John Pellegrini. A Review

Combat Hapkido: The Martial Art for the Modern Warrior by John Pellegrini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It can't be easy to come up with a "new" martial art, get it honed and proven by other martial art masters, and recognized by the World Kido Federation. But John Pellegrini, 9th Dan in Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do, founder and president of numerous martial arts institutions, and accomplished author, has not only crafted a new form of Hapkido, but he has manufactured a book that gives a good sense of his system. "Combat Hapkido: The Martial Art for the Modern Warrior" is a glossy, magazine-sized 150 page manual published in 2009, to promote his system and give the practitioner a feel for it.

This handbook is not too wordy, but has enough verbal detail to explain the history of Combat Hapkido, some of its genealogy, and three of its primary principles. Most of the material are sequential photographs that are clear and walk the karateka easily through numerous techniques for self-defense. The subjects cover striking and kicking, trapping and closing the gap, defense against chokes, grabs, punches, kicks and weapons.

"Combat Hapkido" is not an exhaustive textbook, but more of a précis; yet, there is enough between the gleaming covers to be useful in personal protection. If a martial arts school has a lending library, this portfolio would make a valuable addition. It can similarly benefit instructors and students who want that "little extra" to make their classes a bit more street-savvy. Even non-martial artists that are interested in gathering a few tools for their self-defense toolbox will find the material handy. I highly recommend the book.


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