Reviews of Barrett Hapkido

If you are serious about wanting to learn martial arts skills that can help you in real life situations and are willing to work hard, be patient and are more concerned about the journey than the belt, this is the place for you. If you want to just pay a set fee, go a certain amount of times a week, and be guaranteed a black belt within a set time frame, this isn't for you. There are no belt fees or testing fees. You truly get what you earn. There is no yelling, screaming or breaking boards. Whining is not tolerated. The training you get at Barrett Hapkido will benefit every aspect of a person's life from sports, to school, to health and overall conditioning. My son has been there 10+ years and would never consider going anywhere else.

Excellent School with solid traditions. Great teaching, family atmosphere. Good attitude students.

Years of Experiance...A Great little School.

When I came to Barrett Hapkido I had only done a little Hapkido as part of the self-defense tactics from my Tae Kwon Do school, What a difference! Hapkido is the original Mixed Martial Art! I went from just punching and kicking to everything from throwing and grappling to joint locks and self-defense scenarios with improvised weaponry. Sabunim Barrett really throws himself into every part of the curriculum and makes learning how to defend yourself a fun and intense experience. I made a lot of great friends and gained confidence and learned many lessons that apply to more than just the training mat. Barrett Hapkido is not just a martial arts school it is a way of life!

Hapkido is a tactical martial art that combines grappling and striking. At Barrett Hapkido we spar, grapple (both gui and no-gui), and combine the two. The class teaches both ground and standing technique with a focus on tactical application.

Hapkido includes no forms or kata, instead relying on drills against other people or targets. The grappling drills range from training to full-on full-resistance standing or knee grapples employing joint locks, throws, chokes, and holds. The sparring is usually light contact although at the higher ranks you will engage in more intense spars (including grapple-spars) and should strongly consider a mouth-piece.

The classes are high energy and friendly: the instructor, Master Barrett, is serious and dedicated but is also humorous and flexible. Classes are fluid and fast-paced. If there is something you wish to work on specifically, if you inform the teacher, you can usually get drills for that area.

One of the things I like best about the class is the fact that there is no black-belt club, tests, or testing fees. When you are ready to move up in rank, as "you have earned it," the instructor buys and provides the belt to you with a short ceremony. No one gets promoted until the instructor feels they are ready and black belts are very rare. I also like that there are no contracts or other hidden fees (you will be asked to buy a patch for your uniform--but that's like $5). The instructor does this because he's committed to traditional training and is not running a belt factory (If you want to arrange private or semi-private lessons those are reasonably priced).