How long does it take to master Hapkido? How long does it take to get to black belt and beyond…

This is a question that is sometimes asked by those who are thinking about taking up the Korean martial art of Hapkido. This art has something of a Jack of all trades identity in terms of teaching a broad curriculum. Anyway, it’s helpful to begin by defining what is exactly meant by the term ‘mastering’ when it comes to Hapkido.

To do this, we shall use two definitions. The first is achieving your black belt. The second definition is how to become a master which is a much more subjective term. For the sake of argument, a master is usually someone who is highly skilled at something and is easily the most knowledgeable in the room. In brief, context is key as we shall find out. Below we shall look at both definitions and how they apply to Hapkido.

How long does it take to become a Hapkido black belt?

On average, a typical practitioner takes around 5 years to become a Hapkido black belt. Of course, there are variables that determine this time. For example, some may take 5 years who train roughly twice per week. This is probably the average training time for your typical Hapkido student. Sometimes, you may have outliers at either end of the spectrum. For instance, you may have a dedicated prodigy who gets to black belt after 2 years or so.

This may take training daily combined with a natural skill set beyond their years. Whilst unusual, this situation can and does happen, albeit it is not very common. On the other end of the spectrum, you could have an older, less athletic practitioner that barely trains once a week. It could take this person 10 years to get to the rank of black belt. Again, this isn’t a common scenario but can happen.

Perhaps it’s best not to look at unusual situations though and instead focus on normal targets. For most people, those targets take roughly 5 years. To some, a black belt is a master. Generally speaking in martial arts, black belts are considered the most knowledgable in their field. With this said, if you value a black belt as a master then that means it roughly takes 5 years to master the art.

Having said this, others would disagree which we shall further discuss in the next section. In fairness to black belts, it’s no easy feat to become one in any martial art and takes time and patience. Speaking of context, you could make a legitimate claim that most black belts genuinely are masters compared to untrained people. This is due to the huge knowledge gap that shows just how advanced a black belt really is.

How to master Hapkido beyond the rank of black belt

For those that have been around martial arts for years, you will obviously respect the rank of black belt yet simultaneously realize that it doesn’t make you the ultimate practitioner. Like many arts, Hapkido is no different in stating that black belt usually represents the start of your training. For example, in the big scheme of things a brand new black belt is far less experienced than a 4th dan. This is where context plays a key part.

Compared to a white belt rookie, the new black belt may have more experience and skill. However, their technique and ideas will pale in comparison to that of the 4th dan. Due to this, you could argue that new black belts are to be respected yet aren’t masters in a true sense.

The idea of martial arts is that it’s a life journey and that belts are mostly symbolic of your progress rather than a signifier of your intelligence. Because of this, it could be argued that it takes far longer than 5 years to become a Hapkido master. From this perspective, you could argue that it takes over 10 years of regular training to become a Hapkido master. Looking at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will also offer a different viewpoint. In BJJ, the average trainer takes about 10 years to reach the black belt.

Unlike most other martial arts, BJJ takes longer to get this belt for various reasons. Are black belts viewed as masters in BJJ? To an extent yes, but overall there are still levels to your skill within your belt rank. The same applies for the black belt and extends to Hapkido. With this in mind, it really depends on your perspective, but most Hapkido practitioners would argue that it takes a little more than simply being a black belt to be labeled a master in the art.

Why skill doesn’t always mean knowledge

It’s entirely possible that a young, athletic black belt could beat an older 4th degree black belt during sparring in Hapkido. Whilst Hapkido is effective, it’s not a silver bullet either in terms of techniques. Does this mean the younger black belt is more of a master than the older practitioner? No it doesn’t and you would be foolish to think so.

Basically, there’s a difference between being a good competitor and a good teacher. An example is in sports with wise, older coaches. Undoubtedly these coaches will have more knowledge than the athletes that train under them. However, they are probably not as good as their athletes when competing. This isn’t expected either and factors such as age, strength, and athleticism all determine your success away from technique.

Due to this example, it should be known that having skills doesn’t always mean you’re particularly knowledgeable either. In fact, as it may take years to become a Hapkido master, you may be older at that point anyway, so you’re less likely to be able to hang with the younger guys when training. There’s no shame in this, but it doesn’t mean that you’re not a master either. It simply means that at a point, your body can no longer keep up with your mind.

For most people, this is when they begin teaching and start to find joy in passing down their knowledge. You could make a case for this as the point when you become a master. This is the point when you start teaching others which has a bigger impact than you alone. Due to the responsibility associated with this, you are often rewarded with a certain level of status. Depending on who you talk with, you could claim that this equates to mastery.

Final Thoughts

Firstly, there’s no easy route to becoming a Hapkido master. Basically, it isn’t an easy road, nor should it be your priority when training. However, as a general rule, the average time to get to black belt is 5 years. As this marks sufficient skill, you could add on another 5 years before you are thought of in the territory of truly being a master.

Once again, this is mostly down to personal opinion so is a grey area. However, the point is that you can’t just walk into a gym and suddenly expect to be hero-worshipped after a couple of years. Arguably, the true process of mastery isn’t some static ‘place’ either, it’s more of an idea of improving and learning constantly throughout your life. This means, there is nothing as perfection and you should be constantly evolving and growing.

Like all things in life, you have to put the work in to get results. There’s no quick way to mastery, otherwise it wouldn’t be called a master. This may sound obvious, but it makes sense. To conclude, becoming a master in Hapkido takes time and once achieved should be rewarded with the time and sacrifice that has been poured into your journey that it deserves.