Kukjae Clubs
Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy
(Headquarters Club for the Kukjae Hapkido Federation of NZ)
Mission Statement
We are the leading provider of effective self defence training in the Greater Wellington Region.
 | Member Club: Fitness New Zealand. |
Academy Location
Unit 2, 18-22 Queen Street, Upper Hutt
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| Exterior From Lyster Lane |
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| Interior Showing Part of Primary Training Area (March 2007) |
The Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy operates out of a new dedicated martial arts centre in the heart of the Upper Hutt CBD. The premises provide over 330 m2 of area that consists of a primary 140 m2 training area covered in safety mats and a secondary 100 m2 training area. Weights and fitness equipment, changing rooms with shower facilities and toilets are currently being installed.
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| Academy Map |
(Access from Lyster Lane or from Queen St via the Hazelwoods car park)
Training Times
| Day | Time | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 4:30 pm - 5:10 pm | Children's Martial Arts |
| Monday | 5:10 pm - 5:50 pm | Children's Martial Arts |
| Monday | 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | Kukjae Hapkido |
| Thursday | 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm | Children's Martial Arts/Kumdo |
| Thursday | 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm | Kukjae Hapkido |
| Saturday | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm | Western Martial Arts |
| Sunday* | 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm | Kukjae Hapkido Regional Classes |
* Regional Classes are held once a month only, usually on the first Sunday of the month unless advised otherwise.
Please e-mail the Upper Hutt club's head instructor Callum Forbes, or phone 021 330 989 for further information.
Instructors
Callum Forbes, 6th Dan
 | Head Instructor, Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy |
Callum is the head instructor for the Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy and Interim President of the Kukjae Hapkido Federation of New Zealand. Next to Grandmaster Lee Jung Nam, Callum is the highest qualified Hapkido instructor in New Zealand, receiving his 6th Dan in Hapkido in July 2006 at which time Grandmaster Lee also formally transferred the leadership of Kukjae Hapkido to him.
Callum started his Hapkido training under Grandmaster Lee in 1982 after hearing about Hapkido while serving in the NZ Army. Callum has also had a life long interest in swordsmanship, taking up fencing in 1979 before developing an interest in earlier European sword techniques.
Callum previously taught and ran the Wellington City and Lower Hutt Kukjae Hapkido clubs before starting to teach Hapkido in Upper Hutt in late 2004.
Callum is self employed and is a partner in one of New Zealand's leading financial planning practices.
Callum has lived in Upper Hutt since 1993 and is active in the Upper Hutt community through his involvement in both business and recreation. He is also the organiser of the biennial Harcourt Park international jousting tournament.
Robert Reynolds, 1st Dan
 | Robert Reynolds |
Robert is an instructor for the Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy. Robert started his Hapkido training in 1999 and obtained his black belt in March 2006.
Robert has previously worked both as a security guard and as an ambulance officer.
Darryl Conchie, 1st Dan
| Photo Pending | Darryl Conchie |
Darryl is a part-time instructor for the Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy, splitting his time between us and the Wellington City club. Darryl started his Hapkido training in 1985 and attained his first degree black belt in 1988. Darryl then spent time living and working in Australia before returning to New Zealand in 2007.
Class Descriptions
About Hapkido
All of our training is based on Hapkido. Hapkido originated in South Korea in about 1950 from an amalgamation of a number of styles. Hapkido teaches you how to defend yourself and others against a variety of common attacks. It combines hand strikes and powerful kicking along with joint locks, holds, takedowns and throws as well as ground fighting.
Hapkido's techniques are based on an opponents attack, meeting that attack, turning it back on the attacker, and following through with offensive finishing techniques if required.
The best way to describe Hapkido is that it is probably the original “Mixed Martial Art” although unlike modern “Mixed Martial Arts” our focus is not on competition but on practical self defence. Hapkido has taken the strengths from all the major main-stream martial arts and created a unique style that will enable you to defend yourself in just about any situation.
Our particular style of Hapkido, Kukjae Hapkido, was originally developed by Grand Master Lee and is derived from military Hapkido. Our Hapkido training aims to preserve and develop Grandmaster Lee's original teachings and philosophy which has Hapkido solely as a self defence orientated traditional martial art.
Kukjae Hapkido Regular Classes
Regular classes in Kukjae Hapkido is the main offering provided by our academy and are the most effective way to learn self defence skills.
A regular class starts with a basic 30 minute warm up that covers fitness training, basic drills, patterns and pad work. Once these are completed the students are broken into grade groups for personal tuition by the club instructors and senior grades. We then move onto Hapkido free-sparring (all grades). The class finishes with a quick warm down.
Kukjae Hapkido training is focused on helping its students develop effective self defence skills while also gaining from the various benefits that traditional martial arts training offers (improved fitness, health, self confidence, etc.).
Kukjae Hapkido can be learnt by anybody in reasonable physical condition aged 12 and over although we do not award 1st degree black belts to anybody under 15.
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| Training in Ground Fighting Techniques |
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| Advanced Kukjae Hapkido high break fall |
Children's Martial Arts and Kumdo
We offer Children's Martial Arts classes for those aged between 6 and 10. Our Children's Martial Arts classes are based on Kukjae Hapkido. However all of the joint locking and weapons techniques that we teach in Kukjae Hapkido have been removed. Instead Children’s training focuses on kicks, simple throws and Kukjae Hapkido self defence techniques modified to suit younger people.
The Children's Martial Arts classes are approximately 40 minutes long and is a great way to help Children get physically active, develop physical skills, gain self confidence and to learn some basic self defence skills.
We find that most Children are ready to progress to the Kukjae Hapkido Regular Class when they are about 12 years old.
We also offer training in Kumdo. Kumdo is Korean sword fighting. We offer Kumdo training as part of the Thursday Children’s Martial Arts Class. Basic techniques and drills are taught before sparring is introduced. This is performed with a safety mask and a foam sword.
Our Children’s Martial Arts Classes have proven to be very popular and in order to maintain our high standard of personal coaching with existing students and to allow more children to join, we have added a second children’s class on Monday night’s from April 2008. This new class starts at 4.30 PM and the original 5 PM class now starts a bit later at 5.10 PM. Note that you cannot do both the Monday Children’s Martial Art’s classes.
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| Children's Martial Arts Training [August 2006] |
Fighting Fit (to be Scheduled)
Having a reasonable level of personal fitness is important for any martial art and Hapkido is no exception. While we don’t require people to be super fit, you need to be fairly fit in order to gain the most out of each Hapkido class.
Fighting Fit is a circuit class with an emphasis on specific cardio and strength exercises designed to both improve your overall fitness as well as compliment your Hapkido training.
At this stage we plan to launch our Fighting Fit classes as soon as we have installed the changing rooms and showers in our facility and we plan to run them every Monday and Wednesday morning. While they are designed with our existing martial arts students in mind, these classes are standalone. You do not need to be doing one of our martial arts classes to join.
Expected Start Date for the Fighting Fit classes is sometime in May 2008.
Generic and Specialist Courses (4 or more people)
These depend on both student demand and instructor availability. Unless advised otherwise, classes are approximately 1 hour long. We are very flexible on the type of classes or courses that we can offer, with our most popular classes including:
- Generic Self Defence.
- Self Defence for Women.
- Control and Restraint Techniques Course (suitable for doormen, ambulance officers, security guards, police, etc.).
Our Self Defence and Woman’s Self Defence Courses will not make people skilled self-defence practitioners (only regular Hapkido training and progression through the Hapkido syllabus will achieve this) and is therefore only intended to provide a basic level of competency and self-confidence in dealing with low to mild levels of aggression in a self defence situation.
Specialist Courses like the Control and Restraint Techniques Courses aim to give students sufficient competency in a limited range of techniques in order to deal with any threats that they may face in their day to day work.
Private Lessons (2-4 People)
These are designed for people who wish to develop their skills quickly, or who want personal tuition in specific areas. Private Lessons are also subject to instructor availability. We require a minimum of two students so they can do additional practice in their own time in between lessons.
Seminars
From time to time we host seminars for other Kukjae Hapkido clubs and other groups.
European Martial Arts (EMA)
Training in EMA covers both Medieval European unarmed combat and weaponry. This training is run in association with the Upper Hutt School of European Martial Arts and the Order of the Boar in Upper Hutt. The Order of the Boar also hosts the biennial International Jousting Tournament at Harcourt Park as well as jousting displays and tournaments throughout New Zealand.
The training teaches correct period techniques that are illustrated and described in surviving period manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. We offer training in two systems of Medieval European combat:
- Tower Manuscript 1.33 (a German document dated c. 1300 which covers sword and small shield fighting).
- Flos Duellatorum, written by the Italian sword master Fiore in the early 15th century. This material covers unarmed combat, medieval wrestling, dagger, spear, long sword and poll ax.
Training in both systems are linked together by a 4 stage grading system:
Grade 1: Basic 1.33 Sword and Buckler.
Grade 2: Advanced 1.33 Sword and Buckler, Fiore Unarmed and Basic Longsword.
Grade 3: Fiore Dagger and Advanced Longsword.
Grade 4: Armoured Fiore Longsword and Poll Ax.
The main difference between basic and advanced training is that in the basic training wooden weapons are used for sparring while rebated metal weapons are used in the advanced training.
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| Displays of 1.33 tech. | Displays of 1.33 tech. | Advanced EMA |
Which Class is Best for Me?
This table provides a relative comparison of the emphasis placed in the key areas of each class when compared to each other.
It is intended as a guide only - to help you determine which discipline may best suit your own personal training objectives.
| Class | Class Structure and Discipline | Self Defence | Target Fitness Level | Amount of Material to Learn | Equipment Required | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukjae Hapkido | High | High | Medium | High | Low | Nil |
| Children's Martial Arts | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low | Nil |
| European Martial Arts | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Fighting Fit <(*) | Medium | Nil | High | Nil | Low | Nil |
| Kukjae Hapkido Courses and Private Lessons | Medium | High | Low | Low | Low | Nil |
(*) Fighting Fit classes have yet to be scheduled but will be once our toilet and shower facilities are fully operational.
General Information
Membership
All Members are required to complete and sign a membership form that includes details of any medical conditions or criminal convictions. Minors must have their membership form signed by a parent or guardian.
We also reserve the right to decline a membership application without having to give a reason for doing so.
Academy Fees
We are a non-profit, non-religious and non political amateur sports club. Our instructors give their time voluntarily and are not paid. Fees are charged to cover rent, power and equipment costs. Any surpluses are re-invested back into the academy.
We offer one free trial class. Thereafter training fees are payable or the student pays at the Casual Training rate.
Joining Fee (Regular Classes Only)
This is an initial one month payment of the appropriate fees by cash or cheque (made out to Hutt Kukjae Hapkido). This covers the first month of training.
Students then start paying regular fees. We prefer that these be paid by automatic payment or through internet banking one month after the date they made their initial cash payment.
We prefer not to accept cash payments for any of the Regular Classes after the first month of training unless by prior arrangement.
| Class | Joining Fee | Regular Fee* |
|---|---|---|
| Kukjae Hapkido | $40 | $40 a month OR $20 a fortnight OR $10 a week |
| Children's Martial Arts | $20 or $40 | One class per week: $20 a month OR $10 a fortnight OR $5 a week Two Classes per week: $40 a month OR $20 a fortnight OR $10 a week |
| European Martial Arts | $30 | $30 a month OR $15 a fortnight OR $7.50 a week $20 a month for students who are also enrolled in Kukjae Hapkido. |
| Fighting Fit | $40 | $40 a month OR $20 a fortnight OR $10 a week. 50% discount for students who are also enrolled in Kukjae Hapkido. $10 per class casual fee. |
| Casual Training (per class) | n/a | $5 for Children's Martial Arts otherwise $10 for all classes. |
| Hapkido Self Defence Courses and Specialist Courses | n/a | Varies. A 10 lesson course will typically cost $100 a student. |
| Private Lessons | n/a | Varies depending on the material taught |
* = Regular Fee is payable from the end of your first month of training otherwise casual class fee rate applies.
Kukjae Hapkido Club Discount
Current members of another kukjae hapkido club may enjoy the following discounted rates:
| Member Type | Fee Rate |
|---|---|
| Casual Class Fee | $5/class |
| One training session a week | $20/class |
| Two training sessions a week | $30/class |
Equipment Fee
Some classes require the use of drill weapons and safely equipment, particularly the EMA class. Because of this we charge an additional $10 equipment fee per class for EMA students who do not provide their own weapons after their first month of training.
Family Discounts
A family discount also applies so that while the first family member pays the full fee, each additional family member each only pays half of the full fee (immediate family only). These only apply to our classes above. If the family is spread across several classes, then the family member in the class with the highest fee is counted as the first family member.
Hapkido Self Defence and Specialist Courses
The cost for this varies depending on the duration of the course and number of students taking part. A 10 lesson basic self defence course will typically cost $100 per student.
Private Lessons
Varies depending on material taught and number of students. Private lessons are subject to instructor availability and discretion.
Grading Fees
These start at $30 for a promotion test from white belt to yellow belt, increasing by $5 per grade for all the colour belt grades. Children are not charged grading fees until they progress to the Regular Class.
Uniform
Beginners and Specialist Class students may wear loose casual clothing (e.g. plain T shirt, loose pants). A white martial arts uniform must be worn by regular members. These can be obtained through the club or at normal retail rates direct from a martial arts supplier.
Our recommended uniform is the standard heavy Judo style uniform which normally retails for approximately $120. We can obtain the same uniform for Academy members for $75. Lighter weight karate uniforms can be brought for $50 through the club. We recommend these for our younger students.
Uniform patches are also strongly recommended. The patches are available to all students at cost ($40 a set).
We source all of our uniforms and training equipment through FightTimes and can order items from them on your behalf through our wholesale customer relationship with them. We rate them as being the best martial arts suppliers in New Zealand.