THEORY OF YOO (flowing, as in water):

Softness, adaptability, strength, patience, conformity - all ideas which are present in the Eastern mind, and indeed in the mind of the Hapkido practitioner when thinking of the theory of Yoo. Water never struggles with any object that it encounters! It exhibits tremendous patience and adaptability in it's engagement with any obstacle it faces during the natural 'downhill flow'. Rather than rising in direct conflict with an adversary, the Hapkido student seeks to join with, or adapt to the opponent and their motions, in order that a the 'clashing' so commonly seen in many martial arts, is avoided. Although this is a demonstration of a keen ability to adapt, it is important to realize water never changes itself. The Hapkido practitioner must learn to adapt in this same way.

If a stream comes upon a rock in its downhill flow, it merely goes around it. If this rock is too large for the water to go around, the water will be patient, collecting until it rises to a level which allows it to flow over or around this obstruction. Similarly, as we "go with the flow" in the execution of our techniques, when we are pushed, we pull; when we are pulled, we push. In comparing an opponents defenses to an obstacle, a rock for instance, it should be noted that although the water can simply flow over or around the obstruction, it also eventually permeates every pore and completely engulfs the obstacle. This type of counter-attacking 'mind-set' is practiced in Hapkido through the very nature of the techniques and combinations which we train with every day.

Softness is another characteristic of water that relates to the understanding of Hapkido. We must accept the fact that softness has the capacity to win over hardness. It has been said that, "stiff and unbending is the disciple of death, while soft and yielding is the disciple of life." If you think of a Willow tree; during life, it's branches are flexible and resilient; but after death, they become hard and brittle. When thinking of water, however, it may be made to break up, but invariably, it will join together again.

Water has no shape. If you put it into a box, it becomes square; put it in a circle, it becomes round; freeze it, it becomes solid. Although constantly adapting to its environment, water remains basically unchanged. As for water's forcefulness, one need only observe a high water fall to be reminded of the force behind this very same soft and adaptable, yet forceful liquid.

A Hapkido principle that concerns a maximum use of force at one time can be easily explained when compared to the flow of water out of something like a fire hose, for example. One person can easily remove the hose from a fire truck; in this instance, it is light and flexible. However, when it's connected to a hydrant and water is forced through it, this same hose becomes very heavy and rigid. It now demands three people to handle it due to the concentration of water at one point beyond the nozzle of the hose. Hapkido compares a persons 'Ki' power to the water in a fire hose. You should be able to concentrate all of your power in one direction toward one point.