There are two groups of people who will want a book this thorough: serious practitioners of Hapkido or Hapkido bases systems (kuk sool, hwarangdo, etc.), and martial artists who are serious about studying and understanding techniques from any source. Author Mark Tedeschi has worked hard to provide a complete and non-biased book on the subject of Korean Hapkido. From the beginning, Tedeschi offers a series of interviews with the masters of Hapkido based systems, allowing each teacher to offer his knowledge in his own words, rather than lumping this information together to form a general history (he has included a section on history as well, which includes pictures of Hapkido founder Choi Yong-shul and the logos of prominent hapkido associations). We hear the voices of Choi Yong-shul (1982 interview by Jong-bae Rim, Joseph sheya, Ken Cross, and Chin-il Chang), Han-jae Ji, Bong-soo Han, Kwang-sik Myung, Tae-man Kwon, Jong-bae Rim, Merril Jung, Joo-bang Lee, In-hyuk Suh, He-young Kimm, Wally Jay, and Willy Cahill. There are detailed sections on anatomy, accupoints and meridians, pressure points, philosophy, etc. The first part of the book, which includes all of this pertinent information (this is BEFORE the section on techniques!) is 180 pages!

Tedeschi doesn't skimp anywhere. Every section is complete--the technical portion of the book opens with revival techniques (most other books have this information at the end, if at all). Sections move on to stancesm rolling (for falls), attack points, hand strikes, standing kicks, knee strikes, ground kicks, kicks for blocking, jumping kicks, etc. Thoroughly covered are holds, locks, throws, strikes, combinations, etc. Tedeschi shows common and uncommon uses, and differs from the vast majority of books on Hapkido and other martial arts by offering the HOW and WHY of each technique, as well as helpful advice one would normally get from a teacher after oh say, 3-7 years and deep research on one's own. There are sections on weapons (the traditional hapkido weapons--staff, sword, short sticks, rope, cane, etc.), and a bibliography and index at the end. This is also the LONGEST book on ANY martial art that I know of, at 1136 pages. Tedeschi keeps no secrets, and puts on no airs. He is honest, humble, and to the point.

I can only wonder at the effort it has taken to assemble this volume, and the drive of the author to be so complete in his assessment and documentation. Although the other big Hapkido books are nice (Suh and Seo's books on Kuk Sool, Kimm's and Myung's books on Hapkido, Joo Bang Lee's volumes on Hwarangdo), nothing, on any grappling or striking art, compares to the depth of this single volume. That this book is so affordable surprises me--books with half the information sell for more! This volume is a value and a treasure.

This 1000+ page book collects information from Tedeschi's other published works on Hapkido (holding techniques, throwing, etc.) along with new valuable material. Tedeschi has produced the most comprehensive text on Hapkido that anyone could hope to find. I have a shelf full of smaller Hapkido books that each address a few dozen techniques, but Tedeschi's book includes thousands of techniques--each demonstrated through illustrations, photos, and descriptions. The range and volume of techniques included could only be learned through daily and decade-long training with a knowledgable grandmaster--something increasingly difficult to accomplish today. In addition to extensive coverage of stances, kicks, strikes, throws, holds, blocks, and self defense techniques, the book includes techniques for usage and defense against knives, short stick, long staff, cane, sword, and rope. Beyond the practical techniques, however, the book also includes well written sections on the philosophy and history of Hapkido, along with interviews with grand masters in Hapkido and related martial arts.
As an instructor of Hapkido, I am continuously looking for new techniques to teach my students and new ways of understanding and explaining the techniques I teach. This book is an invaluable resource for serious Hapkido students and instructors, and I am grateful for Mr. Tedeschi for putting it together.

This book has set the standard so high, that all martial artists should demand this kind of quality and indepth overview from the author on any given subject in the martial arts. Tedeschi gets specific about Hapkido. We all know how difficult it is to get any concrete information on the art of Hapkido. There is now concrete and complete information. The reason why we have a library of books on a specific style is because we don't understand the art the way we feel that we should. You will understand Hapkido after reading this book. This book answers the questions that we all have, I'm a 3rd Dan in Hapkido who had questions about the art. Tedeschi has done a wonderful job of cutting through the common formalitys of being very general about Hapkido and that it is the almighty superior everything to everyone art. He is refreshingly respectful to all of the other martial arts and not claiming to be better then the rest. This book has filled in the gaps and allowed me to spread my wings. Until this time there has not been a complete text that has been readily availible that has established the parameters of this art. After reading this book you will understand that there are really no parameters but core ideals, philosophys and techniques. With that in mind this book has become my companion that will help me to be the best that I can be in Hapkido and life.

Did you ever wonder who are you and why you do the things you do? Well, this book is the microscope into your soul you've been looking for. Although this book is supposed to be a game, there is a serious element to it that cannot be ignored. This is a portible version of a psychologists,psychoanalyist, and counselor all in one. The only difference is that you would not need repeated costly visits that will leave you hating yourself or your parents. The advice given at the end of each game is gentle and suggestive that would not leave anyone feeling inferior or uncomfortable. I even recommend young adults reading this book to discover themselves without the pain of playing with drugs or other avenues of experimentation. After having read and done the self-discovering excerises, one could put down the book and re-read it after a season to note the changes in lifestyle made. It is alot of fun to use at a party but also by yourself. I hope a second book is in the works, I am one of many Kokology addicts and fans. GET THIS BOOK, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Kokology is as the book describes, a game of self-discovery. Through a series games and questions you will gain valuable insight into yourself and others. Play the game and answer the questions, turn the page and reveal what your answers say about you.

Kokology is a valuable tool on your own or with a group. It can be played for fun or use it to test it's accuracy on your personality. Beware, Kokology may offer insights that you never knew existed! The senarios are fun and interesting as you contemplate your answers and what you would do.

Need an ice breaker or tension lifter, try one these senarios. In work and personal situations, I have used many of these scenarios with success and subsequently great conversation! The spirit that this book was written was for fun and enlightment. Whether you regard the book as serious and accurate or mere entertainment...you will not be disappointed. If Kokology has you hooked, I would suggest also exploring 'The Cube' by Annie Gottlieb and Slobodan Pesic.

I recently purchased Kokology and was planning on using it at a small get together with friends but it was so interesting I ended up doing a third of the scenarios with my boyfriend. It was a lot of fun to discover what made each other tick.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to get to know someone better or just having a laugh over the outcomes of these mini personality tests.

This book would provide a lot of entertainment on long drives. It will keep the driver and passengers very entertained. But I wouldn't recommend this book to be read to children. Some of the test questions and scenarios seem very innocent but when you read the outcome they are adult in nature...