World Hapkido Championship - Paul Cowan aka Conan the Barbarian

By day I am a mild mannered Mechanical Engineer, but by night I am a student of the Korean arts of Taekwondo and Hapkido as part of the New Plymouth Taekwondo & Hapkido Club (NPTHC). I have been practicing these traditional Korean martial arts for just under 2 years now and with dedication and hard work I have gained the ranking of Green belt Blue tip (5th Gup) in Taekwondo and Blue belt Red tip (5th Gup) in Hapkido which makes me one of the highest ranked Hapkido artist in Taranaki.

And with my hard work and dedication I have been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Hapkido Championship 2019 held in Busan, Korea.

New Plymouth Taekwondo & Hapkido Club is a non-profit run martial arts school which is based locally here in Bell Block, New Plymouth. The club has built its reputation for excellence in the martial arts, practical and proven self-defence, as well as outstanding competition results. Students learn traditional Taekwondo (kicking, punching, blocking, etc.), Olympic sport Taekwondo and competition fighting, as well as Hapkido (grappling, throws, takedowns, submissions etc.); giving them a complete set of martial art skills.

Hapkido is the “anti-martial art”. It was designed as a way to defend against and overcome an attacker with skill in many forms of martial combat. With roots in Aiki-jujitsu and the ancient Korean Martial Arts Hapkido adds striking and punching to joint-locks, throws, and grappling, making it one of the original mixed martial arts. Hapkido is often translated as "the way of coordinated power" or "the way of harmony; "Hap" (coordinated or joining), "Ki" (internal energy, spirit, strength, or power), and "Do" ( way or art).