Grandmaster Choi, Yong Sul, the founder of Hapkido, concluded that the purpose of martial arts was the perfection of the spirit, not merely perfection of physical technique. Although the modern forms of Karate, Taekwondo and Judo, stress the importance of mind-body training, they also emphasize competition and tournaments and therefore place an emphasis on winning. It is at this juncture that Aikido and Hapkido show that they are unique. Aikido and most schools of Hapkido do not hold tournaments. They refuse competition as it is detrimental to progress on the spiritual path.
Care is taken during actual practice to avoid clashing against another person's energy.
When the student feels that he is forcing a technique, it is a sure sign he is clashing with his partner's energy instead of blending or going around the force. Using brute strength in Aikido or Hapkido is a sign of failure to execute technique properly. Only after years of practice does one truly recognize that it is unimportant to see who is best, who is the strongest, who is the champion. The true path of these martial arts is the path toward spiritual enlightenment. Each student interacts with other students and the instructors in such a way as to bring out total faith in each other and also actual realistic answers to life's street encounters.