Once again, our academy was honoured to host a martial arts weekend under the guidance of Grand Master Vella. GM Vella, who holds 8th Dan in Taekwondo and 4th Dan in Hapkimudo, is considered one of the forefathers of Taekwondo and the founder of Hapkimudo in Malta.
Taekwondo, with its essence deeply rooted in the ‘Do’ (the way), is a martial art that has transcended time. Despite its evolution into a dynamic Olympic Sport, its traditional roots remain deeply grounded. At Dragon Martial Arts, we strive to uphold the holistic aspects of Taekwondo, with a core focus on its traditional teachings of self-perseverance, indomitable spirit, and respect. The key aspect of the training session delivered by GM Vella was based on applied self-defence scenarios deriving from traditional patterns.
Hapkimudo is a Korean martial system derived from traditional Hapkido. Unlike Taekwondo, Hapkimudo is an eclectic self-defence system that specialises on applying locks, throws, and takedowns. GM Vella demonstrated various Hapkimudo techniques outside the syllabus context and applied them in more real scenarios.
For numerous years, GM Vella served as the president and technical director of the Malta Taekwondo Federation. He was instrumental in affiliating the local Taekwondo with the Maltese Olympic Committee, the European Taekwondo Union, and the World Taekwondo. GM Vella is a true martial artist constantly seeking self-improvement based on the traditional characteristics of traditional virtues that martial arts are endowed with.