Combat hopak is a Ukrainian martial art based on traditional dance. Combat hopak goes back to the ‘real’ hopak. Hopak as a fighting art has been disguised as a dance for a long time protect it from extinction (Pivtorak 2016).
History/Development
From the 1950s until recently hopak was almost exclusively performed as a dance, often linked to state celebrations (Pivtorak 2016). In the 1980s Volodymur Pylat took the elements of Ukrainian martial arts that were hidden in traditional hopak dancing and created combat hopak.
Transmission (Policies/institutions)
Schools can be found in Ukraine but also in the United States, Canada and other countries with a large Ukrainian immigrant population. Combat hopak was present at the Chungju World Martial Arts Festival in 2001 (Chungju World Martial Arts Festival, s.d.).
Relevant Organisations
Additional Materials
- Interview with Volodymyr Pylat, July 22, 2013: http://www.radiosvoboda.org/media/video/25053447.html - UATV documentary video:
References
- Pivtorak, Y. (2016). Ukrainian Hopak: From Dance for Entertainment to Martial Art, Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/congress-on-research-in-dance/article/ukrainian-hopak-from-dance-for-entertainment-to-martial-art/11FE9632C947D1663532123655CFEBBA - Chungju World Martial Arts Festival http://www.martialarts.or.kr/index_eng.php