During an afternoon interview at the Hapkido Studio of their instructor, Bong Soo Han, Gibson and Eisen talked about how dancing had benefited their study of the martial arts.

Eisen began explaining, "As a dancer, I'm used to really moving my body. I'm familiar with what it can do. Dancing is something that involves the total body, like martial arts, and by knowing my body, it's easier for me to listen to what an instructor wants me to do and then reproduce it. Learning a new dance is very similar to learning a new skill in Hapkido. In both of these arts, you watch somebody move, see what it is that he's doing and listen to his explanation."

Gibson continues, "It's like trying to describe a picture with words - you can never really get the picture across to the other person. The person would have to see the picture himself. So it is with any movement, either a dance step or a Hapkido kick. You can tell the person some things about the kick, but you can't tell them everything about the kick. The person has to see the kick for himself. He has to know how the kick should look in its completed form."

Both Gibson and Eisen are members of the Aman Dancers, a Los Angeles-based troupe that specializes in folk and ethnic dances. The diversified repertoire includes dances from Mexico, Spain, the United States, Ireland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, China and countries of Northern Africa and the Middle East. The troupe is divided into two groups: a smaller, 13-member group that's fully professional and a larger group whose members dance part-time.

"I'm a member of the smaller group," explains Gibson. "All I do for a living is dance. Although Charlie used to be with the smaller group, he now dances with a larger, seventy-five member troupe."

Working nine-to-five as a banker, Eisen admits, "Yes, I do get frustrated by my job. I dream of someone coming along and supporting me so I can work out in Hapkido or dance all day."

In the meantime, he settles for after-work sessions in the Hapkido studio. "I try to get here as often as I can. I try to attend a class every day. Ideally, I get here about five-thirty to warm up, loosen up 'til about seven and then take classes from seven to eight p.m. If there's any sparring going on, I like to stick around afterwards.

"There are a lot of things involved other than just instruction. Jumping, kicking, stretching, hand techniques. A lot of these are easier to do with another person, but you can always find ways of doing them yourself."

Gibson says, "My schedule is pretty much straightforward. I come to the dojo on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I rehearse on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. So, unless I'm working or on tour, I usually come to the studio.

"I've been studying with Bong Soo Han for about a year-and-a-half now, but I've always been active. I had some kung fu and tai chi when I was younger. I looked all over Hollywood and Los Angeles before I found Bong Soo Han's studio, but I felt this was the school I could best relate to."

Eisen became acquainted with the studio through Gibson, who was already attending. "Of course, I'd heard about martial arts for a long time, but it wasn't until the last couple of years that I felt that I needed something more physical than just the dancing."

As far as belts are concerned, Gibson answered, " That's strictly up to my instructor. If I work out four times a week for the next five years, I think a belt is going to be something that just goes along with the working out. It is something that's a natural progression. I mean, you can have a rank-that's one thing-but you're always going to be able to do better.

"If my goal were to be a black belt-period-I think I'd be missing the point. When you get there, you will be there, and then you have to go somewhere else. It's the process that interests me the most."