TaeKwonDo School

TaeKwonDo School

TaeKwondo is made up of three words:

Tae which means to break with foot; Kwon means to strike or break with fist or hand and Do which means way or method.  So, it is roughly translated as the way of kicking and punching.

TaeKwonDo’s trademark, as a sport, is its fast combination of kicks.  This must be the reason why this is very appealing to the youth.  It is the world’s most popular martial art or sport in terms of the number of practitioners.  TaeKwonDo practitioners, otherwise known as “jin” come from all ages both male and female.

As with any other art, it combines combat techniques, self defense, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy.

What makes TaeKwondo distinct from any other martial arts is its emphasis on kicking techniques.  This distinguishes it from other martial arts such as Karate or Kung Fu.  The reason behind such approach is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has.  Kicking has the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation.

Historically, the Koreans believe that the hands wee too valuable to use in combat.  This belief is probably the main reason why the development of the feet as weapons was conceptualized.

In the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, TaeKwonDo was featured as an exhibition sport.  In 1994, TaeKwonDo became an official medal sport, further solidifying its place in the world of martial sports.  It is interesting to note that of all the martial arts in the world, only two are included in the Olympics.  These are Judo and TaeKwonDo.

Let us take a look at a few reasons why TaeKwonDo was accepted in the Olympics and why there are more TaeKwondo practitioners than any other martial art.

Complete and clearly defined set of rules – the rules governing the sport are well in place, universally accepted and properly maintained.

Clearly defined scoring system – since this is a martial sport, not a professional full-contact sport, a scoring system must be in place to determine the victor.  Without such a scoring system, it wouldn’t be considered a competitive sport at all.

High regard for safety – this is the safest martial art of sport to learn than any other discipline.  Athletes or competitors are required to wear protective gear in the head, upper body, forearms, shins and groin.  This regard for safety probably is the most definitive reason why a lot of martial enthusiasts would train in it and parents allow their children to participate.

TaeKwonDo competitions are divided into weight divisions for both men and women.  Athletes are awarded points if they can deliver a legitimate blow to the opponent.  A violation would result in a penalty or point deduction.  Winners advance into the next round of competitions until they reach the finals.  Competitions follow a single-elimination format.

If having fun while learning martial arts is what you wanted, then TaeKwonDo would probably be best for you.  You can still enjoy the benefits of having good health, discipline, self-defense techniques without being exposes to high risk of injury.