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Taekwondo, Martial Art
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Taekwondo (also spelled tae kwon do, taekwon-do, or taegwondo) is a martial art originating in Korea.
An amalgamation of Chinese, Japanese, and traditional Korean fighting styles, it has become the world's most commonly practiced martial art, and is the national sport of Korea as well as an Olympic sporting event.
Exercise, Martial Arts
In Korean, derived from hanja, tae means "to strike or smash with the foot"; kwon means "to strike or smash with the hand"; and do means "art of" or "as a way of life". Hence, taekwondo is loosely translated as "the art of hand and foot" or "the way of the foot and the fist". It's popularity has resulted in the divergent evolution of the art. As with many other martial arts, it is a combination of combat technique, self-defense, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy.
The art in general emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, using the leg's greater reach and power to disable the opponent from a distance.
In sparring, turning (roundhouse), 45 degree, front, axe, and side kicks are most often used; advanced kicks include jump, spin, skip, and drop kicks, often in combination.
Taekwondo training also includes a comprehensive system of hand strikes and blocks, but generally does not emphasize grappling.
Mental, Physical Fitness
This sport is famed for its employment of kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts such as karate or certain southern styles of kung fu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to strike without retaliation.
An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's strength.
Fitness Exercise
Although each club or school will be different, a taekwondo student can typically expect to take part in most or all of the following:- Learning the techniques and curriculum of taekwondo
- Both anerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
- Self-defense techniques
- Poomse, or patterns (also called forms) -- either tul, hyung, palgwe, or taeguk
- Kyorugi(Sparring), including step-sparring and/or free-style, arranged, hoshinsul and more
- Relaxation exercises
- Breaking (using techniques to break boards for testing, training & martial arts demonstrations)
- Exams to progress to the next rank
- A focus on mental, & ethical discipline, justice, etiquette, respect, and self confidence.
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