Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, and is the national sport of South Korea.

In Korean;

• Tae means “to strike with foot”
• Kwon means “to strike with fist”
• Do means “way"

Therefore Tae Kwon Do means “the way of the hand and foot”.

Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport since 2000, and thus the art branches out into 2 distinct types:

• Traditional Taekwondo: this is the form of the martial art as established by the South Korean military in the 1950s.
• Sport Taekwondo: this form has developed since the 1950s, and has a much greater emphasis on speed and competition.

Taekwondo mainly uses kicks thrown from a mobile stance, taking advantage of the the greater reach and power of the leg compared to the arm. Taekwondo also includes a system of blocks, kicks, punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various take-downs or sweeps, throws, and joint locks. Some taekwondo instructors also incorporate the use of pressure points, known as jiapsul, as well as grabbing self-defense techniques borrowed from other martial arts, such as Ju Jitsu and Judo.

Origins

The earliest records of Taekwondo date back to around 50 B.C in ancient Korea, when the country was divided into 3 kingdoms; Silla, which was founded on the Kyongju plain in 57 B.C.; Koguryo, founded in the Yalu River Valley in 37 B.C.; and Paekche, founded in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula in 18 B.C.

For more details please see:

http://www.worldtaekwondo.com/history.htm

Taekwondo Today

Today the art is split into the 2 main forms listed above, and is based on the Eleven Commandments of modern day Taekwondo, which are:

•  Loyalty to your country
•  Faithfulness to your spouse
•  Respect your brothers and sisters
•  Respect your teachers
•  Indomitable spirit
•  Finish what you begin
•  Respect your parents
•  Loyalty to your friends
•  Respect your elders
•  Never take life unjustly
•  Loyalty to your school

     

Weapons

Taekwondo is primarily an unarmed martial art, although many teachers use knives, staffs and swords in their teaching, especially to use them to teach “defense against a weapon”.

Trivia

•       Taekwondo was founded on 11^th April 1955
•       The traditional uniform worn by a Taekwondo student is called a Dobak
•       The founder of Taekwondo was General Choi-Hong Hi 9^th Degree Grandmaster
 

For more information please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo

Author: The Bear Martial Arts Team 

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