Taekwondo is a juxtaposition of three words, “tae,” “kwon,” and “do.” Literally it translates to “way of striking/breaking with the foot and fist.” Taekwondo is a dynamic martial art, like karate or kung fu. However, Taekwondo places strong emphasis on a myriad of kicks to attack and defend. Although hand combat and some grappling is taught, these are given less emphasis than kicking.
Taekwondo Belt Colors
Colored belts denote rank and skill in taekwondo. Advancing to the next belt does not always mean a change of color though: stripes or tips are added every other advancement. So green belt becomes green belt with a blue stripe down the middle. There are ten belts before black belt, called geups. Geups begin at ten, so a beginner, or white belt, is a tenth geup. There are nine ranks of black belts, known as a dan. Dan begin at one.
Types of Kicks
Because taekwondo is a dynamic martial art it requires fast reflexes, lots of stamina, and power behind its moves. Flexibility is a great bonus, but being able to break into a full split isn’t necessary. Taekwondo has scores of impressive kicks, but they all derive from one of four kicks. These are the four basic kicks in taekwondo:
- Snap Kick (a front kick)
- Side Kick
- Back Kick
- Roundhouse Kick
Taekwondo Forms
As all forms martial arts, taekwondo has sets of forms that function like exercises. Taekwondo has two different sets of forms, or pumsae: palgae and taeguk. For the most part though, palgae are obsolete and few schools teach them anymore. As the forms progress, they become longer and the moves become more complicated.
Northern and Southern Taekwondo
Taekwondo has two main schools: Northern from North Korea, and Southern from South Korea. These two schools have distinctive differences in fighting style and forms. Students of one school might scoff at the forms or style other school on occasion, but aside from these individual occurrences, the two schools as a whole are cordial to each other.
The reason for taekwondo’s shady history has to do with the history of Korea itself. Some say that taekwondo is a development of early Korean martial arts. Others argue that the martial arts of Japan and China, particularly karate, had more influence on taekwondo than any early Korean art. This holds a lot of sway since Japan occupied Korea from 1910-1945. During this time, Japan tried to eradicate everything Korean, banning the language and history.
Taekwondo Today
Today, taekwondo is not only used for defense but also enjoyed by many people as a sport. Taekwondo has become so popular across the globe that it was added as an Olympic sport in 2000. In South Korea, taekwondo is part of the military’s training. Dojangs, taekwondo training halls, can be found even in relatively small towns around the world. It’s come a long way, literally, from its start in Korea.
Watch two black belts spar.
Cheryl Metzger - Cheryl Metzger is a professional pianist who enjoys moonlighting as a writer. She is currently working on a fantasy story for young ...
