Taekwondo: Origin, Training And Grading System

Origin

Taekwondo has been used for about 2300 years and originated in Korea. The name however has only been used since 1955. Tae means kick, Kwon means punch and Do means method/art, therefore Taekwondo is literally the art of kicking and punching. General Choi Hong Hi was a South Korean Army General and martial artist who first founded Taekwondo.Taekwondo was created by using the techniques of Taekkyon, Shotokan Karate and Judo (Taekkyon is a Korean Martial art, Judo and Karate are Japanese.). Taekwondo is an influence of 4 preexisting Martial arts. Taekwondo spread around the world when the Americans went to the Korean War (1950 – 1953) and they stayed there for a while. Students then travelled back to America. Many Koreans travelled to America and taught Taekwondo there too. Taekwondo was also founded in the 1950s. Taekwondo teaches discipline, self defence, self respect and respect for others and fitness which makes it a great martial art to learn.

Training

Training makes a serious component of mastering any martial art and makes no exception for Taekwondo. Being a martial art heavily relying on strong kicks, a high degree of flexibility is necessary to perform advanced kicks. Many black belts with a high dan can perform a full split with relative ease. Numerous stretches are also done before actually practicing kicks as the legs need to be very loose to perform the advanced and high difficulty kicks. In Taekwondo training paddles, punching bags and kicking shields are used to practise all kinds of kicks on. Punches are practiced on punching bags. Poomsae is a series of moves in a set. Each level has their own unique set of moves. Kyorugi is sparring which is a fight between 2 Taekwondo Practitioners. In Kyorugi you apply the blocks, punches, kicks and strikes to fight another person. Taekwondo is one of the most difficult martial arts so training is extremely crucial to master it. During training and grading, practitioners will wear a traditional dobok which is a clothing typically coloured white or black.

Grading and Belt System

Taekwondo is divided by belts and grading is necessary to move up to different belts. Each belt has their own unique pattern or Poomsae that needs to be practiced in order to move to the next belt. White is for a beginner and black is for a master. The belts are then further divided into sections: Junior, Senior, Master and Grandmaster. A certain degree of skill is necessary too. For example, a blue belt is expected to know front kicks, back kicks, roundhouse kicks and more. Each level is taught kicks and rises in difficulty throughout the belt system. During grading, students perform Poomsae, Kyorugi and individual kicks and are marked on how they are executed. A certain mark must be gained in order to pass and receive the next belt. Certain styles of Taekwondo vary in belt colours like some may include purple and orange. The one shown below is a typical Taekwondo belt system.

Stance

The main Taekwondo stance or starting position is a L shape with one foot back and one foot forward. It is positioned like this so the rear and front foot can perform brutal and devastating kicks quickly from start.

Taekwondo Curriculum

A typical Taekwondo Curriculum contains Poomsae, Kyorugi, Board Breaking, Stretching and Aerobics, Taekwondo basic and advanced techniques, Throwing and grappling techniques, Strong focus on discipline and respect, Relaxation and Meditation exercises, Examinations and Tests to ascend the belt levels and Breathing Control. Poomsae is forms and patterns that are required to be learnt in order to move up belt ranks. Poomsae contains a series of punches, blocks, kicks and strikes. Kyorugi is sparring, which tests your current skills against someone equal or better than you at the martial art in a fight using full contact. Board Breaking is for demonstrations at seminars and to work on power implemented through punches, kicks and strikes to break the board. The Taekwondo techniques are based on kicks, punches, blocks and strikes. Throwing and grappling techniques are the Judo and Aikido component of Taekwondo that practices on dropping and throwing the opponent. Discipline and respect are very important in every martial art and discipline is emphasised greatly in Taekwondo. Relaxation and meditation is crucial in Taekwondo because to perform the advanced attacks calmness and relaxation is necessary to master them while also supporting well being. Examination and Tests are used to grade students so they can move up belt ranks. Breathing Control is taught widely in the Eastern Martial arts as it supports calmness and well being.

Punching

  • Straight Jab: The basic punch that just twists your fist and thrusts it for extra power forward.
  • Uppercut: This punch simply thrusts your fist in an upwards direction. Ideal for hitting the jaw or any part of the head.
  • Hook: Used in many martial arts, this punch just hooks your arm around to the side. Good for head attacks and the liver.
  • Sucker Punch: A punch that just takes the target by surprise.
  • Cross: Basically a hook but from the rear arm so that the turning movement of the hips will generate more power.
  • C – Shape: A punch in a C shape to hit the opponent’s head and mid section.
  • C Shape Punch

Kicks

  • Side Kick: A kick that is aimed at the hips or the side of the head. It uses the rear foot, twisting your hips.
  • Turn Kick: Very similar to the side kick, but you turn with your hips, developing speed and power to hit your opponent.
  • Axe Kick: You lift your foot up high and drop it on someone using your heel to hit the head or chest.
  • Crescent Kick: You make a crescent motion by lifting your foot quickly up and forming a crescent motion by bringing your heel upon someone.
  • Back Kick: You spin around and use the back of your foot to hit the opponent.
  • Front Kick: Lifting your foot and knee to a desired position and pushing forward with power aimed at mid section and above.
  • Hook Kick: Lifting your foot and hooking it to the side hitting your opponent’s head or waist with the ball of your heel.
  • RoundHouse Kick: An advanced form of kicking where you spin around and kick with the rear foot. This can be done with jumping.
  • Stomp Kick: Originating Kung Fu, this kick is performed by stomping on your opponent’s knee to shatter their balance and then finish them off on the ground.
  • Kicks can be used simultaneously to create a combo.
  • A Roundhouse Kick

Blocks

  • Knife Hand Blocks: Your hands resemble knives and use the outer ridge of your hand to block punches and strikes. Knife hand is used to block, parry, grab and deflect attacks.
  • Closed Fist Blocks: Your fists are closed into fists and mainly just guard and deflect using your fists. You use your forearms to block punches and strikes.
  • Outer Arm Block: This block is commonly performed in the mid section for punches and strikes. You hook your forearm out to block a punch or strike.
  • Low Block: This block is used to defend against kicks coming upwards and low section attacks. It is performed by bringing your forearm down to deflect a hit. It is a snapping action directed down to deflect mainly low kicks.
  • High Block (ITF Rising Block): This block is used for blocking incoming axe kicks and or front kicks aimed at the head. This block is mainly for blocking attacks coming from above. It is performed by bringing your arm upward above head height with the wrist centered above head height.

Striking

  • Back fist: Spin around to gain momentum and strike your opponent with the back of your fist and knuckles creating a harsh blow to the head.
  • Elbow Strike: The forearm is folded inwards towards the body and the strike is delivered with the outside of the forearm or elbow while stepping forwards. Taekwondo also makes use of reverse and front elbow strikes.
  • Knife Hand Strike: Similar to a Karate Chop, the hand is shaped like a knife and is used to chop the throat and neck.
  • Hammer Fist: Your hand is extended and your fist is closed. You strike using your fist in any direction to make contact with your fist and forearms against the mid section and head.
  • Scissor Finger: Similar to a finger jab in Chinese Martial Art Wing Chun, the Scissor Finger is the closed fist with the middle and forefinger are extended outwards to jab the eyes. Severely it can cause blindness and is one of the most dangerous techniques which is why it is banned in many styles of martial art tournaments.

Taekwondo At The Olympics

Taekwondo made its first Olympic appearance in the year 1988 in the summer Olympics in Seoul, which is the capital of South Korea. Taekwondo then became an official Olympic Medal sport in the Sydney – Australia Olympics. It has been an Olympic sport since the year 2000. There are 2 events in Olympic Taekwondo which are Poomsae and Kyorugi. Poomsae is a competition where the contestant is required to perform a set of techniques, attacks and blocks. The winner is decided on who performs it best. Kyorugi is a sparring event between 2 contestants who fight against each other using Taekwondo while abiding by the rules. The winner is decided on who gets the most points in a series of matches. 1 point is scored for a legitimate kick to the body, 2 points for a kick to the head or face and 1 for a knockdown. Competitors are also required to wear protective headgear and chest protectors. Striking or kicking below the waist is not permitted. Punches are not allowed to hit the head. Kicks can hit the head and mid section.

The Peculiarities Of Taekwondo Do As Martial Arts

Taekwondo or Tae Kwon Do is a martial art that was founded in Korea in the year of 1945 (Morris) and it was only in the year 2000 that it was announced to be an Olympic sport. ‘Tae’ meaning foot ‘Kwon’ meaning fist and ‘do’ meaning the way of, therefore, Taekwondo means the way of the hand and the foot. Taekwondo is a highly challenging martial art form, which is mainly composed using your legs and feet in the form of kicks. These kicks require the perfect technique and flexibility to perform correctly or else these kicks would lack power and speed.

Goal and Global context

I have chosen ‘Fairness and Development’ as my global context for the personal project. The reason that this is important to me is because of the misconception about martial arts which are usually portrayed as being violent as seen in many movies. Although it is proven that discipline and controlled behaviors can actually make teenagers less aggressive (Dolan). Every martial art has a code of honour. The reason I chose this particular global context is that the duty and goal of any taekwondo practitioner is to stand up for those who cannot, conflict resolution, to create equal opportunities for every single person and bring about peace. An example of someone who has already illustrated this success is Jaydeep Kadam, a man from Mumbai who teaches slum kids Taekwondo. He has brought peace in his slum. However, I would like to use an online method, which has a wider range to global communities to bring about the same peace and conflict resolution (refer to appendix A).

Five tenants of Taekwondo

  • Courtesy – To show kindness to other in and out of the Dojang (Taekwondo school)
  • Integrity – To be to tell the difference between right and wrong;
  • Perseverance – The willingness of a student to continue training under pressure;
  • Self-control – taking control of your emotions and to never let it get the best of you;
  • Indomitable spirit – Standing up for yourself even if the odds are against you; (Victorymartialarts.ca, 2019)

These five tenants above demonstrate the responsibilities of a taekwondo practitioner.

My goal for the personal project is to educate people basic Taekwondo techniques and philosophies using YouTube videos and to influence the younger audience (aged 11-13) to take up any form of martial art. Teenagers often suffer from anxiety, stress, depression eight times higher than they were in 1970 (Monroe) and spend a lot of time indoors which becomes a lifetime habit, as they move into more stressful environments such as university they struggle. I wanted to help them cope with stressful situations using martial arts. The problem with available tutorials on YouTube is that they cater to people who have some prior experience with martial arts and do not encourage the younger audience to take up a martial art. In order for me to achieve my goal, I will need to plan my content carefully which I will need to include in my video, keeping in mind that I want to encourage the younger audience to take up any form of martial art. I would then need to write a script for the videos, film and edit the videos. The biggest challenge for me would be the way that I phrase my explanations in order for the audience to understand, while keeping the video engaging. Teaching in person is completely different to teaching through online videos. When teaching using an online method you are not interacting with the audience so they cannot ask you any questions directly, therefore, no engagement between the audience and me. The topic is also challenging as I am trying to create awareness and interest and to those who need to learn this from the basic level.

I have been doing this type of martial art for over 7 years and I have achieved the rank of a 1st degree black belt. Through this time, I have gained proficiency of many different aspects of Taekwondo.

Since I had absolutely no coaching experience prior to this project, I have had to sign up as an assistant to my coaches at my dojang throughout the summer vacation in 2018 where I had to help beginners from all ages to improve their Taekwondo kicks and patterns (refer to appendix B). This recent experience to coach will help me achieve my goal because it gives me a very good sense of what younger kids need to focus and areas that they struggle with when they first start this martial art. I can use the knowledge that I have acquired from coaching at my current dojang to tailor my video, which will aimed keeping what a beginner would need.

When it comes to creating videos, I will use my previous knowledge that I have gained in Digital Design. In year 9-10 we were required to make a video for our project where I learned how to effectively edit a video and what techniques could be used in order to keep the audience immersed. Apart from this in year 9 we had an English unit about media, where we learned about different camera angles and when/where they should be used. Prior learning in the Biology classes such as using the hip and other abdominal muscles twist provide extra force and momentum when kicking, thus leading to a more powerful kick (Lange). Concepts in Physics such as center of mass is very important while kicking in Taekwondo as in order to avoid losing balance the center of mass must be on the center of the foot. The heel of the foot must never leave the ground while impact, this is vital for balance as well as power when kicking (Lange).

Demonstrating Research Skills

For my research, I have chosen to interview Master Grant Randall, a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo and ex-military personnel. I had asked Mr Randall “What do most people struggle with when they start Taekwondo?” He replied, “When people start Taekwondo, they struggle a lot with their kicks and flexibility, however, when training with us for a short amount of time, they actually improve rapidly. However, with beginners, you have to keep a constant eye on them when kicking in order to teach them the correct technique. I also had to conduct some secondary research in order to enhance my video editing skills, as they were rusty before I had started the project. To do this I had mainly used online tutorials to clear up any doubts that I had and to further improve the quality of my video. I inquired about some advanced techniques to use when editing a video such as how to improve visuals by adding video effects. I also had to read up on articles online on how to teach children martial arts, since children have an extremely low attention span (Klein), it is very hard to capture their minds and ask them to focus on a task. However, by utilizing positive reinforcement or by making the task engaging children will show much more focus. My time as an assistant coach also helped me understand the weakness of beginners; I can use this information when making my product (Refer to Appendix C for OPVL).

Plan and Record Development Process

I wanted to plan my personal project as early as possible because I wanted to get a head start. I had started to brainstorm my personal project as early as June 2018 to understand what I would need to do and the holidays. To keep track of my progress I used my process journal, I wrote down whatever progress I had made over the summer holidays. This allowed me to jot down any ideas and questions I had.

The creation of my action plan (refer to Appendix E) helped me keep track of any upcoming deadlines that I set for myself. The action plan helped me stick to my deadlines as it contains start and end dates, which I can follow in order to manage my time well and finish the personal project in time. One of the main difficulties that I foresee would be trying to finish everything on time studying for my exams, attending my regular taekwondo classes as well as finishing any other schoolwork that is given.

Organization Skills

Before the year 11 academic year had started, I had started the research process for my personal project. Even though I had completed a small part of my project before the school academic year started, it became harder to manage my time due to the increased workload. However, using the action plan, I was able to plan my work throughout year 11. To organize all my files, photos and video I used OneDrive. This had helped me keep all my important files in one place and allowed me to access them whenever necessary (Refer to appendix F). I used Windows calendar on my computer to remind me to email my supervisor allowing me to stay on track (refer to appendix G)

Affective Skills

Before selecting this specific topic for my personal project, I was conflicted with two topics in mind. I used my teachers and peers to critically look at each of the two topics in order to see which one was more appropriate and challenging. This topic needed me to be effective at coaching younger age groups, with no prior teaching experience I had to therefore go for a whole month during my summer holidays and act as an assistant coach to my Taekwondo teacher to get this valuable experience. What was complicating matters further during the summer holidays we were to travel so that meant I would lose some time to coach for those days and I wanted to get as much coaching experience before our travel. That is when I decided to get to my dojang early every day of the week so that I could continue my learning in this area. Even though this had got to be exhausting and fatiguing, I still had a positive outlook and have benefitted through this experience as it was encouraging to be seen as a mentor by younger teenagers.

Reflection Skills

I was able to reflect on my report and improve it where needed. I took my work to many different people like friends, teachers and even my parents. I analyzed the strengths and weaknesses and improved on my weaknesses. During my time coaching at my Dojang I made many mistakes as it was the first-time teaching students. Sometimes wasn’t paying attention to each child in the class and could not pick up those using the wrong technique, while I was sometimes using terminology that was for adults and that was confusing some of the students. Although with time I was able to communicate my message effectively to students and effectively picked out those that needed my help to improve their Taekwondo. I did this through reflecting on my mistakes and by constantly observing my superiors.

Process of Creating the product

To create my product there were many different stages of production. These stages included the layout of the project, preparing myself to deliver this in areas which included my own development as a coach, planning/designing of the content, filming, video and photo editing. To edit the videos and the photos the software that was used was Sony Vegas Pro 13, to film the video a normal phone camera with a resolution of 1920×1080 and a frame rate of 60 was used.

The video format was heavily inspired by modern YouTube videos from online martial art personalities such as Aaron Fraser and Shane Fazen. Both of these personalities upload tutorials for improving various martial art techniques. I created one video that showcases the very basic Taekwondo kicks as that is more relevant to my target audience. A script had to be created before starting to film (refer to appendix H)

The video started out with an introduction. In this, I introduced myself and explained my relation with Taekwondo. Then I stated the names of the kicks I will be teaching in that video.

A medium shot was used in the introduction to capture only my body and face. However, a long shot was used for the remainder of the video excluding the outro. The reason for this is because I needed to capture my entire body in order to properly execute/teach the kick.

Three kicks that were demonstrated and taught in the video. These kicks are the very basic kicks in Taekwondo. I filmed the kicks with the help of my father. The kicks are the front snap kick, the roundhouse kick and the side kick. In my time volunteering these three kicks were the first ones to be taught to the teenagers. Before kicking I had to include a warm up which is very important to prevent injury and to improve the quality of the kicking techniques. The warm up consisted of ballistic and static stretches. The ballistic stretches (stretches that require the bouncing movements to stretch the muscle) that were used was the butterfly stretch and the standing hamstring stretch. The static stretches (holding a stretch to the maximum point for a set amount of time) (Blahnik) that were used were the hurdler hamstring stretch and the seated hamstring stretch. To make it simple I broke down all the kicks into 3 different movements. I then explained the practical use of the techniques on a kicking target so that the audience knew where and how to apply these kicks. While editing I gave commentary, or a voice over to all the kicking techniques in order to explain the technique more into depth.

My goal for the personal project was to encourage kids and younger teens to take up a martial art because of its numerous benefits. My global context for my project was ‘Fairness and Development’. Everyone should have access to equal opportunities especially when it comes to defending themselves. According to Dr. Terrance Webster Doyle, we can reverse the terrible trend of violence the youth faces if they get proper training from martial arts that are for peace (Doyle). However, many people cannot afford martial art classes and rely on the internet to teach them techniques to defend themselves. Being an expert in martial arts gives an individual the confidence to avoid a hostile situation leading peace and conflict resolution.

Demonstrating Excellent Thinking Skills

During this project I have transferred and applied my existing knowledge to create a product. I used my existing knowledge of Digital design (DD) to edit and create a video. We had a unit on movie/video editing in DD where I was taught all the basics to editing software’s, I used this knowledge to help edit and create my videos. I have also identified the problem with online martial art tutorials, the problem is that they cater to people who are currently doing a martial art. There are hardly any videos that cater to beginners. I recognized this gap and decided to make a free YouTube video that teaches people how to perform basic Taekwondo techniques and is catered to young teenagers.

Demonstrate excellent Communication and Social Skills

Communication and social skills became a very important part in my project. This is because I was making a product that was supposed teaching someone a very challenging technique. These became fundamental skills in order for my project to be a success, as I spent time observing and collaborating with my coaches in order for me to gain experience with coaching so that I was coherent when making my product. I spent time observing how my Taekwondo coaches taught my audience, mainly young teenagers. Only after this did I actually start coaching. This experience has really helped me create a quality product that caters to young teenagers as I have been equipped with the experience to teach them. During my time coaching there were teenagers who were not as talented as others and learned a different way. For example, there were some teenagers who learned better moving around as they were kinaesthetic learners and some who were auditory learners. I had to adapt my way of teaching in order to cater to them. This is also one of the reasons I chose a video for my product instead of an E-book or a website, as a video this caters to visual, kinaesthetic and auditory learners.

Evaluating the quality of the product/outcome against the criteria

After spending many hours working on my personal project I am very happy with my product. The video is very coherent and can be understood by many different age groups, even though it was targeted at teenagers who are aged 11-13. This project has not only taught me skills such as video and photo editing but has also taught me time/self management and coaching skills.

My product can only be successful if it is graded against my criteria and If I receive a high grade. According to my survey results from my peers (refer to appendix I and J) and my own self-reflection this project deserves a 7. The reason for this is that the practicality, constructiveness and the content in the video were all meeting the level 7-8 level. The video effectively explains the kicking techniques in a way a beginner can understand how to execute these kicks properly.

However, my product does have its weaknesses. One of the weaknesses of my product is that the Aesthetics are not meeting the level 7-8 criteria. The video contained no transitions meaning that I could not get a mark for the 4th level 7-8 strand on the criteria. I also feel like I should have chosen a more neutral background. Another weakness is the video didn’t contain appropriate vocabulary for beginners. I should have used simpler vocabulary in order to cater to the younger audience.

This project has really helped me understand my passion, which is Taekwondo at a deeper level. I have always loved Taekwondo ever since I had started it. Making videos is also has been a very big passion of mine but I was never able to pursue it because I never felt confident enough. This project has allowed me to gain the confidence that I needed. I have also acquired a new life skill which is coaching. When coaching, or even just teaching my friends, I feel I have become clear and more concise. However, this project has also helped me to improve in certain subjects like DD.

This project has developed my knowledge even further on the global context ‘fairness and development’. Working on this topic has allowed me to further understand peace and conflict resolution and access to equal opportunities and how martial arts can aid this. Martial art’s prime goal is not offence but defence, martial arts promotes self-discipline which encourages students to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary. With this being said the people who practice self-discipline contribute to conflict resolution.

Throughout this project I feel like I have become more of an inquirer and a risk taker. I have become a better inquirer because it was crucial for me to be one to complete this project. I had to conduct primary and secondary research to improve the quality of my project. Before this project I was always embarrassed of asking questions that I thought may be a little foolish. However, during my time as a coaching assistant I had to ask many questions in order to improve my coaching skills. I also had to conduct online research to enhance my video editing skills as they were really poor before I had started this project. Another learner profile I have developed is being a risk taker. I have always been a risk taker. However, with this project I feel like I had tried something that was out of my comfort zone which was to make a video with myself in it and post it online, I have never felt comfortable with this. Although, when I actually made my product, I realized that it was not uncomfortable and I actually enjoyed the process.

Works Cited

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  9. JustAlexHalford, director. Https://Www.youtube.com/Watch?v=StU5TYSmiNI. YouTube, YouTube, 24 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=StU5TYSmiNI.
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  16. “The Tribal Box | Jaydeep Kadam- The Taekwondo Man of Chembur Mumbai.” The Tribal Box | Meet Sumaira Abdulali, Fighting against Noise Pollution & Sand Drudging Mafias since a Decade, SISANC, 30 Nov. 2017, www.thetribalbox.com/sports/jaydeep-kadam-the-taekwondo-man-of-chembur-mumbai.
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Taekwondo As My Dream

Imagine being good at taekwondo. No scrap that. imagine being great at taekwondo. No scrap that again. Imagine being the Best taekwondo martial artist in the world. Yes, thats my dream, and let me tell you how I am going to achieve it.

First, I have been, and will continue to, motivate myself by saying out my positive affirmations every morning. But wait! what IS a positive affirmation Sia? well let me tell you, it is a method of mental preparation that sportsman and performers use to sustain motivation even when training gets tough. It feels like pressing a reset button and starting with a refreshed mind again and working harder towards achieving my dream. This has got me through many difficult days and i highly recommend it for self encouragement.

Secondly, you need to have a clear goal! But what is goal setting? Goal setting is a way for you to know what you want to achieve! once you know, you can make a plan! There are two types of goals, long term and short term goals, where short term mini goals help to increase a sense of achievement when morale is low and the long term goal feels too difficult to reach. I also reward myself as a way to keep myself more motivated towards the achievement of my goals!

Thirdly, you need to know how to pace yourself! So what is pacing? Pacing is the conscious effort of managing yourself as you train, this includes understanding how much your mind and body can take daily during training, such that you do not burn out pre-maturely. Previously, when I worked a lot, my productivity would drop, which is why I pace myself, so that I would find time to engage in leisure activities to take my mind off training. This enables me to return to training the next day with a fresher mind.

Fourth, have a support group! So what is a support group? Support groups are people that believes in your dream and that they support your goals! This makes a whole lot difference! This helps me a lot! As having positive people around me helps me to find the strength and courage to move on and not give up on my dream. This people would motivate me to work harder and make to do the best to achieve my dream.

Lastly, be optimistic! So let me tell you what is optimistic? Optimistic means to be hopeful and confident about your future! So instead of being distressed and dejected to the point of wanting to give up on your goals, why not just learn from your mistakes? I learn from the mistakes and just move from those mistakes. This will definitely make you to be a stronger person!

I will keep working hard towards achieving my dream and I definitely believe that I will become the world best taekwondo martial artist one day! Thank you for listening, have a great evening!

History of Taekwondo Essay

What is taekwondo-do? In simple terms, it’s a kind of unarmed combat that began in ancient times and was practiced in the Orient for many centuries. The art of unarmed combat or self-defense got to be sharpened in Korea. This art has been embraced by many Eastern countries such as China and Japan in combination with their denominations and national characteristics (Moennig, 2). Ch’ an-fuah or Kuon-tao is the name referred to as in China while in Japan, it is known as Kempo or Karate. According to the Korean language, the name ‘taekwondo’ defines the unarmed combat technique of defending one-self using skilled application of dodges, punches, hand interceptions, blocks, flying kicks, and interceptions using feet and arms while quickly destroying the opponent.

Taekwondo is more than physicality and skilled movements to the Korean citizens as it also signifies a form of psychology and life, especially in teaching an idea and the force of strict self-driven discipline which allows achievement of a noble and moral individual. One can describe it as a cult. In today’s society, intimidation and violence seem to have infested itself in the societies we come from, taekwondo allows the weak to have a fine weapon which they can use to protect and defend themselves, it can also be used to defeat the opponent. Still, when used wrongly it can be a dangerous weapon. For a woman, the skill value is undoubtedly immeasurable and an invaluable asset that can be used to drive away and tackle wolves, so to say. Many cases have been told of weak women protecting themselves effectively, however, it is attributed to their good conception of self-defense art.

Originally, Taekwondo was known as T’ae-Kyon, which was a primitive affair of the Silla Dynasty approximately one thousand three hundred years ago. Upon the division of ancient Korea, the smallest territory was given to the Silla and was receiving constant invasions by the Baekchae from West and Koguryo from the north. After 500 A.D., the Silla King, Chin Hung requested for patriotic and strong youths all around the country to form a military organization which was strong and wound be depended upon in times of national crisis (Moenig et al., 165). The group recognized the honor, spirit, and royalty of a warrior meanwhile enjoying morality, music, and poems. They did this by traveling to famous big rivers and mountains to train the body-spirit. Between 1393-1910, literary arts were encouraged while discouraging the art of valor through word humiliation by the leader from the Yi Dynasty. The foot technique progress stalled and struggled to retain its acceptance.

The hand technique was introduced after the Japanese occupation, afterward of the Yi Dynasty. Japan and China introduce this traditional art allowing the foot and hand techniques to be joined to form one body. After the 1945 liberation, a movement to trace the original name of the art was formed. In 1955, many Taekwondo masters formed a special body to come up with a solution and the words ‘Tae’ and ‘Kwon’ was submitted was unanimously chosen due to the following reasons:

  1. The term was almost close to the old name T’ae-Kyon in regards to both meaning and pronunciation.
  2. It was noted that the name closely visualized the art’s combination of both hand and foot techniques instead of Karate which only recognized the use of the hand.General Choi Hong Hi Born in 1918 Hwa Dae, General Choi is regarded as the father of Taekwondo. He was willful although sickly kid expelled at the age of twelve from school because of leading a demonstration against the occupation by the Japanese.

Choi as the founder of Taekwondo became the president till his passing in June 2002 due to cancer.Choi was persuaded by his father to study Chinese characters and calligraphy. Master Han Ii Dong, his teacher, knew Taek Kyon which he trained in secret throughout his whole Japanese occupation decided to teach Choi too. During the Korean War Choi indorsed to be the Brigadier General, therefore, the chief of staff of the Korean army and thereafter promoted as the rank of Major General. General directed the Korean Army’s Taekwon-do to China and Vietnam to show off his way of unarmed way of fighting techniques.

Therefore both countries were impressed and adopted General Choi’s Taekwon-do as an important part of their soldier’s military training.A handful of young individuals recognize Choi because he has been erased the South Koreans and labeled traitor by the Koreans with little to no recognition as martial art founder (Gillis, 9). However, Killing Art has regarded him as one of the founders. The general combined elements of Karate and Taekyon to create a martial art style named Taekwondo. The International Taekwondo Federation recognizes Choi’s efforts of spreading art around the globe particularly the authentic form of taekwondo.

He also wrote the book Taekwon-Do, the first English version which was published in 1965. He was forced into exile into Canada in 1972 by the government of South Korea because of introducing the sport in their enemy country, North Korea. In 1979, he went back to North Korea receiving warm welcome and support from the authorities to spread the sport worldwide. In 2002, Choi succumbed to cancer and was buried in Pyongyang, receiving a state funeral. Choi will be remembered as the champion and founder of taekwondo.Conclusion Although it can be an uphill task for Western people to understand and grasp the deep meaning of it, the objective of mental education in Taekwondo is to develop a noble character while allowing a person to be part of the wonderful art. It is also to prevent misuse of the technique.

Taekwondo Association president Choi Hong Hi advises for participants to bow before to show Eastern courtesy and politeness as well as showing respect to the instructor. Moreover, he encourages climbing mountains to help in exercising the legs, promoting the spirit of triumph and victory. The infamous Korean poem state that no matter the height of a mountain, it is seen as a small tomb from heaven and any person who attempts to climb it has no reason not to succeed, however, often one says that the mountain is too high without even trying. Lastly, taekwondo students are encouraged to travel to historical or noted areas to gain patriotism as well as overcoming adversity.