by Devon McNeely
What is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a Martial Art from Korea. The name Taekwondo (also Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-Do, or Tae Kwon-do and abbreviated to TKD) is made up of 3 parts and is one word in Korean. ‘Tae’ refers to the foot and kicking, ‘Kwon’ means fist or striking, and ‘Do’ means the way or the path. Translated literally Taekwondo can mean “Foot Fist Way” or “the art of kicking and punching”.
Though training can include techniques such as throws, grappling and joint locks, Taekwondo is primarily a striking art specializing in fast and powerful kicks. It is the focus on these kicks, including jumping and spin kicks, that truly separates it from other similar striking styles.
A Brief History of Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a modern style with ancient roots. The art as we know it was created in the 1950’s when a group of 9 schools, or kwans, came together to form into a single unified Korean style. Before this point, each kwan was essentially its own style and there were more that did not choose to join together. These other schools make up the other Korean martial arts today such as hapkido, taekkyon, or tang soo do.
Even with this modern formation, there are depictions of Korean martial arts going back 2000 years which look very similar to today’s styles. There is also a strong connection to Japanese karate styles as some of the original masters trained in japan while Korea was under Japanese occupation prior to the end of WWII.
What is the Difference?
The main thing that differentiates taekwondo from other martial arts is its kicks. Taekwondo training usually consists of around 70% kicks and 30% hand techniques though in some schools this may be closer to a 90% – 10% ratio. While other martial arts such as karate and Maui Thai use similar kicks, taekwondo incorporates jump kicks and spinning kicks as well. The image of a flying sidekick or a tornado kick is quintessential to taekwondo.
Taekwondo Training
Taekwondo training has several aspects:
Kick Training
Practicing to kick with speed, power, and agility as well as working on the flexibility needed to kick at an opponent’s head level.
Forms Training
The forms (Hyung) are a pattern of strikes, blocks, and kicks teaching the fundamental movements of taekwondo while also incorporating more complex aspects of the art.
Sparring
Practicing combat in a controlled environment with a partner. Students are able to practice their techniques in different combinations against a real person as well as learning to defend against and avoid similar attacks. Sparring can also be trained for competition.
Self Defense
Utilizing the techniques they have learned against specific attacks or in a choreographed manner. This is an intermediary step between the solo forms training and free sparring with a partner.
Breaking/Destruction
The breaking of boards and bricks to demonstrate skill and power in the student’s techniques.
Olympics
Taekwondo is one of the few Asian martial arts included as Olympic sports, the others being Judo, and as of the 2020 Olympics, Karate. Taekwondo made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Games and became an official medal sport at the 2000 Sydney Games.