What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo is an ancient Korean martial art of self-defence. "Tae" means to kick or smash with the feet, Kwon" means fist or to punch and "Do" means art or way. Therefore Taekwondo is the art of hand and foot fighting.
Taekwondo is an art primarily concerned with self-defence. Taekwondo seeks to train the body with optimum speed and accuracy to effectively defeat any kind of attack. T.T.A. Taekwondo teaches the COMPLETE art of Taekwondo. The philosophy and spirit that is embodied in the ancient art as well as modern up to date sports science practises are combined to provide you with a balanced and complete martial art.

TAE KWON DO'S FIVE TENETS

All martial arts are expressing and advocating certain goals or beliefs, which are characteristic for each particular martial art. There are five (5) TENETS in Tae Kwon Do. They are the "credo" of Tae Kwon Do. In other words, these tenets are certain beliefs, principles, dogmas or doctrines. The action and behavior of the Tae Kwon Do practitioner are expected to be in accordance with these rules and with all their implications. Tae Kwon Do emphasizes these five tenets and regards them, as its first must. They explain and summarize the entire teaching of Tae Kwon Do.

The five tenets are:

Oath of Taekwondo

I shall observe the Tenets of Taekwondo,

I shall respect my Instructor and Seniors,

I shall never misuse Taekwondo,

I shall be a champion of freedom and justice,

I shall build a more peaceful world.

The philosophy of Taekwondo

The practise of Taekwondo as it has been for centuries is to enhance the Total Health being of the individual (i.e. the mind, body and spirit). This is achieved as the practitioner undergoes: -

Fitness programme. In T.T.A. Taekwondo the student learns to improve their cardiovascular endurance.

Co-ordination training. The student learns to co-ordinate between their eyes, hands and feet.

Self discipline. This is achieved through the focus of mind and sight. The student repeats the various fundamentals of Taekwondo striving to improve technique performance as well as perfection.

Team work. The student learns to work with fellow members as part of the team in class and inter-relation between peer groups, seniors and juniors.

Respect. The student takes on more responsibility in terms of looking after juniors and guiding them. At the same time they learn to seek guidance from their seniors and are responsible towards them.

High achievers. The student learns to persevere and develop a strong tenacity to be responsible for their actions and achieve set goals and tasks.

High morality. With acquiring skills that turn his or her feet and hands into lethal weapons, the student learns to abide by the Tenets and oath of Taekwondo to achieve a sense of fair play, justice and loyalty to the ethics of Taekwondo.

Grades and belt colours

10th Kup - White belt.

9th Kup - Yellow stripe.

8th Kup - Yellow belt.

7th Kup - Green stripe.

6th Kup - Green belt.

5th Kup - Blue stripe.

4th Kup - Blue belt.

3rd Kup - Red stripe.

2nd Kup - Red belt.

1st Kup - Black stripe.

1st Dan - Back belt.

2nd Dan - Black belt.

3rd Dan - Black belt.

4th Dan - Black belt (expert).

5th Dan - Black belt (master).

6th Dan - Black belt (master).

7th Dan - Black belt (master).

                                   8th Dan - Black belt (grand master).

BELT COLOURS

Basic Sparring Strategy

Effective attacking relies heavily upon footwork and faking (feinting), not mere kicks. Here are a few rules to follow about attacking:

·         Never throw just one technique. This is a big no-no.

·         Never just walk (or run, you kids) into the correct distance and kick. Another major no-no.

·         Never throw a technique when you know that you will not be able to land it.

·         Always use footwork or faking to bring your partner closer to you.

·         Always plan on your partner having a counter-attack.

·         Always plan on countering your partners counter-attack.

Improving . . .

Speed, Agility, and Explosiveness:

·  Take short sprints, changing directions within the sprints.

·  Practice footwork combinations (i.e.: switch feet, stepping/skipping forward/backward, side stepping, etc). Eventually add kicks into the footwork. Begin slowly with a focus on developing proper form, and then gradually increase speed.

·  Bunjee cord work. (These cords can be ordered from martial arts catalogs.) Attach one end to your ankle and the other to a stable structure (a piece of heavy furniture, perhaps). There should be slight tension on the cord before you begin your technique. From there, practice your basic kicks with the added resistance from the cord. Do at least 15 repetitions, and then take off the cord and practice the same kicks without it.

Power:

·  Bunjee cord work on kicking bag, focusing on power.

·  Weight lifting with a concentration on the legs.

·  Squats, lunges, leg lifts, abdominal work, etc.

·  Stair climbing.

Range:

·  Stretch to increase flexibility.

·  Adapt techniques for long range (i.e.: drop kick, back kick).

·  Practice moving in footwork with long-range kicking combinations.

·  Force yourself to throw long-range techniques on the kicking bag by standing far away.

Endurance
(Do one of these activities before or after your normal workout):

·  Take a slow 30 minute round on the bag, picking up the pace when there are two minutes left, and going all out when there are 30 seconds left.

·  Jog at least a mile (or as far as you can), then do short sprints with a two-minute walk in between for the next 30 minutes.

·  Jump rope for 5 minutes, then take a 5-minute round on the bag. Repeat the pattern for 30 minutes (with no rest in between).

Sparring Strategy:

·  Spar.

                        ·  Watch other people spar.

Healthy Habits for Increasing Flexibility

1.      Warm up before stretching. Take a short jog, run, or brisk walk to get your circulation pumping.

2.      Wear warm clothes. It is better to get too hot as you stretch than to get too cold. Heat helps your muscle fiber perform its necessary chemical reactions more efficiently.

3.      Stretch your body in proper order. That is, dont stretch your hamstrings and then jump up to stretch your shoulders. Here is a great order to take: Hands, wrists, shoulders, neck, back, hips, quads, hamstrings, hips, knees, calves, and then ankles. Basically, just start at the top and work your way down, or vice-versa.

4.      If you are really tight, get a partner to help you stretch.

5.      When you stretch, hold the same position and pressure for at least twenty seconds.

6.      Do not bounce as you stretch. This will create small tears in your muscle fiber.

7.      Be careful not to overstretch. This can result in the major pulling or tearing of a muscle, ligament or the hyperextension of a joint.

8.      Keep proper posture while stretching (i.e.: keep your back and shoulders straight dont hunch over).

9.      When finished with a workout, take a cool-down stretch. You will be tempted to overstretch, so be careful. You really just want a light to moderate stretch at this time.

10.  You dont want your muscles to cool off too quickly after a heavy stretching session. So, when you are finished with a heavy stretching session be sure to work out afterwards, and then cool down with light stretching after that.

11.  Spend at least 5 minutes per light stretching session, and 30 minutes per heavy stretching session (not including warm-up time. (Strategy: Have several light stretching sessions and only one heavy stretching session per day.)

12.  Discipline yourself to a stretching schedule, and STICK TO IT.

13.  Stretch often. Here are some great times to do some light stretching:

While reading a book, newspaper, or magazine.

While  watching TV

While taking a few minutes to relax during the day

After sitting or standing for a long period of time

After a workout

Before going to bed

14.  Be patient. Relax. Breathe. Enjoy the moment. Close your eyes and envision yourself achieving your goal. Most importantly, realize that you are getting closer and closer to you goal with each stretching session. You are on your way to success!

Good Luck! Don't Give Up!