Tae Kwon
Do fighters on an
Olympic arena are a bit unique in that the feet and legs are used
almost exclusively with the fists playing minor roles such as blocking
and setting-up kick points- almost the opposite of boxing.
Matches are breathtaking to watch as experienced fighters let
loose with a flurry of kicks at seemingly superhuman speed.
Inclusion
in the
Olympics and the accompanying exposure has gained this devastating but
graceful Korean martial art a huge international following.
In
fact, it has the most number of practitioners around the world (30
million practitioners with 3 million black belt holders) - making it
the most popular martial art in terms of membership. On the other hand,
spectators that are non-practitioners and oblivious to the fact that
sport Tae Kwon Do athletes are bound by Olympic rules, criticize it for
being 'soft' and unbalanced with not enough upper body technique. Truth
is, traditional Tae Kwon Do
training is far from being incomplete and is one of the most
well-rounded hard style
martial arts in existence. It would hardly be included in
South Korean military training if it was otherwise.
'Tae
Kwon Do' is a
combination of three Korean words: Tae meaning to kick or hit with the
feet; Kwon to punch or hit with hands; and Do, just as in Japanese
means art, style or 'way'. The meaning of Tae Kwon Do translated in
English then is 'The Art of Kicking And Punching.'
Traditional
Tae Kwon Do (as opposed to sport Tae Kwon Do) is not as
competition-oriented and training focuses on traditional self defense
techniques and values of this relatively young martial art. It has been
divided into two styles - the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) and
the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF). The sparring rules for
Olympic Tae Kwon Do matches came from the latter with its (WTF)
headquarters located at Kukkiwon in South Korea. The two forms are
different in that the ITF rules allow punches to the head and give
bigger points on spectacular airborne kicks. The obligatory headgear
and body armor in Olympic Tae Kwon Do matches are absent in ITF
tournaments with only protective padding for the feet and fists are
required.
Despite
these
differences in sparring rules, the two Tae Kwon Do divisions are
basically the same in principle - taking advantage of the leg's longer
reach and relatively greater power. Typical of hard-style martial arts,
training for Tae Kwon Do involves rigorous body conditioning and
countless hours of practice in blocking, kicking, fist, and hand
strikes. Tae Kwon Do fighting techniques also incorporate an array of
leg sweeps, throws, and trapping/locking.
The origins of Tae
Kwon Do are quite unclear and accounts of its development are
quite
conflicting. It's certain though that the ancient Korean martial arts
of Subak and Taekyon were main influences. The name for Tae Kwon Do was
officially adopted in April 11, 1955 and the Korean Tae Kwon Do
Association was formed a few years after in 1961.
How To Expand Your Comfort Zones To Finally
Conquer Even Your Most Daunting Goals In Life
A
Free Live 3-Part Personal Development
Video Series Delivered Directly To You
-
With specially selected parts
from high energy live keynote presentations, motivational speaker and
Karate World Champion Clint Cora will share with you;
The #1
mind-shift that got me through my own personal
tragedy The hidden lesson underneath EVERY life
experience How to get OUT of your comfort zone and
why it's KEY for
long term happiness Three micro-changes you can make in your
life right now to
IMMEDIATELY get
closer to achieving your goals Secret surprises that will unexpectedly
BOOST your
personal growth ten-fold Much, much more!
Just
enter your first name, e-mail and click below so we can send
you the
link to this free inspiration 3-part Personal
Development Video Series - privacy
policy (you may
unsubscribe anytime). Sign up box also at Free
Inspiration Videos.
The #1
mind-shift that got me through my own personal
tragedy 