ABOUT TAEKWONDO

Why Taekwondo?
Why Taekwondo or any other sport or activity? Well, Taekwondo teaches self discipline, self defense, self respect, courage, integrity, perseverance, loyalty, courtesy, honesty, and humility. Taekwondo also improves one’s overall physical and mental health. It improves cardio, flexibility, strength, endurance, and reduces the stress from everyday life. Because of all the benefits that Taekwondo gives us, Taekwondo practitioners have that extra edge that excels us in our everyday lives. Taekwondo is not about becoming a good fighter or martial artist, it is about becoming the best person that you can possibly become.

Who Can Do Taekwondo?
Anyone of any age, sex, or abilities can learn Taekwondo. Special needs people can also learn Taekwondo. Taekwondo is not all about learning how to kick and punch. Taekwondo teaches you about developing your mind, body, and spirit, and enriching your life through a healthy body and peacefully well educated mind. It is never too late or too early to start training in the martial arts.

Quick Facts
Taekwondo, the Korean art of self defense teaches you how to develop your mind, body, and spirit through physical and mental training. Taekwondo is the one of the most scientific and systematic traditional Korean martial arts. Taekwondo is a freestyle fighting martial arts which uses hands and feet to strike and destroy their opponents. It teaches more than fighting skills, it shows us that it is a discipline that enhances our life and spirit through training the body and mind. Taekwondo practitioners are equally knowledgeable as they are strong. But one must be humble with the skills and knowledge they have. One who has great power has a greater responsibility to restrain themselves from using those powers. Taekwondo is an international sport and became an official game at the 2000 Olympics.

The Quick History of Taekwondo
Taekwondo has been in development for over 5000 years but one can say that Taekwondo has been around since man first walked on the Earth. Man has always been fighting for survival, either from nature or from other men.

In the early days of Korean peninsula , there were three tribes in that held seasonal warrior or martial arts contests and they would learn from these fights by analyzing defensive and offensive motions. Some of the earlier names of Taekwondo were “Subak” and “Taekkyon” and many others.

These tribes trained their youth and made them into warriors which were called “sonbae” in Koguryo, and “Hwarang” in Silla.

In the Koryo dynasty, martial arts abilities were very important because of military purposes. Koryo dynasty was also the time period in which it is believed that Taekkyon contests were first used for sport.

During the Chosun dynasty, Japanese controlled Korea and did not allow the Koreans to Taekkyon(Taekwondo). However, the masters of the art secretly passes down their knowledge to each generation until the liberation of Korea from Japan in 1945.

At this time, several Kwans (schools/martial arts doajngs) arose and soon were united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. Then in 1957, the word Taekwondo was used to describe the Korean martial arts of Taekkyon. Alll military and police forces had to learn Taekwondo.

In 1961, the KTA arose and was the governing body for Taekwondo until 1963 when ITF was formed and brought to Canada. In 1973 the WTF was formed. WTF style of Taekwondo became an official game at the 2000 Olympics.

ITF vs. WTF:
ITF practices more of a traditional style of martial arts with an emphasize on patterns while WTF puts more practice into sparring. ITF practices semi contact sparring where WTF practices hard contact sparring.

There are several styles of Taekwondo out there. There is no ultimate style, just practice the one you feel more comfortable with.

The Philosophy of Taekwondo:
There is literally thousands upon thousands of words to describe the philosophy of Taekwondo, but it can actually be describe in only 10 words.

To react appropriately to any given situation without conscious thought.

This means that in every aspect of life, just not in Taekwondo, one should always do the right thing without thinking no matter what the consequences are.

Tenets of Taekwondo:
These are the qualities we try to live by in and out of the dojang in our everyday lives. Most can preach but few can reach for inner peace.

Courtesy—Being polite to everyone around you whether you like them or not.

Integrity—Knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to always do the right thing.

Perseverance—To never give up on your goals and to rise above all challenges that stand in your way. Dedication to your Taekwondo and life training.

Self Control—Being able control our actions and the outcome of situations which could be dangerous. As martial artists, we have a responsibility not to use our skills against others.

Loyalty—To be loyal to your friends, family, groups, organizations, and country. To put their needs before yours and be willing to make personal sacrifices. To follow them providing that they have worthy wisdom and not misguide you.

"My two sons began taekwondo seven years ago as timid young children. They are now teenage boys who are proud of their achievements, confident in their disposition and happy to belong to a "family" of friends who support each other. Taekwondo has tested the limits of their endurance and taught them to never say "can't". When they received their black belts this past Spring they each glowed with pride, and as a parent, who could ask for more?"