Tae Kwon Do comes from Korea, and translated it means “hand - foot art”. This definition illustrates the belief in this particular martial art form that both the hands and the feet, the left and the right, shall be equal in the defense of the body.
Techniques that are prevalent within Tae Kwon Do revolve around the variety of stances, strikes, blocks, and attacks that are aggressive while defending first, then attacking any weaknesses which are found.
Stances are critical in Tae Kwon Do because nearly all of them promote a type of balance which in turn promotes an attack or a defense. Sitting stances are equal in balance and strength, while front stances are heavy toward the target or enemy. Back stances appear to be defensive, but they promote a counter-attack as the artist first defends, then maximizes the weakness that defense exposes.
Other more cosmetic stances are cat-stances and closed stances, as they are used while exercising “forms”, but have little value while defending or attacking.
Blocking is also a tremendous technique promoted by Tae Kwon Do in that all blocks are aggressive in nature, and in one way or another, promotes a counter by the student being attacked. Low and high blocks, are meant to divert the energy of an attack, while outside and inside blocks, as well as pressing blocks, are meant to literally break and arm of the attacker. Hooking blocks are meant to grasp an attackers punch, holding on while a student counter attacks. Double-knife hand blocks are more cosmetic, and do not serve the purpose of the previous blocks, and are usually used while competing and doing forms.
Kicks are very powerful in Tae Kwon Do, as break bones if not blocked properly. Front kicks, side kicks, round kicks, and hook kicks are all equal and popular in the Tae Kwon Do martial art form. All of these kicks are taught very early on, and are worked on and perfected throughout the career of the student.
Balance is the center of nearly all work done within Tae Kwon Do. Even while punching or kicking, the student is told to always be in balance, as it promotes the aforementioned philosophy of attacking while defending.
Other, more advanced techniques promoted within Tae Kwon Do are knife-hand strikes, X-blocks, spin kicks, jump kicks, and jump-spin kicks. While most of these are devastating, they are also difficult to land properly due to their difficulty in setting up. Combinations while fighting promotes the use of all techniques, and, like a chess match, one move or block sets up another.
Forms are a large part of the martial art of Tae Kwon Do, and promote the overall balance and strength that each move demands for them to be performed properly. Pre-Black belt forms and belts are:
White Belt - Chun Ji Purity/ no knowledge
Yellow Belt - Dan Gun The Sun, toward which
Do San the growing plant reaches
Green Belt - Won Yo the leaves of the growing
Yul Guk plant
Blue Belt - Joon Gun The sky, which the green
Toi Gai plant begins to fill
Brown - Hwa Rang The fertile
soil which the plant
grows from
Red - Choong Moo
The danger of being
skilled with no control.
Black Belt within the Tae Kwon Do universe means something that most martial arts fail to define. It means “ you have mastered the basics.” With this, Tae Kwon Do places itself above other art forms in that at all times, no matter what the rank, the student, if he or she so chooses, will always be learning. At no time is the journey complete, and at no time does any student know all there is to know.
