WHAT IS TAE KWON DO?

Tae Kwon Do is a physical expression of the human will for survival and an acitivity to fulfill the spiritual desires of people. It is a method od self-defense without weapons. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean form of martial arts which uses the entire body. Translated, "Tae" means foot, "Kwon" means hand, and "Do" means art, therefore, the English translation is "the art of utilizing the foot and the hand" or "the art of kicking and punching to reconcile mind and body".

Tae Kwon Do is the oldest self-defense martial art in the world and has been traced back as far as 2000 years in the northern part of Korea. Kings have enjoyed watching Tae Kwon Do demonstrations and favored people with great skills and knowledge in this art. Tae Kwon Do became a widely propagated national sport as early as the eighteenth century when the first illustrated book on martial arts was compiled. There are historical records that Japanese invaders were met by Korean patriots fighting with their bare hands and that in border conflicts between provinces the final line was determined by a Tae Kwon Do confrontation. In recent years, Tae Kwon Do has become a the most popular national sport in Korea and in 1973, the first World Tae Kwon Do Championship was held in Seoul, Korea, with about thirty countries participating. Tae Kwon Do was introduced to the United States during the late 1950's and has quickly become very popular. Tae Kwon Do has also made its debut in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, Korea.

Everyone wears a white uniform except for black belts, who wear white uniforms trimmed with black. A beginner also wears a white belt and advances to higher levels only by tests. Each promotion is indicated by a different color: Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Red, Pre-Black, and Black. Once Black Belt has been achieved, there are nine degrees that follow.

Promotional exams get students to work on their physical and mental abilities. It develops the student's confidence and self esteem. Students are given promotional exams every 2 to 4 months. Promotion requirements include attendance of at least 20 lessons, and are dependent upon progree and program.

One of the most important aspects of this sport is showing respect. Respect is exhibited by bowing in the training area to the flags on the wall and to the instructor at the beginning and end of each class, and to a partner before and after sparring. It is also extremely important that the body remain limber yet strong in order to perform techniques effectively and to avoid injury. Therefore, warm-up exercises may take up to one third of the class time.

The sport itself consists of countering the advances of a partner byb different forms of blocking and counter-attack, using strength, stability, speed, balance, muscular coordination and judgement. Since Tae Kwon Do emphasizes kicking techniques, there are a variety of leg stretches. Techniques to be learned are kicks (such as front, side, round and back kicks), blocks (such as high and low), punches and stances (i.e. ready and horseback). These techniques, which are eventually used in free fighting, are expressed in a series of forms, or pal-gwes, in which different movements and postures are combined into rigorously performed sequences.

Beyond the learningof the techniques and skills, there is an additional aspect to this sport, one just as important as the physical aspects. The mental education provides strict moral codes. Some of them include fidelity to parents, respect for elders and to avoid killing living things. It is essential to follw these rules to attain spiritual well-being which in turn contributes to the formation of a strong character. Leadership, courage, self-confidence and self-sacrifice will be some of the rewards of the serious practitioner.