What is Tae Kwon Do?

 Tae Kwon Do is a modern martial art, characterized by it's fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do is often translated as 'the way of hand and foot'. My definition of the name Tae Kwon Do is:

• Tae= 'to strike or block with the foot' or 'to kick', it also means 'jump.'
• Kwon= 'Fist', 'to strike or block with hand.'
• Do= 'The way of' or 'art.'

Put this together and Tae Kwon Do means: "The art of Kicking and Punching" or "The art of unarmed combat." The sport was founded in Korea, and is one of the most popular modern martial arts.
 

Disciplines of Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do has four disciplines: 

• Patterns
• Sparring
• Self-defense
• Breaktest

It is the combination of these four disciplines that make up the art called Tae Kwon Do.
 

The Five Tenets of Tae Kwon Do
 
In Tae Kwon Do there are five tenets.  The action and behavior of the Tae Kwon Do practitioner are expected to be in accordance with these rules and with all their implications. These tenets are regarded as a must as they explain and summarize the entire teaching of Tae Kwon Do.

1.  Courtesy (Ye-Ui).  Courtesy in a broader sense is kindness, humility, good manners, politeness, and respect.

2.  Integrity (Yom-Chi).  Integrity generally speaking, is honesty, straight dealing, purity, moral soundness, and uprightness. To have integrity means to be honest with everyone and with yourself at all times.

3.  Perseverance (In-Nae).  Perseverance is persistence, a steadfast pursuit of and an understanding of the aim, continuation in the practice of Tae Kwon Do regardless of the amount of obstacles, hindering circumstances, difficulties, or occasional "let downs" which are only temporary situations. The strong will to hold on, regardless of obstacles. Loyalty.

4.  Self-control (Guk-Gi).  Self-control is a double edged sword: on the one hand, it is the physical control with regard to motions, precision of execution, prevention of unnecessary injuries (as opposed to acting wildly) or killing, due to lack of control. Experience is the best teacher, but all the physical reactions are based on the psychological make-up, maturity, and moral, ethical, and religious codes. Emotions are usually involved, to a certain degree, in the majority of situations, hence the need for emotional self control. The degree of controlling the particularly strong emotions such as love, hate, anger, surprise, joy, sadness, etc., show the level of achievement of each practitioner of Tae Kwon Do. Emotions should be governed by a strong and conscious reason and aided by experience in principles. The success of application of this tenet in practical everyday life should result in creating the indomitable spirit.

5.  Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul-Bool Gool).  Indomitable means unconquerable, unbreakable, unquenchable. To put it simply, it means that one has such strong unshakeable beliefs and principles that even sacrificing the most precious possession one has, one's own life, is not too high a price to pay in defending them. 
 

Benefits of Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do promotes self-confidence, assertiveness, goal orientation, calmness and concentration. Many parents bring their children to Tae Kwon Do so they can prepare them to win a fight with a bully. The main emphasis of Tae Kwon Do is not to fight with a bully, but to make the student a less attractive target for bullies. The student does learn to defend him or herself when necessary, but with Tae Kwon Do training, fighting is much less often necessary.

Defusing Bullies
A bully usually has low self-respect. He fulfills his need to feel powerful by seeking out others to dominate. A bully senses weakness by such signs as unwillingness to look him in the eye, submissive posture, nervous rapid breathing and timid replies.

Grace Under Pressure
Tae Kwon Do is a practical course in assertiveness. The student gains self-confidence by prevailing over progressively greater challenges. He or she is taught to show confidence through self-discipline, speaking boldly and clearly, good posture and direct eye contact. It is important to note that the student gains real confidence through real achievement, not a false sense of self-esteem, which crumbles when challenged.

Goal Orientation
Tae Kwon Do offers clear benchmarks of progress that are not found in most modern day activities. The Tae Kwon Do ranking system bestows a different color belt for each step up the ladder. This provides realistic short-term goals and a constant sense of achievement. Each new belt ranking is attained by passing a test, which will be offered at periodic intervals. An important result of these tests is that the student learns poise in front of the instructor and an audience.

Tae Kwon Do, Concentration and Schoolwork
Students improve their concentration through Tae Kwon Do training. The traditional poomse (a pattern of prescribed movement against an imaginary opponent) is a lesson in self-control. Maintaining a low stance, performing each intricate move, and delivering it with power requires concentration and effort. Parents and teachers note improvement in attitude toward authority, respectfulness, motivation, concentration and grades.

Role Models
Park Rapids Tae Kwon Do instructors provide a healthy role models for students. Parents find that Tae Kwon Do promotes achievement orientation. By emulating the instructor students have a strong positive role model and learn the appropriate use of their new skills.

Physical Benefits
A number of professional athletic teams have used Tae Kwon Do training to improve performance. Children lacking coordination may find Tae Kwon Do to be one of the very best activities to develop balance and fluid movement. Flexibility is a standard part of Tae Kwon Do training, which makes a young athlete less prone to injury and more flexible later in life.

Fulfilling The Need To Belong
A distinct advantage of Tae Kwon Do over team sports is that every child can participate fully. Unlike team sports, where a youngster may not make the cut or ends up on the bench, Tae Kwon Do lets everyone perform at his or her highest level. Children in Tae Kwon Do are often leaders in their peer group. The temptations of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are greatly reduced by the students investment in the positive value system of Tae Kwon Do.