What
is Taekwon – Do?
Taekwon-Do is a modern version of an ancient form of unarmed combat practiced
for many centuries in Korea. It became perfected in its present
form by its’ Founder, the late General Choi Hong Hi and has been scientifically
developed and modernised since its introduction to the World on 11th April 1955.
Translated from the Korean, Tae means to “jump, kick
or smash with the foot”. Kwon means to “punch,
strike or smash with the hand” and Do means “of
the art, method or way”. Basically it is an extremely powerful system
of self-defence.
Taekwon-Do is a modern Korean martial art, it was first taught to the Korean
military in the 1950's as part of the physical training syllabus. Taekwon-Do
was new, unique and different from all other martial arts at the time, although
it should be acknowledged that it drew inspiration from other martial arts in
the far east, in particular TaeKyon and Karate.
Taekwon-Do is best described as a form of unarmed combat designed to be effective
against one or more opponents. One unique feature of Taekwon-Do is that the
movements have been developed with scientific principles in mind such that they
utilise as much of the effective mass or "weight" of the human body
as possible. By combining this maximum weight with maximum speed, the power
generated in a single technique can be significantly increased. In practice
this means that learning Taekwon-do gives people the ability to punch well above
their weight. it must be remembered that there is a threshold at which the human
body, regardless of physical size cannot sustain a blow. For this reason it
has often been said that people who benefit most from Taekwon-Do are the small
or the weak.
What
is the UKTA?
The United Kingdom Taekwon-Do Association is the original
Taekwon-Do Association in this country, founded by GrandMaster Rhee Ki Ha
(then 5th Degree) on 2nd July 1967 following his arrival from Korea. The standard
of the UKTA is extremely high, in no small part due to the dedication of our
Pioneer Grandmaster who was described by the founder of Taekwon-Do, General
Choi Hong Hi as “the best ever student of Taekwon – Do”.
What is the ITF?
The International Taekwon-Do Federation is the worldwide
governing authority for Taekwon-Do & was formed on 22nd March 1966 by
General Choi Hong Hi.
What’s in a typical lesson?
Every lesson is different but generally consists of a warm up, stretching,
fundamental Taekwon-Do movements, pad/shield work, & sparring.
