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Taekwondo is more than just an impressive display of kicks and punches.
Often translated as "The Way of the Hand and the Foot", it's often misunderstood that learning taekwondo simply means you'll be able to throw kicks and punches like a professional fighter or be better at protecting yourself from harm. While we can't disagree, there's more to this fighting art than meets the eye.
Hands and feet can be weapons, but they can also be symbols of discipline and character.
Taekwondo comes from a rich history of different martial arts styles coming together and applies body movements beyond the use of just hands and feet. In fact, taekwondo is said to be a culmination of various moves joined together to achieve maximum efficiency during fighting.
Let's reveal how this combat sport came to be and the taekwondo basics you should know about.
Who created taekwondo and why?
Martial arts were already popular in South Korea, even before the creation of taekwondo.
To understand how taekwondo skyrocketed to an international-level combat sport fame within just decades of its introduction, we have to look back on the history of martial arts in the region, long before the concept of a single "Korea" state existed.
A particular period that should be pointed out regarding this introduction to taekwondo is the era of the Three Kingdoms. Dating as far back as 57 BCE, the Korean Peninsula was marked by ongoing conflict among the Three Kingdoms - Goguryeo, Paekche and Silla - that wanted to establish power over the region. Not to forget that the peninsula was also facing invasions from Chinese, Mongol and Japanese forces at the time.
It is known that the many years of conflict and increasing need for self-defence and warfare gave birth to ancient Korean martial arts such as taekkyon, soobak and ssireum.
We know that Koreans at the time were already familiar with martial arts, so why was taekwondo developed only at the end of World War II?
After the Japanese left Korea, many schools were established to teach the Korean people about martial arts which had carried influences from Chinese, Japanese and ancient Korean styles. However, each school taught different styles of martial arts, and at that point, an idea to unify all these styles into a singular martial art form came about.
Around the late 1940s to 1950s, General Choi Hong-hi, alongside the nine other post-war martial arts schools or the Nine Kwans, blended indigenous Korean fighting styles into one. General Choi came up with the name "taekwondo" and founded the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) in 1966.
What is the history of taekwondo in Malaysia?
Apart from the ITF, World Taekwondo (WT), previously known as the World Taekwondo Federation, was founded in 1973 and helped to create a more unified style of taekwondo.
With WT taekwondo, ITF taekwondo and taekwondo masters pushing to bring Korean martial arts to global platforms, it's no wonder that this combat sport quickly made its way to other parts of the world. What began as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympics later became an official medal sport in the Olympics in the year 2000.
That's one way to kickstart a new millennium!
It's worth noting that both WT taekwondo and ITF taekwondo rules are used in national and international-level competitions, although WT taekwondo remains the most popular frame of reference and its rules are also used in the Olympics.
Did you know that General Choi himself brought taekwondo to Malaysia from South Korea?
Official training in taekwondo was initially brought to Kuala Lumpur before the popularity of the sport spread to other states in Malaysia. Taekwondo associations were soon founded in the country, with one of the earliest being the Selangor Taekwondo Association. In 1973, Malaysia successfully participated in the first World Taekwondo Championship held in Seoul.
Taekwondo remains one of the most popular martial arts loved by our community. Have you heard of these famous taekwondo masters who helped to develop the sport in Malaysia?
What are the taekwondo basics?
The following basics are necessary for a proper introduction to taekwondo, and it's likely you would have already learned about them if you attended your first taekwondo lesson. We are going to look at the essential moves you need to master even as you make your way up to the black belt level.
Stance
You cannot mention taekwondo without first knowing how to take a proper stance when it is called for. Many forms of martial arts adopt specific stances, and there are several stances that you should remember for taekwondo. As a beginner, you'll often encounter the "attention" stance (charyeot seogi) and "at-ease" stance (pyeoni seogi) when receiving instructions from your coach.
Kicks
This combat sport is famous for its kicks, so it's important to learn about the various positioning and heights that make the taekwondo kicks distinct from one another. A common kick that's taught early on is ap chagi, or the front kick, which is performed by raising the knee of one's kicking leg to the waist and then exerting the kicking foot forward, directly towards the target.
Punches
In Korean, the punches in taekwondo are known as jireugi and are categorised into low, middle and high punches. A similar feature across all the punches is the balling of the hand into a fist with the thumb placed on the outside. It is also said that one should punch with the first two largest knuckles of the fist in taekwondo.
You can gain numerous health benefits when you learn taekwondo!
Does taekwondo require equipment?
If you've watched any taekwondo matches, you would have noticed the athletes wearing a specific uniform and protective gear.
Most notably, students and masters alike will wear the dobok, a traditional taekwondo uniform that is worn during practice and throughout official matches. Dobok literally translates to "clothing of the way", so when this uniform is put on, it is recognised that the person wearing it is part of the martial arts.
Not to forget the taekwondo belt which indicates the rank of the person wearing it. In addition to the ranking system, this coloured belt tied around the waist also signifies the training and knowledge gained by the person. You could say that it's a strong incentive to encourage students to improve their skills and move up the ranks!
As it is a combat sport that involves both offence and defence strategies, students also need to wear protective gear during training, and sparring gear for matches with a partner. This often means headgear, a chest protector, hand wraps and gloves. In competition, you'll also wear foot pads and score a point if you are able to make contact with your opponent's chest protector.
When learning taekwondo, you'll also practise with training equipment like kicking paddles and shields. Taekwondo paddles will help you improve the accuracy and power of your head kicks, while shields are used in counter training especially when you are practising with your coach. You will get used to the paddles and shields the more you practise!
You may be scared of breaking a board the first time, but learning with the right equipment is sure to boost your confidence in this combat sport.
Is it hard to learn taekwondo?
You can actually earn a black belt within 5 years of learning taekwondo.
The length of time to master taekwondo until the black belt level is relatively brief compared to other martial arts. That being said, this sport is just as much a mental discipline as it is a physical discipline, so being consistent in your training is key to progress. Additionally, it isn't uncommon to take the same test multiple times in order to move up in the taekwondo belt ranking system.
Contemplating whether you should start learning this combat sport? How about learning with an experienced taekwondo coach on Superprof? Your first lesson is on us!
Other than taking your first taekwondo lesson for free, you should also know that you can choose to have either physical or virtual lessons. That means you can meet your taekwondo coach in person or join them for a group lesson via webcam. Did you know you can choose from over 100 taekwondo coaches on Superprof, including taekwondo masters from South Korea?
Take advantage of the "Book A Lesson" feature when you sign up with Superprof, too. This will allow you to directly message your coach to schedule your lessons, and even give you the chance to let your taekwondo coach know what you want to learn from your lessons together. You can be the first to suggest a date!
With quality lessons and certified coaches, it's no wonder that many students have learned taekwondo successfully through Superprof. Be part of the community today!
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