Learning About Taekwando
Learning About Taekwando
Taekwando is a very popular style of fighting, one that is not only practiced in the East where it originated but as well in the Western world. In fact it has become incredibly popular worldwide and has gained a lot of respect from the general population.
It is a specific type of martial art and is recognized as being the official and national sport of South Korea. One of the most important aspects to realize about taekwando is in regards to the major differences that lie between public and private teachings of the sport. There are great doctrinal and technical differences between the two, and taekwando training also includes a system of blocks, punches, open-handed strikes, and joint locks.
How to Learn
If you are interested in learning taekwando then you basically have to find what is known as a ‘master' who will be able to teach you the ways. Although each master and taekwando club will be different, as a student of the sport you can typically expect to learn the following: the techniques and basic curriculum of taekwando, self-defense techniques, patterns, sparring, breaking, and relaxation techniques.
There are a few moves in particular that are considered as being major in this particular martial art, and that includes the front kick, which is a very linear kick and in which you raise the knee to the waist, pull the toes back and quickly extend the foot at the target. It is one of the most basic and easiest moves to learn in taekwando, and thus one of the first you will most likely be taught.
The roundhouse kick is also very important, and one of the most well recognized. It involves you raising your knee, turning your hips, pivoting on the non-kicking foot and then snap kicking horizontally into your target, as much on a 90° angle as possible. When done properly, this kick can be incredibly lethal.
The back kick is quite different, and for it you need to turn your body away from your target and then push your back leg straight towards your target, making sure that you hit it with your heel while watching over your shoulder. This kick can be incredibly powerful and it is the turning motion that is involved here which really adds most of the power.
Taekwando is definitely a very useful and powerful sport to learn, but you have to have a great deal of patience and dedication. Concentration is also critical in order to be effective with any form of martial arts, and you have to be willing to give yourself over to your master and allow them to teach you the ways.