Taekwondo, often spelled Tae Kwon Do is one of the most popular and most well known forms of martial arts. It has its roots in Korea and this fighting form dates back at least 2,000 years. The sport places emphasis on kicks which are made from a mobile stance, this allows the fighter to take advantage of the greater power of the leg and the greater length. Dunedin Taekwondo utilizes turns, punches, blocking and joint locks. The kicks are the most important and they include roundhouses, sidekicks; sometimes used in conjunction with jumping and revolving maneuvers.
When the term “taekwondo” is parsed into English it means “the way of hands and feet.” In the Korean language the word “Tae” means kick, “Kwon” means to strike with the fist and “Do” is method or way of doing things.
Although the sport and its ideals are embroiled in the distant past, the techniques that are employed today and the various fighting forms that are used are the result of evolution. Taekwondo as it is practiced today is seen as an oleo of different martial arts. During the second world war many Koreans who practiced Taekwondo were introduced to and trained in Japanese Karate, it did not take long for certain elements of Karate to find its way in the way that Taekwondo was practiced.
As in all martial arts, the aficionado works his or her way up the ladder; the level of proficiency in the art is indicated by the color of the belt they wear. In Taekwondo there are six different levels of learning, hence there are six different belt colors. All students start with a white belt which signifies the lack of knowledge and innocence. The practitioner completes the demands of the level and moves up. After a white belt has been completed the next stage is Yellow which indicates that the tree has taken hold and there are now roots. From there the color is Green, indicating the development of the leaves of learning, Blue which indicates that the student is reaching for the sky. The final two belts, Red and Black are used to indicate danger, it shows the opponent that the student has great skill and knowledge and a Black belt is only won by those who ascend into higher ranks, known as dans.
Dunedin Taekwondo programs are available for beginners through Black Belt. For complete information on the programs available feel free to contact Traditional Taekwondo Center Dunedin.
