I had to start with this one! As some of you already know, this is my absolute favourite martial art – it is accessible, dynamic and a lot of fun! There are several styles of taekwondo, the most popular of which is WTF* style. (This is what you will see in the Olympics.) I will focus on this style.
I seriously recommend taekwondo if you want to enjoy a martial art. As with many martial arts, though, you don’t do taekwondo to keep fit; you keep yourself fit to do taekwondo!
Quick outline:
- It means ‘way of the foot and fist’
- Its ancestral forms date back over many millenia, when it was used in warfare by knights of the (then) Korean kingdoms
- In the 20th Century, the Koreans were damn nifty at promoting taekwondo worldwide, which is why it is so accessible in most countries today (South Korea still holds the top Olympic medal tally, though)
- Very broadly, modern WTF tkd has three main components: sparring, patterns, demo.
Sparring
Yep, this is what you see Sarah Stevenson, Wu Jingyu, Steven Lopez and other Olympians doing. People kick and punch each other. I’d say modern taekwondo sparring is more of a sport, than a defence art. The key aim is to score points, not damage your opponent (though people do still get damaged!) Kicks are your main arsenal for sparring. And it’s fast.
Competitors wear body armour (head, gums, arms, shins, groin, mitts and a red or blue body guard or ‘Hogu’). No grabbing, holding or throwing allowed. Punches to the torso only. Kicks are allowed to the torso and the head. Headshots and spinning/turning kicks score more highly. The protection looks hefty, but honestly, if someone with skill hits you, you know!
Traditionally scoring is done by a group of three or four corner judges observing and using electronic equipment to register each fighter’s shots. More recently electronic Hogus and foot-shields that automatically register impact, have replaced a lot of this work. Scoring is still a contentious element of sport taekwondo though!
Patterns
Often called ‘Poomsae’, these are set, choreographed sequences of fight and defence moves. There are competitions for Poomsae too, but it is not on the Olympic syllabus. Competitors usually perform alone, showing their technical skill. (It is not a fight.)As you rise through the taekwondo belt grades, the Poomsae you must know become more complex. Patterns and sparring are two must-haves to grade.
Many moons ago (apparently) Poomsae were the main way that the Korean military taught taekwondo to its soldiers. There are many moves in there that we no longer use in modern sparring! But it’s still very good for developing balance, control, economy of movement etc.
A team practise Poomsae:
Demo
This usually entails a gymnastic team performance of impressive kicks, flips and creative board-breaking. Some demonstrations also include choreographed self-defence sequences. It’s a show, basically, but you have to be ultra-fit to do it!
Here are the Korean Tigers, a famous demo team from S. Korea:
*WTF stands for World Taekwondo Federation (based in S. Korea)
Photo courtesy Global Martial Arts
Photo courtesy Global Martial Arts
