Effective Taekwondo.
The complete guide to using taekwondo effectively written by two second dan blackbelts.
Hi, and welcome to effective taekwondo. The purpose of this site is to promote taekwondo and show the many benefits it offers to anyone who dedicates some time to practising it. Here you will find out everything you want to know about this great martial art, including its history, as well as the taekwondo belt system, the Poomsae, Olympic taekwondo, the famous taekwondo kicks, the stances, the blocks, the hand strikes, one and three-step sparring and of course the real purpose of taekwondo, self-defence.
If you don’t like scrolling simply use the table of contents and click on the topic you want.
Table of contents.
What Makes Taekwondo Special?
There are many martial arts and all of them offer great benefits to students who apply the art correctly. While taekwondo has a lot of similar stances, blocks and hand strikes to those of other martial arts, the one thing that separates taekwondo from all the other martial art systems is dynamic combination kicking. No other martial art offers this and it is the ability to put together a combination of explosive kicks that makes any good student of taekwondo instantly recognisable as someone who practises this particular martial art.
Taekwondo History.
Modern taekwondo has its roots in Korean not long after the second world war. Until this point, Korea had been occupied for several years by the Japanese who had banned traditional Korean styles of self-defence. However, once the war was over the Koreans were free to pursue any fighting style, they wished but because traditional Korean styles of self-defence had been banned for so long most of the new schools were based on Japanese or Chinese teachings.
Shortly after this time, South Korean President Syngman Rhee viewed a stunning martial arts display and mistakenly believed it to be based on a Korea style. He was so impressed with this that he suggested a single style of Korean martial arts be introduced into the army and so the leaders of all the styles began to collaborate with this aim in mind. From this the name taekwondo was born with Tae meaning kicking or smashing with the foot, Kwon meaning punching with the fist and DO meaning the art or way of, together these combine to form the name taekwondo the art of fighting using your hands and feet as one.
As an Olympic sport taekwondo debuted with a demonstration in the 1988 Soul Olympics and went on to become a true Olympic sport in the 2000 Sydney games. The success of taekwondo in the Olympics has continued and the sport aspect of the martial art now forms a big part of many clubs’ training syllabus.
Taekwondo Belts.
The taekwondo belt system represents the hierarchy or grade of both the students and teachers in a class and the grade worn will signify the amount of time and knowledge the student or teacher possesses. Another benefit of having a grading system is it motivates students to keep training for the next belt, as well as providing an accurate way of measuring one’s knowledge of taekwondo at any given time.
In “World Taekwondo” there are 10 ranks of colored belt known as kups and these go from white belt to black tag. From black belt onward there are 10 belts known as dans.
What each belt color represents in “World Taekwondo”.
10 kup – White Belt: (Korean – bek ti). It represents innocence or purity. The path without traces, the crystal that has not been polished. The disciple who has no knowledge of taekwondo skills.
8th kup – Yellow Belt: (Korean – kwang ti). This belt represents the earth or where the seed from which the plant grows is sown. It is the belt from which the student gets their first knowledge.
6th kup – Green Belt: (Korean – pol ti). This is the color of nature; it symbolizes the growth of the plant and the student begins to acquire more knowledge and skill in taekwondo.
4th kup – Blue Belt: (Korean – chung ti). The color of this belt represents the sky and the plant heading towards it. The student begins to mature and grows more every day.
2nd kup – Red Belt: (Korean – jong ti). This is the color of the ripe fruit and symbolizes danger, passion, and blood. Now the student has already achieved a mastery of techniques that could cause damage if used. From this point on the student should exercise self-control.
The time it takes to progress through the colored belts.
For most of the colored belts, it normally takes an average of three months to progress from one belt to another, although this is not set in stone and a student must show their instructor that they possess the required skill and knowledge before he or she can take the grading. Higher grade colored belts generally take longer to progress through. For example, it can take six months to go from a red belt to a black tag and another six months to go from a black tag to a black belt. The test for each belt will normally consist of several patterns including the one for that grade, step sparring, self-defence such as escapes from holds and some freestyle sparring.
The Dan grade belts in “World Taekwondo”
From black belt onward there are 10 belts known as dans. When a student first becomes a blackbelt he or she will be a 1st dan and if they get to 4th dan they become a master. If anyone was to achieve a 10th dan it is known as perfection. However, achieving a 10th dan is very rare and is really an honorary award given to someone who has gone “above and beyond” in the development and growth of taekwondo throughout the world.
The time it takes to progress through the dan grades.
Just like with the colored belts the time taken to progress through the dans is not precise as some students choose to take longer than required to take each grade. However, normally a student must wait one year to go from 1st Dan to 2nd Dan, two years to go from 2nd Dan to 3rd Dan and three years to go from 3rd Dan to 4th Dan Master. The time taken after that increases between each grade and services given to promote taekwondo become every bit as important as skill and knowledge.
The colored belt Poomsae of “World Taekwondo”
For progression, through the colored belts up to black belt, there are 8 taeguek forms to master. Each form consists of many stances, blocks, kicks and hand strikes and each one has a specific number of moves. Both the number of moves and the skill required increase as the student moves up the belts thereby ensuring continued progress.
The purpose of taekwondo poomsae is to teach the student the stances, blocks, kicks, and hand strikes that taekwondo consists of. It is also important to realise that the moves are not just random but are put together in well thought out self-defence scenarios. For this reason, it is always important to not just go through the motions when doing poomsae, instead, the student should try to picture the scenario that the moves were designed for and do them with real snap and power.
Here is a list of the eight needed before blackbelt.
(1) Taegeuk – II Jang.
18 moves.
The philosophical meaning is heaven and light.
This is the first of the taegeuk forms. The stances are short stance and long stance. The blocks are low block, inner middle block, and high block. There is only one type of hand strike which midsection punch and there is one type of kick which is a front kick. Although this is a very basic pattern it can still look very impressive when performed with snap and power. In fact, I have seen people win poomsae competitions doing only taegeuk iI Jang.
(2) Taegeuk – Ee Jang.
18 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents joy and strength of mind.
This is very similar to il jang but contains more hand and kick combinations as well as introducing more complex turns.
(3) Taegeuk – Sam Jang.
20 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents fire.
In taegeuk sam jang, back stance is introduced as well as knife hand strike and knife hand block.
(4) Taegeuk – Sa Jang.
20 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents thunder.
Taegeuk sa jang is the start of more complex patterns and this one contains double knife hand block, spear hand strike, two consecutive sidekicks and more difficult stance switches. Once mastered this form provides a great foundation for higher grade patterns and so it is worth putting the effort to perfect it.
(5) Taegeuk – Oh Jang.
20 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents the wind.
This form introduces new moves such as elbow strikes, hammer fists, a sidekick, side punch combination and jumping into a cross stance as the end of the pattern.
(6) Taegeuk – Yuk Jang.
23 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents water.
Again, this form introduces new moves including outside high block, high and middle knife-hand block and my nemesis the roundhouse or turning kick. It has some of my favourite and least favourite moves of any colored belt pattern.
(7) Taegeuk – Chil Jang.
25 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents mountain.
This pattern includes for the first time, knee strikes, cross-hand block, scissors block, and cat stance. It has always been my personal favourite colored belt pattern and the one I always choose if asked to perform a pattern of my choice.
(8) Taegeuk – Pal Jang.
27 moves.
The philosophical meaning is earth.
New moves include a single mountain block, jumping front kick and an uppercut punch. It is the last one of the taegeuk colored belt forms and once mastered it means you have achieved a big step towards becoming a taekwondo black belt.
The black belt poomsae of “World Taekwondo”.
These require great balance, coordination and body awareness which also makes them great fun to do. It is also true that different clubs can have their interpretation of the forms so some techniques might vary slightly depending on who you learn them from. However, with that said, the essence of each pattern will always be the same regardless of who you are taught by.
1st Dan) – Koryo.
30 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “learned man which symbolizes “a wise person”
(2nd Dan) – Keumgang.
27 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “diamond” symbolising “hardness”.
(3rd Dan) – Taebaek.
26 moves.
Taebaek is the name of a mountain in Korea and the philosophical meaning is “bright mountain”.
4th Dan – Pyongwon.
21 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “open plain” which symbolises “peacefulness”.
(5th Dan) – Sipjin.
28 moves.
The philosophical meaning represents the ten symbols of longevity to suggest endless development and growth.
(6th Dan) – Jitae.
24 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “Earth, from which everything is born”.
(7th Dan) – Chonkwon.
26 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “sky” and the form has large circular movements to emphasise the greatness of the Heavens.
(8th Dan) – Hansu
27 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “water” which represents “adaptability”.
(9th Dan) – Ilyeo.
23 moves.
The philosophical meaning is “oneness of the mind and body”.
Helpful hints for Taekwondo Poomsae.
(1) Exhale at the end of each sequence to enhance power. Don’t forget to breath (a common mistake for beginners). Instead, keep your breathing rhythmic and steady throughout the form.
(2) Focus on the moves you are doing. For example, if you are doing a midsection punch then visualise punching someone in the mid-section.
(3) The vast majority of moves are done best if you keep your muscles relaxed until the last moment at which point, you contract all the appropriate muscles for maximum snap and power.
(4) When learning taekwondo, it is very important to critique your movements. Therefore, when you are practising your forms try to continually monitor your stances, and techniques to check they are as they should be.
(5) Don’t make the mistake of watching other people who are doing the form at the same time as you. Instead, concentrate on your moves only.
(6) Always look in the direction of your technique before doing it.
(7) As you perfect your forms try to finish the pattern in the same spot that you began.
(8) When you have finished your form, don’t look around or move. Instead, simply stay as you are until your instructor calls “Baro”.
(9) Never just go through the motions when doing forms. This looks, truly awful and shows disrespect to your instructor and taekwondo. To avoid this, make sure you always do your forms with enthusiasm, commitment, snap and power.
If you want to learn more visit our article on taekwondo poomsae.
Taekwondo Kicks.
If there is one thing taekwondo is famous for, it is its kicks. Of all the martial arts, only taekwondo specialises in combining multiple kicks to form combinations that are capable of truly amazing speed and power. Kicks are such a part of taekwondo that it can be argued they are the essence of this particular martial art. Therefore, it will come as no surprise to learn that most students of taekwondo spend a considerable amount of time either practising kicks or stretching to kick higher.
Confirmation of the unique kicking ability of taekwondo masters can be seen by watching MMA where you can spot someone proficient in taekwondo simply by the way they kick. Another thing that points to the importance of kicking in taekwondo is the rules in competitions. It is no coincidence that the highest points are awarded for kicks to the head. With kicking being such a major component of taekwondo, it follows that to truly master this martial art a student must also master kicking. Below is a list of all the major kicks in taekwondo along with descriptions of how they are used.
Front kick – Korean name (Ap chagi).
This is the most basic kick in taekwondo and therefore the first kick a student learns. However, the simplicity of the kick should not detract from its effectiveness in both self-defence and sport taekwondo. I would go as far as to say that this is the most underrated kick in the martial art. The targets for the front kick in self-defence, are the groin, the solar plexus and underneath the chin and front kick to any one of those areas can be enough to finish a fight.
Push kick – Korean name (Meereo chagi).
The push kick can be used in either self-defence or sport taekwondo (Kyorugi) and is used to either stop an opponent closing in on you, or pushing an opponent away for a follow-up strike. Depending on the circumstances, the push kick can be used to strike the knee, thigh, hip, solar plexus or face.
Turning or roundhouse kick – Korean name (Dollyo chagi).
There are a few different variations of the roundhouse kick. The snap roundhouse kick has less hip rotation which makes it faster but less powerful. It is, therefore, ideal for sport taekwondo were the point system requires more speed than power. In the traditional roundhouse kick, the hips rotate 180 degrees which makes it extremely powerful and more suited to self-defence situations. The target areas for self-defence are the knee, thigh, ribs, and head.
Sidekick – Korean name (Yeop chagi).
The sidekick is used a lot in sport taekwondo and has several uses such as stopping an opponent closing the distance, or as point scorer. However, the sports sidekick has less hip rotation than the traditional version so it lacks power. Nevertheless, this kick is really fast and therefore ideal for scoring points. In self-defence situations, the more powerful traditional sidekick can be used to strike the knee, the groin, the solar plexus and in desperate situations the throat.
Back Kick – Korean name (Dwi chagi).
Once mastered, the back kick is a truly devastating kick for both competition and self-defence. The kick is so powerful that when it lands correctly it will end a fight whether that be in sport or the street. Another benefit of the back kick is that is can be disguised so effectively that when an opponent realises the kick is coming it is too late to react. The target areas for self-defence are the groin, the solar plexus, the face and in extreme situations the throat.
Crescent kick – Korean name (Bandal chagi).
There are two versions of this kick which are the inner and outer crescent kick. It can be used effectively in sport taekwondo to score points. However, it is rarely used in self-defence as the only practical target is the head and kicking to the head is a very risky strategy in the street. The target areas for this kick are the ribs (not effective) and the jaw.
Axe kick – Korean name (Naeryeo chagi).
This is another kick that has many different variations including inner and outer versions. The kick has a lot of knockouts to its credit in sport taekwondo but only an expert kicker could hope to pull this off in the street. The target areas for this kick are the collarbone and the top of the head.
Hook kick – Korean name (Huryeo chagi).
The hook kick is similar to a missed sidekick which then whips into the target. The kick can also be easily disguised which makes it very effective in sparring. However, because the kick lacks power and the only target is the head it is pretty useless in self-defence.
Spinning hook kick – Korean name (Dwi huryeo chagi).
The momentum built up in spinning or turning the body 180 degrees makes this kick a completely different animal to the basic hook kick. It has the power to knockout appoints and anyone who masters it will have a devastating weapon for sparring and possibly even in self-defence. There is only one effective target which is the head.
Knee strike – Korean name (Moreup chigi).
The knee strike can be a very effective weapon because it has the potential to unleash tremendous power. Although not allowed in sport taekwondo, it can be a real asset in self-defence and students would do well to practice it regularly. The targets for the knee strike are the groin, solar plexus, and head.
Jumping front kick – Korean name (Eedan ap chagi).
The jumping front kick is the easiest of the jump kicks to master. The two advantages it has over the basic front kick are, it is more powerful and easier for less flexible students to kick to the head. It is only occasionally used in sport taekwondo and seldom in real fighting, so its main use is in, board braking demonstrations. The target is under the chin.
Jumping back kick – Korean name (Twi myo dwi chagi).
The jumping back kick is one of the most devasting kicks in taekwondo and is used extensively in competition. It can also be used by skilled practitioners in real self-defence situations and if landed it will almost certainly end a fight. The targets are the groin, the solar plexus, and the head.
Jumping side kick – Korean name (Twi myo yeop chagi).
The jumping sidekick is one of the most iconic kicks in martial arts. The kick is capable of great height, distance, and tremendous power. However, because it is a relatively slow kick. it is virtually never used in sport taekwondo or self-defence and is mainly seen in either gradings or demonstrations.
Scissor kick – Korean name (Kawi chagi).
The scissor kick is, in fact, two kicks performed at the same time. The kicks, a sidekick and a twist kick are aimed at different opponents with both landing at the same time. The kick requires great skill and athleticism to pull off and does look spectacular. However, it is not a practical kick to try in sport taekwondo or the street and is only used for demonstrations.
If you would like to learn more on kicks please see our article on taekwondo kicks.
Taekwondo stances.
The stances in taekwondo are a core element of the traditional way of applying the martial art and It is for this reason that they are a fundamental element in all poomsae and gradings. Although the stances are not used in sport taekwondo or self-defence it is still important to master them if you want to progress in taekwondo. Therefore, it is advisable to practise them until you can move from one stance to another with the correct form and with ease. Here is a list of the fundamental stances used in taekwondo.
(1) Ready stance – Korean name (Joon bi seogi).
As the name suggests, this is the stance used as you wait to perform whatever the instructor commands.
(2) Short or Walking stance – Korean name (Ap Seogi).
This stance mimics walking forward and it one of the first stances taught in taekwondo.
(3) Back stance – Korean name (Dwi kubi seogi or Dwitgubi).
Because the back leg supports 60% of the bodyweight, many beginners find this an awkward stance at first, but persistence soon perfects it. The nature of this stance means you are moving away from your opponent which means it is a defensive move normally accompanied by a block and then a counter strike.
(4) Front or forward stance – Korean name (Ap kubi seogi or Apgubi).
(5) Tiger or cat stance – Korean name (Beom seogi).
This is a very narrow stance used in more advanced forms or one-step sparring.
(6) Horse or riding stance – Korean name (Jo choom seogi)
As the name suggests this stance mimics the position of sitting on a horse. It is used in forms and it is also common to practise punching while in horse riding stance because it is a great exercise for the legs.
If you want to learn more visit our article on taekwondo stances.
Taekwondo Blocks.
Taekwondo blocks form an integral part of the martial art and are used in all forms, one step and self-defence. As the name self-defence suggests, it is normally assumed that the attacker strikes first which means that the first move you will make in any self – defence scenario will be a block. The types of blocks used vary enormously depending on the situation and they can include closed fist or open hand blocks. As for their practicality in real-life situations, it is a common view that they are of no value, but that is a view-only expressed by those who don’t fully understand them.
Although, taekwondo blocks are not as fast as those used in boxing or mma they are far more powerful and the real secret of using taekwondo blocks effectively is to combine them with the correct footwork. If this is done there is no need to block more than once in most situations as a block and sidestep followed with counter strikes is usually enough to finish a fight. It should also be remembered that a lot of taekwondo blocks are so powerful that the block causes injury to the opponent thereby combining a block with a strike in one move.
Below is a list of some of the taekwondo blocks.
Block – Korean name (Makki).
Low block – Korean name (Hansonal area makgi).
Inside middle block – Korean name (Momtong makgi).
Outside middle block – Korean name (Bakkat makgi).
High Block – Korean name (Ollyeo makgi).
Palm Heel inward block – Korean name (Batangson – an – makgi).
Knife hand inward block – Korean name (Sonnal – an – makgi).
Knife hand outward block – Korean name (Sonnal – bakkat – makgi).
Scissors block – Korean name (Gawi – makgi).
Single mountain block – Korean name (Oesanteul – makgi).
Mountain block – Korean name (Santeul – makgi).
Taekwondo hand techniques.
Although taekwondo hand techniques are an important aspect of the martial art and are used in all forms, they remain the most neglected part of training in most taekwondo clubs. The reasons for this are two-fold, the first being that sport taekwondo dominates many clubs and the second being that poomsae takes up a large part of the remaining training time. This means that students spend a lot of time practising a sport that only allows one hand technique (A punch to the body) and a large part of the remaining time learning poomsae which requires learning hand techniques hitting fresh air.
These two factors mean that very few students practise hand techniques hitting hanging bags, wall bags, and other solid objects even though doing this is the only way to develop the power and conditioning to use the hands effectively. It should always be remembered that the primary goal of taekwondo is to be able to defend oneself if attacked. Therefore, it is wise not to neglect taekwondo hand techniques because strikes to the eyes, throat, solar plexus and groin, etc can be truly devastating.
Below is a list of many taekwondo hand techniques as described by the Kukkiwon.
Back fist forward strike – Korean name (Deungjumeok- ap – chigi).
Back fist outward strike – Korean name (Deungimeok – bakkat -chigi).
Back fist downward strike – Korean name (Deungjumeok – naerye – chigi).
Back fist side strike – Korean name (Deungiumeok – yeop – chigi).
Palm heel forward strike – Korean name (Batangson – ap – chigi).
Palm heel upward strike – Korean name (Batangson – ollyeo – chigi).
Arc hand forward strike – Korean name (Ageumson – ap – chigi).
Hammer fist outward strike – Korean name (Mejumeok – bakkat – chigi).
Hammer fist downward strike – Korean name (Mejumeok – naeryeo – chigi).
Hammer fist side strike – Korean name (Mejumeok – yeop – chigi).
Knife hand outward strike – Korean name (Sonnal – bakkat – chigi).
Reverse knife hand outward strike – Korean name (Sonnaldeung – bakkat – chigi).
Knife hand downward strike – Korean name (Sonnal – naeryeo – chigi).
Knife hand side strike – Korean name (Sonnal – yeop – chigi).
Reverse knife hand side strike – Korean name (Sonnaldeung – yeop – chigi).
Reverse knife hand strike – Korean name (Sonnaldeung – naeryeo – chigi).
Swallow strike – Korean name (Jebipum – chigi).
Back elbow strike – Korean name (Dwi – chigi).
Elbow upward strike – Korean name (Palgup – ollyeo – chigi).
Elbow downward strike – Korean name (Palgup – naeryeo – chigi).
Elbow side strike – Korean name (Palgup – yeop – chigi).
Uppercut punch – Korean name (Chi – jireugi).
Downward punch – Korean name (Naeryeo – jireugi).
Side punch – Korean name (Yeop – jireugi).
Vertical punch – Korean name (Sewo – jiruegi).
Turning punch – Korean name (Dollyeo – jireugi).
Backward punch – Korean name (Dwi – jireugi).
You can find out more information on taekwondo hand techniques at wikipedia.
Sport taekwondo.
Olympic taekwondo began as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Soul Olympics and a full member of the Olympics in Sydney 2000. Since then Sport taekwondo has played a huge part in many taekwondo schools and a lot of the training drills practised are for this purpose. The rules of sport taekwondo are designed to emphasize kicking and therefore mean that kicks are allowed to the torso and head while punching is only allowed the body. participants of sport taekwondo also wear chest and head guards to prevent serious injury but even with this protection taekwondo kicks can be so powerful that it is not uncommon to see knockouts in competitions.
The popularity of the sport aspect of taekwondo means that many clubs will dedicate at least part of their weekly lessons to practising drills and sparring designed to improve their students understanding of the sport and those who choose to will enter local competitions to test their skills against competitors of equal experience. This side of taekwondo is very popular, particularly with young members and if given the choice many of them would prefer to practise sport rather than forms.
You can find more information on sport taekwondo including the current rules at British taekwondo.
Taekwondo Step sparring.
As well as freestyle sport sparring, taekwondo also includes step sparring. This normally comprises of either one-step or three-step and both include one student executing a pre-arranged attack while the other defends this and follows up with one or more counter strikes. The purpose of this type of sparring is to familiarise taekwondo students with many different attack and defence scenarios so he or she can defend against would-be attackers in real life. To ensure that students are well versed with these drills, step sparring is an essential part of all grades and the higher the grade being taken the more complex the step sparring becomes.
Although step sparring does have critics outside of taekwondo who state that it is unrealistic, it can be argued that such critics do not understand the principles behind it. In reality, step sparring follows the same principles that armed forces and police use i.e. constantly training to react a certain way in a dangerous situation greatly improves the chances of the person being able to react in the desired way. It is also true that while step sparring is predictable and somewhat unrealistic for lower grades, a good black belt will practise step sparring without any idea of what the attacker is going to do and will still be able to defend against it. Once a student reaches this level, step sparring becomes a very realistic way to practise true self-defence.
The five tenets of Taekwondo.
Tae Kwon-Do’s moral values are similar to the values stressed throughout society as a whole, and evolved from various philosophical and religious traditions. Five basic tenets have been adopted from Korea’s ancient warrior societies. These modern principles are referred to as the Tenets of Tae Kwon-Do.
The core values of taekwondo are based on philosophical, religious and ancient warrior teachings. In today’s society, these teachings are expressed as the five tenets of taekwondo and their purpose is to give moral guidance to students and instructors to live by.
The five tenets are
Courtesy.
Expressed as consideration of others, humility, civility, and politeness.
Integrity
Expressed as honesty, sincerity, knowing right from wrong and having a guilty conscience when doing something wrong.
Perseverance
Expressed as the suborn pursuit of goals despite any obstacles, having the patience to overcome any difficulty.
Self-control
Expressed as restraining one’s emotions and reactions to remain calm at all times.
Indomitable spirit
Expressed as having the courage to stand up for what is right even against overwhelming odds. Having a reserve of moral strength to call open when needed.
If you have any comments or questions please feel free to contact us.