What is Taekwondo (TKD)?
Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art with origins dating back to Korea’s early Kokooryo kingdom. While the art includes both hand and leg techniques, it is widely known for its many kicking combinations, which provides students the ability to disable their opponents using a combination of self-defense and combat techniques. The motions are fluid and follow the design of the body, creating more effective offensive and defensive movements.
Taekwondo students will experience an improvement in their flexibility, balance, and overall coordination. Weight loss and physical fitness are among a number of other outstanding benefits. Beyond the obvious physical advantages Taekwondo offers students, it is also ideal for mental conditioning.
What can Tae Kwon Do do for you?
- Teaches you how to defend yourself
- Increases your agility and flexibility
- Strengthens your body and mind
- Enhances your self confidence
- Promotes your overall fitness
- Develops your self-discipline
- Relieves your stress
Taekwondo (TKD) is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation and stands among the official games of the Olympics.
The literal translation of “tae” means foot or kicking, “kwon” means fist or punching, and “do” means the way. When put together, taekwondo means the way of kicking and punching But the meaning runs deeper than that.
The philosophical and cultural interpretation of TKD follows the thought that our mind and body are connected together and directly influence one another’s growth. Therefore when you train a strong body you can also train a strong mind.
Outside of the mental and physical training, the cultural influences of traditional TKD will help in developing strong character as well. The development of a sound mind and body assists the spirit in gaining self-confidence and respect. Traditional training methods do the best to help improve concentration, focus, and self-discipline. The full body motions and large muscle group use involved in traditional TKD training will help you to get the best physical fitness results in the most efficient time. Faster and safer than any other workout, TKD training will bring you the best result in increasing flexibility, balance, and coordination.
The unique kicks, strikes and blocks of TKD are a great exercise to elevate and improve cardiovascular health In recent years, there has been a steady and dramatic rise in rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity, putting them on top as the umber one killers in America today. Regular cardiovascular exercise is the only way to reduce your risk for CVD and prevent possible complications in the future. The art of TKD helps teach self defense skills to protect you from the dangers of the world, while helping to defend agains the more dangerous kills that cannot be seen. People feel the best results of a good work out while enjoying the practical and useful self-defense system.
In young children, there is no better activity than traditional TKD to promote good motor skill development. The nature of TKD movements forces a person to gain balance, coordination, and motor skill development by making your body adapt to each unique motions. Other essential lifestyle benefits that come from traditional TKD training include stress release, improved self-control, and self esteem. When considering that children are constantly growing, both mentally and physically, involving them in an activity that emphasizes quality of good character, citizenship, and personality is essential for good quality of life. Children involved in traditional TKD training program show greater respect, discipline, an honor at home and in school. Their focus, concentration and memory improve, assisting in academic performance. TKD helps children grow into good adults.
The spiritual benefits that can be gained through TKD practice are immeasurable. Not spirit in the religious sense, but your personal spirit and self efficacy. The art of TKD is a moving philosophy. Like hiking in the mountain, or running trails in nature, being immersed in your training brings you closer to yourself, allowing you to set aside the minor stresses and speed bumps of your daily grind. While you are kicking and punching, your mind takes the time to cultivate and reflect on the moment. Where you are. What you are doing. Right. Now. Your TKD training helps you to bring a vision in your mind to reality through the actions of your body. As you reflect on your skills, improve your ability and master your motions step by step, your self confidence improves. Knowing you can successfully accomplish what you set our to do, just one step at a time, is infinitely good for your spirit. Living the best that you can in the moment you are in is the only way to truly build yourself up to your goals and establish a stronger and better quality of life.