Karate – Tae Kwon Do

Types of Martial Arts

Tae Kwon Do

One of the modern martial arts, Tae Kwon Do is universally well-known for its spectacular “fast as lightening” kicks and is very popular. It is also known as the art of punching and kicking.

If you want to see a really good example of high kicking, check out the outstanding Tae Kwon Do kicks in this YouTube video:

Now, while Tae Kwon Do has been around for many years (it was founded in Korea), many are not aware of the exact meaning of Tae Kwon Do – it means “the art of punching and kicking”, or the “art of unarmed combat”.

Patters, sparring, self defense and break test make up the four disciplines of the art form “Tae Kwon Do”.  You should realize that all four of these are important; it is not just one of these disciplines which makes up the art, but a combination of these moves.

For someone looking to advance in belt ranking, all of these are important. If you want to advance, there are certain tests that you need to pass.

Tae Kwon Do video:   For an example of the magnificent tornado kick, you may witness it right here

For a description of the tornado kick (article),  go Here

Tae Kwon Do is a good martial art for young children to participate in.  Among the karate forms, Tae Kwon Do can readily be learned by young kids; they will be fascinated and they will develop fast reactions, learn respect, develop self esteem, and also will quickly learn their weak points as well as their strong points.

The matches that the children participate in are far different than what the adults do.  When kids are in competition,  no shots to the head are permitted (only punches and kicks to the body). A majority of participants in Tae Kwon Do practice this particular discipline due to the competitions, or fights.  They enjoy competition to such a degree that this martial arts form draws them in. The competitions can be enthralling to watch, as they have the possibility to become quite competitive.

These competitions aren’t deadly (as with boxing, for example);  in fact, they aren’t anywhere near as potentially dangerous as Muay Thai fights.  The fighters wear full protection (karate gear included).  For adults, kicks to the head are permitted, though many are able to block these kicks before they connect.  To see a butterfly kick (in action), go to this video

For a Really Excellent Video I suggest you go here

To read a step by step description of the butterflyl kick, visit this

One needs to have a required level of experience, in order to be a participant. This takes time to develop; it can be years before you are ready (especially those who win). But hey, what’s the best way to learn? By doing, of course. When you compete against someone better than yourself, you learn more rapidly. And if there are participating fighters from other areas of the world, all the better! The skill of a stylist is a very important factor; if you have a black belt fighter going against a white belt – the results will normally be quite obvious.

All things aside, the art of Tae Kwon Do is a great martial art. Stylists can learn kicking, punching, blocking, and the spectacular movements the art is known for. Tae Kwon Do is practiced all around the world, meaning that there are just as many places to learn this art as there are Karate. For an art that won’t disappoint – Tae Kwon Do teaches self defense and a whole lot more.

Link of Interest:  If you want a good article to help you decide which martial arts form will be the correct one for you, check this informative article on martial arts selection.

Final Note: Tae Kwon Do Belts

It starts out with the white belt, and progresses all the way to black belt.  It takes YEARS to progress from Taekwondo WHITE belt to CONDITIONAL belt – Watch VIDEO at YT to grasp the concept.

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