The Hidden Mystery of Tae Kwon Do Korean Martial Arts
Tae Kwon Do fighters in an Olympic stadium are a bit unique, as the feet and legs are used almost exclusively with the fists playing minor roles like blocking and setting kick points, almost the opposite of boxing.
Matches are impressive to watch as seasoned fighters break loose with a flurry of kicks at seemingly superhuman speed.
Inclusion in the Olympics and the accompanying exhibition has earned this devastating but elegant Korean martial art to a large number of international followers.
In fact, it has the largest number of practitioners worldwide (30 million practitioners with 3 million black belt holders), making it the most popular martial art in terms of membership.
On the other hand, viewers who are not practitioners and do not realize the fact that sports Tae Kwon Do athletes are subject to Olympic rules, criticize him for being "soft" and unbalanced with insufficient top technique. of the body.
The truth is, traditional Tae Kwon Do training is far from incomplete and one of the most comprehensive hard-style martial arts out there. It would hardly be included in South Korean military training if it were not.
'Tae Kwon Do' is a combination of three Korean words:
- Tae means kicking or kicking;
- Kwon to hit or hit with the hands;
- and Do, just like in Japanese means art, style or 'way'.
The meaning of Tae Kwon Do translated into English is "The Art of Kicking and Hitting".
Traditional Tae Kwon Do (as opposed to sports Tae Kwon Do) is not as competition-oriented, and the training focuses on the traditional self-defense techniques and values ??of this relatively young martial art.
It has been split into binary styles: the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) and the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF).
The rules of engagement for the Tae Kwon Do Olympics came from the latter with its headquarters (WTF) located in Kukkiwon in South Korea.
The two ways are different in that the ITF rules allow blows to the head and give bigger points on spectacular kicks in the air.
In the Olympic Tae Kwon Do tournaments, the mandatory helmet and body armor are absent in ITF tournaments, only a protective padding for the feet and fists is required.
Despite these differences in combat rules, the two divisions of Tae Kwon Do are basically the same in principle, taking advantage of the increased reach of the leg and relatively greater power.
Typical of hard-style martial arts, training for Tae Kwon Do involves rigorous body conditioning and countless hours of practice in blocking, kicking, punching, and hitting with the hands. Tae Kwon Do's fighting techniques also incorporate a variety of sweeps, throws, and leg catch / lock.
The origins of Tae Kwon Do are quite confusing and the accounts of its development are quite conflicting.
However, it is true that the ancient Korean martial arts of Subak and Taekyon were the main influences.
The name Tae Kwon Do was officially adopted on April 11, 1955, and the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association was formed a few years later in 1961.
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