Martial Arts - Taekwondo

What is Taekwondo?

Well, Taekwondo is a martial art which was developed and used for self defence in Korea. Its main distinguishing feature is the amount of leg work it employs with kicking techniques being the dominant form of attack. The word Taekwondo actually translates from Korean as, “Tae” meaning foot and “Kwon” meaning fist and “Do” meaning way, so this literally translates as the way of the foot and fist. Taekwondo shares some similarities with Karate, this is mainly because Korean was occupied by Japan during the early part of the 20th Century and the practise of native Korean martial arts were banned and nearly disappeared completely.

Is there just one style?

This is a difficult question to answer for Taekwondo as the main differences result from different organisations rather than technically different styles. Some people may argue that all Taekwondo is the same while others will say that each organisation has its own style. So I will give a brief overview of the two main organisations:

World Taekwondo Federation
The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is headquartered in South Korea. It places its main emphasis on sparring and uses a ‘Full Contact’ approach with fighters wearing protective padding before sparring. The WTF is seen as more as a sport rather than a martial art especially as it administrates the Olympic Taekwondo competition.

International Taekwondo Federation
The International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) is headquartered in Canada, Austria and North Korea. It places its main emphasis on forms and having a more traditional approach to Taekwondo. Sparring for the ITF is considered more ‘Semi Contact’ with control needed by opponents in competition. Generally ITF students have to be a member of a club or school, whereas the WTF is a public sports organisation which gives the students the opportunity to train at various clubs.

Is it all about fighting?

Taekwondo should not be seen as just an art for fighting, it should be considered as a way of life, like having a job, looking after a family or fighting for a cause. The difference being that Taekwondo is also an activity for survival if confrontation with physical harm cannot be avoided. What makes someone who studies Taekwondo different from the average street fighter is the philosophy of peace which can only be achieved if the body and mind unite.

What will I learn?

Taekwondo will develop a persons strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina, these will all be trained through a variety of exercises and forms. As Taekwondo emphasis kicking, basic kicks which include turning, front, axe and side kick will be learnt before moving on to the more advanced jumping and spinning kicks. Some Taekwondo schools teach grappling at advanced stages but this is not always the case.

What are the coloured belts for?

Taekwondo uses a belt system to display the rank of students, similar to Karate. Commonly a white belt represents a beginner with a black belt being the highest grade available. Depending on the organisation there are many different numbers of belts with different and varying colours. A general guide is usually ten coloured ranks known as Gup before reaching a black belt known as Dan, again with generally ten Dan grades available apart from ITF which only has nine Dan ranks. Different time periods are allocated between gradings, usual a low rank Gup will have to wait around three months before being allowed to try for his/her next belt, whereas a Dan rank may have to wait years before being able to grade. A general rule for Dan gradings in Taekwondo is that a student must wait one year per Dan level he/she is trying to achieve, so the minimum time period for a fourth Dan student to become a fifth Dan, would be four years between gradings.

For more information about Taekwondo as a Martial Art visit:

World Taekwondo Federation

International Taekwondo Federation

Taekwondo Association of Great Britain

British Taekwondo Council