Taekwon-Do is a martial art like no other

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One of the most incredible things about Taekwon-Do is that it truly is a martial art for all ages and abilities. We can say, with a great deal of experience in teaching 3yrs - 80yrs+, that the diversity of people in terms of ages and physical abilities, in Taekwon-Do training halls is surprising.

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When people think of Taekwon-Do, they often associate it with kicking, flying, acrobatics and incredible feats of human aerial displays that would put some olympic gymnastics teams to shame.; The reality however is far different, as I'm about to explain:

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A Brief History of Taekwon-Do

Taekwon-Do is one of the oldest martial arts in existence having been formed from the roots of what used to be known as Taekyon, back in the days of the eastern dynasties of Asia. In those times, the focus was on the maintenance of fitness, agility and strength, but inevitably as war times took hold, it was developed as a fighting system using primarily the legs and feet as the weapons of choice, during the pre-gun powder era. In fact in those times Taekyon was taught to all ages, not just as a way to defend ones family, but also as a community function to bring people together and maintain a common culture between communities (amongst other things).

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What’s the key difference in Taekwon-Do

Over the years, Taekyon matured into what we know today as Taekwon-Do, and with the help of many pioneers (the most influential being General Choi Hong Hi) developed into an art form that integrated scientific principles in bio-mechanics (the movement of the body and joints), making it very unique in how it enabled the practitioner to generate immense levels of power and speed, without the need for athlete level training regimes or predisposed genetics for elite performance! By applying the principles of sine-wave motion, natural movement of the joints and limbs, Taekwon-Do puts far less stresses on the body than more ballistic martial art styles, allowing people of all ages, abilities and many disabilities to train, with a far lower rate of injury and reduced aggravation of existing injuries.

 

What to expect from Taekwon-Do

Without a doubt Taekwon-Do will change your life and make a positive impact on not just your health, fitness, flexibility and stamina, but also your self-confidence, esteem and self-awareness. These are all big claims of course, but with over 25+ years in teaching martial arts (from Taekwon-Do, to MMA, Tactical Arts, Kickboxing and Korean Kickboxing), I’ve seen changes in students from all age ranges, that have left lasting impressions and proven to me that almost anything is possible in Taekwon-Do training. I’ve graded for black-belt dan grades with women who were 70yrs+ of age, led students who had lost limbs at birth to national champion level, taken mums, dads, sons and daughters to European competitive level, seen children with autism, self-esteem and bullying challenges, rise above it all and use Taekwon-Do to focus their energies and talents to achieve amazing things in and out of the training hall.

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The fact is that with Taekwon-Do, you’re never too young or too old to train. Having an instructor that understands your strengths and weaknesses, who ensures that your training plan is tailored to your specific needs and who knows just how hard, far and when to push you, is critical to getting the outcomes you desire, not least many more you didn’t expect on your journey to blackbelt (and beyond!).