What I explained to the father of Taekwon-Do at that time was that I had not invented a single new technique, but that what was involved was to take into account the age and integral development of the children when teaching.His answer echoes in my head to this day, almost 30 years later: ”When I developed Taekwon-Do, I thought on soldiers, not children.”
When I started practicing Taekwon-Do in 1986 as a police officer complying with the rules and regulations of the Ethiopian Police Force, I did not expect to reach the 7th Degree or Master’s degree that I am currently competing for. But as much as I understood the art of Taekwon-Do, I had a strong desire and vision to reach the heights of the art in my country – Ethiopia. So, with all the effort and sacrifice required to master the art, I was able to complete my training time and practice better alongside my regular work.
In the world of martial arts, Taekwondo is widely recognized for its range and the advantages of its foot techniques. Taekwondo’s arsenal of foot techniques is so great that in order to cover it completely, a separate book in which each technique is described from the point of view of biomechanics (the physics of the human anatomy) would be needed.
To achieve a black belt in any martial art is a great achievement. And the day of the grading itself is something you will remember for your entire life. You have already put in years of dedicated practice toward obtaining the required standard, but the last six months leading up to the grading are the most critical. I have seen many people come from nowhere to amazing in 6 months, through systematic, organised training. This e-book will show you how to do it.
Taekwon-Do was developed in the 1940’s as a method of hand to hand combat training for soldiers, all of whom were male, so it is somewhat understandable that it has an overall male focus. However, since most schools have female students as well as male, it is important for us, as instructors, and for the ITF as an organization, to acknowledge where bias exists in our martial art and take steps to address it.
A martial student stretches to improve his/her flexibility. Improved flexibility means better technique, increased power and more enjoyment in training. Correct stretching also provides many health benefits.
Adapting the ITF tournaments for athlete development Thesis for VII Dan by Adrian Byrne, Ireland ITF events, whether national or international in nature, typically have to manage the logistics of bringing together hundreds or even…