WHAT IS TAEKWONDO

Taekwondo is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics.

Take a closer look at the meaning of the word “Tae” “Kwon” “Do.” It is composed of three parts as shown in the English spelling, though it is one word in Korean. “Tae” means “foot,” “leg,” or “to step on”; “Kwon” means “fist,” or “fight”; and “Do” means the “way” or “discipline.” If we put these three parts together, we can see two important concepts behind “Tae Kwon Do”.

First, Taekwondo is the right way of using Tae and Kwon ‘fists and feet,’ or all the parts of the body that are represented by fists and feet. Second, it is a way to control or calm down fights and keep the peace. This concept comes from the meaning of Tae Kwon ‘to put fists under control’ [or ‘to step on fists’]. Thus Taekwondo means “the right way of using all parts of the body to stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful world.”

Taekwondo has been developing with the 5000-year long history of Korea, being called by several different names in the course. In Korea, Taekwondo began as a defence martial art called “Subak” or “Taekkyon,” and developed as a way of training body and mind in the ancient kingdom of Koguryo, under the name of “Sunbae.” In the Shilla period, it had become the backbone of Hwarangdo that aimed at producing leaders of the country.

Taekwondo today is similar to the martial arts in other Oriental countries and shares some features with them, because in the course of its evolution it has gained many different styles that existed in the martial arts of the countries surrounding Korea, like Japan and China.   But Taekwondo is very different from many such oriental martial arts. First, physically it is very dynamic with active movements that include a mirage of foot skills. Second, the principle physical movements are in simpatico with that of the mind and life as a whole.

Third, it possesses dynamic poses from another perspective.
Taekwondo can be characterized by unity: the unity of body, mind, and life, and the unity of the pose [“poomsae”] and confrontation, and cracking down. When you do Taekwondo, you should make your mind peaceful and synchronize your mind with your movements, and extend this harmony to your life and society. This is how in Taekwondo the principle of physical movements, the principle of mind training, and the principle of life become one and the same. On the other hand, the right poomsae lead to the right confrontation, which will eventually produce great destructive power.

How come we reach such a unity in Taekwondo? Taekwondo is a way of life, much like having a job, raising a family, fighting for a cause, or any one of numerous raison d’etre. What makes Taekwondo different from these is that it is an activity for survival in extremely antagonistic situations. One must always overcome the enemy that is trying to cause harm. But simply winning a fight is not enough to guarantee one’s safety, because the enemy may recuperate and attack again. Moreover, there may be many other enemies than the one that was just defeated. One cannot ever feel safe unless one gains permanent peace. To attain this permanent or lasting peace, one needs unity. This is what Taekwondo aim for. Otherwise Taekwondo would be no different from any other street-fighting skills.

Taekwondo pursues harmonious growth and improvements of life through its unique activities. This is why one could say Taekwondo is a way of life. To ultimately enable ourselves to lead more valuable lives,  we would do well by finding the guiding principles deeply hidden in Taekwondo.

WHY TAEKWONDO

  • Taekwondo is an educational experience where students learn about their own individual abilities, limitations and how to deal with those limitations through rigorous self-defence training, multifaceted physical exercise and inspired expression.

  • As a modern Korean martial art, Taekwondo is characterised by fast, high, jumping, spinning kicks and quick footwork that has explicit practical value as a martial art, a self-defence system and quick footwork and as a competitive sport.  Taekwondo was inducted into the Olympic at the 27th Olympiad in Sydney 2000 as is now an official Olympic sport.

  • Early in the century , Taekwondo was originally developed to preserve life and self-defence purpose.  However, in modern day life, adults and children have many reasons for wanting to train Taekwondo.  Some want to learn Taekwondo for self-defence, some seek to become physically fit, to lose weight, gain social interaction, while others just want to have fun.

  • Kicks, punches, blocks and basic stances are the fundamental building blocks of Taekwondo training.  Students use these techniques in predetermined movements in response to prearranged attacks and they perform these techniques deliberately and precisely through practising patterns and free sparring.

  • When you first see some of the things that Taekwondo students do, you may think it is impossible for you to do them.  However, with small changes, the word impossible becomes “I’M POSSIBLE”. On Committing yourself to a proven training system, beginners at Koryo Taekwondo Club are taught all aspects of Taekwondo and when combining this with regular training anyone of all ages can become black belt. New and existing students will attain the ultimate value of Taekwondo when they become acutely aware of the changes or treats to their environment and are able to effortlessly respond to them in a positive and effective manner.

  • Developing one-self is an invaluable investment to good character, self-control, and a non-violent attitude.  Taekwondo also helps to develop leadership qualities.  As students increase in rank, they are required to take on more responsibilities in class and they begin teaching and helping new students. Only by participating in Taekwondo class will you come to appreciated the full benefits that Taekwondo can deliver to your everyday life.

Area of Focus

SPORTS TAEKWONDO

Sports Taekwondo is the prime focus of the club. Taekwondo (WTF) is an affiliate of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) and recognized by the National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC) thus enabling us to participate and represent the country in all official games such as SEA Games, Asian Games & Olympic Games. Since Taekwondo is in the Olympics, our foremost aim is to produce Olympians. The Sports Taekwondo curriculum is designed to enable an individual to master the advanced level of skill, obtain a high level of fitness and develop mental strength.

MARTIAL ARTS TAEKWONDO

The Martial Arts Taekwondo curriculum emphasizes the usage of deadly techniques to the vital parts of the human body. The curriculum also incorporates the usage of weapons such as nunchaku, stick work and sword. An individual is also taught to use their hands and legs as destructive tools for defence and attack. The emphasis on self-discipline
and self-control is the major focus in order to prevent the misuse of the art.

HEALTH & NUTRITION PROGRAM

The health program is designed to develop all the 11 fitness components and help an individual to understand the importance of health. Individuals are taught the techniques of self-assessment and prevention of diseases related to a poor health conditions. Individuals are exposed to outdoor activities, games, seminars and courses to have a global understanding of health and nutrition in order to assimilate the teaching into practice.

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is a demanding discipline in modern sports. Individuals are taught to use the 7 mental skills such as visualization, stress management, progressive relaxation and etc. to assist them with any high-performance sports. Individuals will also be able to use these mental skills in their daily activities. The program will be conducted by professionals from the National Sports Council of Malaysia.

KORYO CRIME AWARENESS PROGRAM

Koryo’s Crime Awareness Program is a short-term program focusing on the basic “know-how” self-defence techniques and tactics. The program is conducted based on the pre-arranged schedule between the Academy and respective participants or groups. The program is conducted to meet the basic demands of the corporate executives, housewives and schoolchildren. The standard Course of Material is prepared by the Academy based on modules agreed such as Self Defense Level I, Self Defense Level 2 and Self Defense Level 3 accordingly

Benefits of Koryo Taekwondo

  • Enhance self-esteem and build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life
  • Strengthen your mind and body through increased physical coordination and mental discipline.
  • To instil the Alertness & Dynamic living coherent with our motto “STAY ALERT & STAY ALIVE” as the fundamental approach in life.
  • Develop discipline and teach self-defence by thoroughly training your body and mind in the tenets and techniques of Taekwondo; and