Tuesday, October 20, 2009

THE ART OF TAEKWONDO

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1.1: Introduction

According to www.barrel.net (2006), Taekwondo is a modern martial art, characterized by it's fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name taekwondo. Taekwondo is often translated as 'the way of hand and foot'.

1.2 : Title

The art of Taekwon-do

1.3: Reason for choosing the title

According to Global Taekwon-do Federation, the Senior Vice-president of GTF is Dato’ Sabree Salleh, 9th dan black belt who is Malaysian and alumnus of UiTM.

1.4 : General purpose

To Inform

1.5 : Specific purpose

To inform the audience about the art of Taekwon-do and benefit from learning Taekwon-do.

1.6: Central Purpose

1.6.1 Definition

1.6.2 History of Taekwon-do

1.6.3 Features of Taekwon-do

1.6.4 Rank, belt and promotion

1.6.5 Benefit from learning taekwon-do

2.1: Definition

2.1.1 Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus (2000) defines taekwon-do as a korean martial art, combination between chops, kicks, punch, ect

2.1.2 Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2000) describes taekwon-do as a style of fighting from korea, and also a sport, in which you kick and hit but do not use weapons.

2.1.3 According to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tae_kwon_do (2002), taekwon-do is a korean martial art and national sport of South Korea. It is the world's most popular martial art in terms of the number of practitioners (>40 million ). In Korea, ‘tae’ means ‘to strike or break with foot’, ‘kwon’ means ‘to strike or break with fist’ and ‘do’ means ‘way or method’. In other word, taekwon-do means the way of kicking and punching.

2.1.4 www.superiormartialarts.com (2001) defines taekwondo as way of hand and feet. The primary form of Korean unarmed combat, during a conference of chung do kwan masters in 1955. It is considered the most popular martial art in the world.

2.2: History

According to www.chaehooksung.com (2002), the earliest records of TAEKWONDO practice date back to about 50 BC. During this time, Korea had three kingdoms: Silla, Koguryo, and Baekche. Evidence of the practice of TAE-KYON (the earliest known form of TAEKWONDO) found in paintings on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty. These & other mural paintings show unarmed combatants using techniques that are virtually identical to those of modern-day TAEKWONDO. Of particular interest are details that show the use of the knife hand, fist & classical fighting stances, all components of modern TAEKWONDO.

2.3: Features of Taekwondo

2.3.1 According to Martial Arts in the Modern World (2001), Taekwondo is known for its emphasis on kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts such as karate or southern styles of kungfu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation. Historically, the Koreans thought that the hands were too valuable to be used in combat.

2.3.2 According to The Secrets of Tae Kwon Do (1999) physically, taekwondo develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's strength.

2.3.3 According to The Origins and Popularity of the Martial Arts (2003), a taekwondo student typically wears a uniform, white but sometimes black or other colors, with a belt tied around the waist. The belt indicates the student's rank.

Although each taekwondo club or school will be different, a taekwondo student can typically expect to take part in most or all of the following.

  1. Learning the techniques and curriculum of taekwondo
  2. Both anaerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
  3. Pattern [3]and sparring
  4. Relaxation and meditation[4]
  5. Breaking (speed, power and special technique)
  6. Grading[5]

2.4: Belt, rank and promotion.

2.4.1 According to Tae Kwon Do: The Ultimate Reference Guide to the World's Most Popular Martial Art (1989) Taekwondo ranks are typically separated into "junior" and "senior" or "student" and "instructor" sections. The junior section typically consists of ten ranks (geup). The junior ranks are usually identified by belts of various colors. Students begin at tenth geup (often indicated by a white belt) and advance toward first geup (often indicated by a red belt with a black stripe).

The senior section is typically made up of nine ranks. These ranks are called dan, also referred to as "black belts" or "degrees". Black belts begin at first degree and advance to second, third, and so on. The degree is often indicated on the belt itself with stripes, Roman numerals, or other methods

2.4: Benefit from learning taekwondo

According to www.taekwondoworld.com (2002), there are several benefits from learning taekwon-do

2.5.1 Enhance self-esteem by heightening your physical and mental powers.

2.5.2 Build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life.

2.5.3 Develop discipline by thoroughly training your body and mind in the tenets and techniques of Taekwondo.

2.5.4 Strengthen your mind and body through increased physical coordination and mental discipline

3.0 Conclusion

As the conclusion, taekwon-do is a beautiful martial art because it combines the movement of hand and feet. With taekwon-do, we can defend ourselves from being hurt by other person. With more than 40 million taekwon-do practitioners in all over the world, we should be proud because the 2nd person in taekwon-do in the world come from Malaysia
 
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