Frequently asked questions
TAEKWON-DO, KARATE, KUNG FU…IT’S ALL
THE SAME ISN’T IT?
In some respects, yes. They are
all styles of martial art & have some similarities, but there are a
large number of differences between them. For a start the martial art
styles named above come from different areas in the Far East. Taekwon-Do
originates from Korea, Karate styles come from Japan & Okinawa & Kung
Fu is a general term for the various Chinese martial arts.
These styles are all “hard” or
“external” martial arts as opposed to the “soft” or “internal” arts
like Tai Chi or Chi Gung.
Most of the martial arts contain
patterns or forms, which is generally considered the core of the
martial arts. These forms contain all of the hand & foot techniques
which are used in normal training in the class & in most cases the
patterns contain the so-called hidden or secret techniques of the
martial arts – the pressure point strikes & joint manipulations.
Taekwon-Do is renowned &
respected around the world for it’s powerful & dynamic kicking
techniques. It is not unusual to see two Taekwon-Do exponents sparring
& to see them throwing a succession of fast, accurate spinning kicks,
jumping high up in the air.
DOESN’T THE
MARTIAL ARTS PREACH RELIGION?
No. The martial arts are widely
recognised for teaching a system of beliefs that go hand in hand with
our training, but these are based purely on various concepts that have
been derived from certain Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism,
Confucianism & Taoism.
To give you some examples, the
main principles that underlay the Taekwon-Do training are a set of
moral values called the Tenets of Taekwon-Do. These are to instil the
concepts of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control &
indomitable spirit. Other values that we as martial artists hold in
high regard are humility, self-discipline, respect & humanity.
Many westerners find the concept
of bowing strange when they first join a martial arts club, but it is
a simple act that has a great deal of depth & meaning behind it. We
perform the bow when we enter & leave the Dojang (or training
hall), we bow to the Sabumnim (or Instructor) & we bow to our
partners when facing them.
I’VE HEARD
PARENTS TALK ABOUT MARTIAL ARTS HELPING CHILDREN WITH THEIR
SCHOOLWORK, HOW DOES THAT WORK?
It is true that a by-product of
Taekwon-Do training is an improvement on the children’s concentration
level & focus. The children tend to be more disciplined & focussed on
achieving goals that are set for them. This comes about by the
necessity of the students to have to learn complicated series of
movements in their patterns, which helps the student’s concentration
levels. Also, the way the grading syllabus is structured, it means the
students goals are gradually increased over a period of time, which
constantly serves to motivate them.
Taekwon-Do also serves as a
release to allow the students to train & forget pressures & stresses
from exams, school & home-life; by spending an hour or so completely
concentrating on their training it allows the students to return back
to their work, motivated & invigorated.
ISN’T
TAEKWON-DO ALL ABOUT BREAKING WOOD & FIGHTING?
In Taekwon-Do we do perform power
tests, by breaking wooden boards, building blocks & bricks but the
training encompasses a great deal more than that. However, this part
of the training is restricted to the senior students in the class.
The aspect of destruction is a
tool to test the students speed, accuracy & power in their hand & foot
techniques & as well as being exciting to watch, it tests the students
will-power & their ability to focus on self-belief.
The sporting aspect of Taekwon-Do
is a very exciting to watch. It is not a static form of fighting but
the techniques flow rapidly mixing punching combinations with fast
kicking techniques. This part of the Art is purely geared up to teach
the student skills that will help them in competitions, if the student
is so inclined.
If the student is competitive &
is interested in competitions the option is there for them to
participate in regular tournaments at both local & national level. If
the student is good enough then they can progress to joining the
national squad & represent their country on the international circuit.
One thing that does benefit the
student from regular participation in competitions is that it develops
a healthy desire to succeed & although it has no relation to
self-defence skills, it prepares the students mind & strengthens &
conditions the body to deal with confrontations which gives the
student the confidence to defend themselves.
One of the main reasons that many
students join a martial art club is to learn how to defend their
selves if they are ever subjected to a street attack. This part of the
training is very important & the way it is approached & the techniques
used are completely different to training for sparring competitions.
As you can see, there are a lot
of different aspects to the training, all equally important as each
other. So, whatever a students interest, Taekwon-Do can offer it all.
OK, I’M
INTERESTED, SO WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE YOUR CLUB INSTEAD OF SOMEONE
ELSE’S?
Well, before making that
commitment & signing up to any martial arts school I would
suggest visiting a number of schools & watching a couple of lessons to
see what is involved. I am confident that, as an instructor, I can
offer professional instruction in a valid martial art, with the full
backing of a democratic & professional martial arts association.
I am a fully qualified Instructor
with full insurance, 1st aid training & have been teaching
Taekwon-Do for over 15 years. The Wells school was founded in
May 1996, but I taught for my Instructor (twice World Taekwon-Do
Champion) Mark Weir, prior to that. I am a fully qualified Umpire &
Referee & am the Press Officer for Global Taekwon-Do International
(GTI).
As an instructor, I am health &
safety trained & have been registered & cleared by the Criminal
Records Bureau, which is monitored by the GTI's Child Protection
Officer (which is a requirement, by law, for all GTI instructors
working with children).
I have achieved the rank of 5th
Dan black belt & have held the British Taekwon-Do Championship titles
in both the traditional forms & sparring, plus many other accolades &
titles. I was also a member of the GTI National Team & fought on the
international circuit until I retired from the tournament scene.
I have coached a number of
students to black belt level & have also produced a number of
champions at national level. But, I think that the most rewarding
things that I have seen through my teaching is the change that I have
seen in the students; seeing shy children “come out of their shell”,
nervous students become more confident, bullied students learning to
stand up for their selves & others just becoming stronger in body,
mind & spirit.
Once you have made up your mind
to join our friendly club then why not check out the rest of our
web-site for a bit more information & give us a call for a chat & to
book your place.
