What is Taekwondo Step Sparring?

Admin December 4, 2014

Excerpted from Taekwondo Step Sparring by Sang H. Kim

Step sparring is a form of drill training used by Taekwondo students to practice and perfect basic stances, blocks, strikes and kicks with a partner. It includes one-step, two-step and three-step sparring, which are characterized by the number of steps forward that the attacker takes at the beginning of the technique.

Because step sparring is a series of arranged movements, it is a good way to perfect your technical execution of basic movements through repetitious practice with a partner. It helps you develop distance control, timing, accuracy, selfcontrol, respect toward your partner and teamwork.

At the advanced level, step sparring sets become longer and more complex, helping you develop coordination, speed and fluidity.

You can use sparring or self-defense skills or a mix of both in step sparring. Depending on the type of skills you are practicing, you may begin from ready stance or fighting stance. However, step sparring techniques should not be confused with sparring or self-defense techniques.

Taekwondo's Aerostep

Admin November 18, 2014

Footwork is an integral part of almost every martial arts practice routine. From simple stepping and sliding to complex combinations of steps, each martial art uses footwork as a means of setting up attacks and defenses. Taekwondo, however, has a class of footwork that is not found in other arts - the aero step.

The most advanced innovation in taekwondo footwork, the aero step can give you a significant edge in sparring, whether in the ring or in the dojang. An aero step is performed by lifting your front or back leg into the air and kicking with your other leg before stepping down. On paper this sounds like a jumping kick, but it is quite different. The aero step is intended to carry you forward or backward, not upward like a jump. In fact, the stepping foot is rarely more than twelve inches above the ground and sometimes it barely skims the floor.

Advantages of the Aero Step

The aero step carries several advantages in sparring. Most obviously, it will confuse your opponent as to which leg you intend to kick with. If you begin with a right leg aero step, your opponent will assume that you are going to use your right leg to kick. You can easily surprise him by bringing your left leg up to hit him while he is still focusing on your retreating right leg. Because the aero step resembles the chambering motion for a roundhouse kick, it is easy for your opponent to be deceived and commit to a counterattack too soon, leaving you with the perfect chance to score. Secondly, the aero step is a deceptive way of covering extra distance when kicking. By shifting your body weight forward or backward while stepping, you can cover extra inches or even feet, bringing your kick into striking range before your opponent realizes what's coming. The aero step is also an excellent method for increasing the speed, and therefore the power, of your kicks. When we look at individual techniques later in this article, you will see specific illustrations of how you can increase the power of your kicks. Finally, aero step kicks are impressive to watch and may sway the judges your way in a close match.

Basic Taekwondo Terms in Korean and English

Admin October 21, 2014

Terms commonly used in Taekwondo, in English and Korean:

Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo

$24.96

By Sang H. Kim, Kyu Hyung Lee

Buy on Amazon

Movement Principles of Taekwondo Poomsae

Admin October 5, 2014

Excerpted from COMPLETE TAEKWONDO POOMSAE by Kyu Hyung Lee and Sang H. Kim

The movement order of each Poomsae is predetermined so you must practice accordingly. The predetermined movement line is called the Poomsae Seon. Every form begins and ends in the same place. Poomsae also begins and ends with etiquette, as manifested in the bow.

There are three principles:

Poomsae must have beauty and power.
Rhythm is derived from softness and strength of force.
Technique is made of the slowness and rapidness of movement and the contraction and expansion of the body.

The detailed movement principles of Poomsae are as follows:

Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo

$24.96

By Sang H. Kim, Kyu Hyung Lee

Buy on Amazon

1. Each Poomsae movement is divided into preparation for the movement and the main movement. In preparation for a movement, you rotate your trunk, move your feet and prepare to block or strike. During this stage, relax your entire body and move your feet into a transitional stance while simultaneously chambering your arms or leg. Next, perform the main movement, the block, punch, strike or kick. At the moment of impact, focus your force on the target and snap your hand or foot to maximize the power of your movement.

2. For each movement, maximize the rotational force of your waist and the snapping motion of your strike. In Poomsae, you can increase your power by rotating your waist slightly when blocking, striking or punching. Avoid bending your trunk forward or sideways, as this reduces the power of your technique.

3. Power and Rhythm: When performing the preparation phase of a movement, relax your shoulders and coil your trunk to the side. When performing the main technique, focus all of your force into the target at the moment of impact.

4. Rhythm and Speed of movements: The preparation movement and main movement should be rhythmically and seamlessly linked. Avoid pausing in the middle of a technique.

5. When blocking, kicking and punching, always use both arms. In the preparation for the movement, one arm stretches toward the target direction while the other arm prepares to block or punch.

6. Always look at the target and align your body properly.

7. Accurately perform each stance. Adjust the width and length of your stance according to your height. When forming your stance, one step generally means the distance of one walking step forward. Pay attention to the degree of bend in your knees.

8. When kicking, bend your knee and kick as high as you can then quickly recover your balance.

How to Prepare for a Taekwondo Sparring Tournament

Admin September 7, 2014

by Sang H. Kim, co-author of Taekwondo Kyorugi: Olympic Style Sparring

One of the most common questions I hear from students is "How can I prepare for competition?" The best way to get ready for competition is to follow a plan designed by your instructor or coach. If you are a top level competitor, everything will be scientifically planned for you and all you have to do is show up and train. However, if you are one of the thousands of recreational competitors around the world, you are responsible for designing some or all of your competition training plan.

The first thing you have to do is assess what level of competition you are preparing for and how much time you have available. Ideally, for a local tournament, a few months are enough to get in competition form. By spending about two months on general practice and one month on specific competition skills and strategies, you can refine your skills to the level necessary to succeed in a small tournament. For a national or international competition, however, planning should begin at least one year ahead of time. Once you have determined the level of competition and amount of time available for your training, you can create an individual plan.

For a national or international level competition, the first type of training you have to undertake is fundamental physical training. This consists of general fitness activities like calisthenics, running and weight training. At the beginning of your competition regimen, your daily training should consist of 70% fundamental physical training and 30% basic martial arts skill practice. Ideally, this plan should be followed for 4 to 8 weeks to develop the proper physical condition for competition.

Taekwondo Black Belt Poomse Symbolism

Admin August 31, 2014

Poomse Koryo

Poomse Koryo symbolizes seonbae which means a learned man, who is characterized by a strong martial spirit as well as a righteous spirit. The choonbi-sugi (ready stance) is tongmilgi which promotes concentration by placing the hands between the upper and lower abdomen, the center of ki in the body. The movement line of Koryo represents the Chinese character for seonbae or seonbi, which means a learned man or a man of virtue in Korean. For the 1st dan.

Poomse Keumgang

Keumgang, meaning diamond, is symbolized by hardness. Mount Keumgang, which is regarded as the center of the national spirit and the origin of Keumgang Yoksa (warrior named by Buddha) who represents the mightiest warrior, is the spiritual foundation of this form. the line of movements symbolizes the Chinese character for mountain. The movements of the poomse should be performed powerfully and with good balance to demonstrate the dignity of the Keumgang spirit. For the 2nd dan.

Analysis of Taekwondo's Spinning Kicks

Admin July 28, 2014

by Sang H. Kim

Since the 1970's, taekwondo has undergone a significant evolution in both form and style. Perhaps the most striking change has been the development and refinement of taekwondo's devastating spinning kicks. Twenty years ago, spinning kicks were considered too risky for all but the most experienced competitors. It was the era of power taekwondo when knockouts were frequent and the roundhouse and side kicks ruled. Spinning kicks were too slow and too obvious to penetrate the defenses of a skilled fighter. However, with the advent of modern footwork and the refinement of strategic maneuvers, spinning kicks have become the most powerful and dangerous kicks in the taekwondo competitor's arsenal.

The Rise of the Spinning Kick

The popularity and effectiveness of the spinning kick became possible with the introduction of the upright fighting stance and the development of intricate footwork. In the early days of taekwondo competition, competitors favored a low, traditional stance. While a low stance is ideal for generating power in linear kicks, it is a hindrance to any type of spinning kick. A spinning kick must be initiated quickly, without changing the height or position of the head. The lower the stance, the more difficult this is to achieve.

Taekwondo Self-defense: Assess, Attack, Adapt

Admin July 19, 2014

In a hostile situation, you have to make a lot of decisions very quickly. In this excerpt from Taekwondo Self-defense: Taekwondo Hoshinsool, Sang H. Kim summarizes the key stages of a self-defense situation and the important decisions you'll need to make in each stage.

1. ASSESS:

• Trust your gut feeling, stay cool.

• Size up the situation:
   1. Hostility intensity: deadly threat, mild conflict, casual unpleasantness.
   2. Environmental factors: indoor, outdoor, sloping ground, exits, available environmental    weapons.
   3. Weapons: attacker has a gun, knife, pipe, or bat.
   4. People factors: numbers, size, athleticism, position.

• What are your options? If possible, escape as fast as you can. If you can’t escape, breathe deeply, stay cool and control the distance.

Taekwondo Sparring Strategies

Admin June 25, 2014

Developing a Competition Strategy

Before developing a competition strategy, each competitor must consider the following elements essential to taekwondo competition:

1) Technical structure and variations according to the competition rules. Every competitor must be able to win within the established framework of the competition rules. He must create unique offensive combinations designed to score points while avoiding penalties.

2) Economical use of energy over the duration of the match. A fighter must plan his strategy over the course of the full nine minutes of the match. He must clearly decide when it is appropriate to conserve energy and when it is necessary to press the opponent.

3) Judicial application of feinting skills. Feinting should be used wisely and sparingly, so as not to be detected by the opponent.

Once the competitor has a general plan, the following process is necessary for the accurate formulation (psychological) and execution (physical) of an individual strategy:

Taegeuk Poomse Symbolism

Admin June 23, 2014

There are eight Taegeuk Poomsaes in the martial art of Taekwondo. Each Poomsae is built upon the previous one, adding more complicated movements, yet every form has unique characteristics and principles:

Taegeuk Il Jang: Keun meaning heaven: the spirit of solid foundation
Taegeuk Ee Jang: Tae meaning river: inner strength and external gentleness
Taegeuk Sam Jang: Ri meaning fi re: the spirit of enthusiasm
Taegeuk Sah Jang: Jin meaning thunder: the spirit of undeniable power and dignity
Taegeuk Oh Jang: Sohn meaning wind: the spirit of gentle power
Taegeuk Yuk Jang: Gam meaning water: the spirit of fl ow and ultimate fl exibility
Taegeuk Chil Jang: Gahn meaning mountain: the spirit of fi rmness and strength
Taegeuk Pal Jang: Gon meaning earth: the spirit of humbleness

Q & A: Sang H. Kim on How to Improve Your Reaction Time in Sparring

Admin June 20, 2014

Reader Question:

I am a keen martial artist but when i am sparring i feel as if my reactions aren't quick enough to block some of the attacks. i would be grateful if you could recommend some ways for me to improve my reactions.

Thank you,

Dave Price, England

Martial Arts Books

Since 1989 Turtle Press has been publishing innovative martial arts books for students and instructors of all styles.

Visit the books page to browse our complete book catalog, with links to purchase our titles for Kindle (Amazon.com), iPad (Apple store), Nook (BN.com) and Android (Google Play) readers, as well as in softcover and hardcover print editions.

Martial Arts Videos

Looking for Turtle Press videos or DVDs? Our complete line of instructional video content is now available on streaming video from Amazon.com (Amazon Prime members watch free).

We also offer popular instructional video content as mobile apps and feature some of our legacy video titles on our YouTube channel.

TOP TRAINING TIPS