Take Up... Tae Kwon Do
Korea’s most popular national sport will get you ripped, if it doesn’t break you first
Basically, it’s the same as kickboxing, right?
No. It involves striking with the foot or fist (Tae Kwon Do means ‘art of the foot and fist’) but it’s not boxing. It’s a Korean martial art that’s practised in 188 countries by over 70 million people. It’s one of only two martial arts in the Olympics, the other being judo. Though you can use both hands and foot, the emphasis is on use of the leg to attack.
How does it work?
Sparring bouts consist of three rounds of three minutes, with one minute’s rest between each. You earn points by landing blows on your opponent – one point for a blow on the torso, two points for a kick to the neck/head, and three for knocking your opponent down. When you reach 12 points, or seven points more than your opponent, you are declared the winner. Points are deducted for hitting the back, behind the head or hoofing your opponent in the nuts.
Sounds brutal.
It is. As well as a suit, or dobok, competitors need shin pads, arm pads, helmet, and often a torso pad. However, it’s a very gentlemanly martial art. Honesty and discipline are not just encouraged but heavily developed. It’s not for meatheads who fancy themselves as an action hero. Precision and focus are essential.
What’s it going to do for my fitness?
The short, intense bursts the sport is played in mean you’ll improve your all-round fitness and muscle tone from working your legs and core in ways you wouldn’t emulate in the gym. It’s also good for mental agility as you have to be constantly aware of your fast-moving opponent, as well as looking for opportunities to attack.
Awesome. Like Yoda!
Hmmm. Taekwondo offers all the normal benefits of sport – fitness, strength, endurance, flexibility – coupled with self-defence. It also instils a discipline and a code of ethics that’s unique to martial arts.”
Exactly. Like Yoda.
Pro skills
Hall on the three moves you need to master:
Turning kick. This is where you twist your body to get extra force behind the kick while still maintaining balance. From a fighting stance [one foot forward], rotate and bring the back foot around. The more you rotate your front foot, the higher the kick.
Chop kick. A quick-fire kick that catches your opponent by surprise in the head. Bring your knee up from behind, stretch it to maximum height and snap down.
Back kick. After turning
180°, you kick your opponent in the midriff from behind.
Where can you do it?
Delhi Taekwondo
South Extension, New Delhi
0-9868251277
Victorius Challengers Taekwondo Academy
Bhayandar East, Mumbai
022-61621030
Taekwondo Association of Karnataka, Yehalanka, Bangalore
0-9880149748
From the December 2010 issue of FHM India.
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