Back L-StanceNiunja Sogi (Back Stance: Dwi-gibi Sogi) is a standard fighting stance used in Taekwondo to prepare for kicking. The body is turned to present only the side to the opponent and the legs are split one and a half shoulder widths apart. The front foot points directly forwards while the back leg is turned out just under 90 degrees. The feet are lined up along the heels.

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To make sure you have the L-stance properly aligned, stand with your feet together, turn out the toes and step the back foot directly backwards into the stance. 70% of the weight should be on the back leg which means the front leg can be engaged in quick kicking and it will not unbalance the practitioner if swept. Sitting StanceAnnun Sogi or Joo-choom sogi is a low stance used in Taekwondo and several other martial arts as a neutral position, which also enables an individual to practice punching. It is known as the 'horse-stance'.Feet are placed wide, around two shoulder widths apart and the knees are deeply bent until the hamstrings lie parallel with the floor. The back is kept straight. Arms are bent with closed, upturned fists held at the hips. As each punch is directed forward, the fist swivels 180 degrees down to a natural position before impact, turning back up again as it is retracted to the sides.This is a very arduous position for the legs and lower back.

While punches are being trained, other parts of the body are receiving a workout. As a student progresses, his hips will begin to open up and he will be able to achieve an even lower stance. Tests of martial endurance are often based around maintaining this position for protracted periods, holding other objects on outstretched arms or even balancing them on the head.

Fighting StanceKyorugi joombi is a simple stance which is similar to back stance, but with the practitioners weight center to allow for kicking with either front or back foot. It largely resembles the fighting stance a boxer will take. Hand attacksTaekwondo hand strikes are performed as a close distance alternative to kicks. They are executed in a number of ways - from standing, jumping, spinning and rushing forwards.

Hand strikes make up fast combinations of strikes which can leave an opponent stunned and unable to defend himself. Taekwondo hand strikes can be separated into two distinct styles:.Various surfaces of the hand may be engaged as the striking surface depending on which area of the opponents body which is being targeted. This leads to a large array of hand positions.

Forefist - A closed fist may be jabbed out directly to strike with the forefist knuckles. This is a suitable position for general punches to soft areas of the body. Without protection, it is inadvisable to strike the bony face as fingers are likely to get broken on the hard temple and jaw bones. Hammer fist - A closed fist may be brought down in a hammering motion to strike with the underneath. Such a strike can obliterate an opponent's nose, making it near impossible for him to retaliate.

Backfist ( doong chumok)- A Son Dung clenched hand is swung backwards into the face of an opponent. The back of the hand makes contact and the momentum garnered in the swing makes this a powerful strike.

Spinning backfists are a knockout punch and banned in most Taekwondo competitions. Knife Hand - Sonkal' is the Taekwondo name for a 'Karate Chop', i.e. Where an open hand is hammered down to make impact with the underside. A Ridge Hand is the opposite, where the top of the open hand strikes. These are commonly made to the side of the neck. Fingertips - Joomuk can be used to strike vulnerable areas of the body such as pressure points. Used in self-defence and not competition sparring, one and two finger strikes are made to the eyeballs.

Four finger strikes engaging the tips of the outstretched hand (known as Spear hand) can be made to vital points in the neck. Thumb - Umji is a fist with the thumb protruding over the top. This is a formidable weapon in pressure point striking. Vulnerable areas can be targeted all over the body such as the sternum, the spaces in between the ribs and other nerve clusters. Palm Heel - Is a classic self-defence strike where the hand is pulled back to engage the base of the palm in an upwards thrusting strike. This is particularly dangerous if applied to the base of the nose or chin and can result in death. Obviously banned in competition Taekwondo.

Elbow Strike ( palkup chigi)- Forearm is folded inwards towards the body and the strike is delivered with the outside of the forearm or elbow. Four Knuckle strike - This is a fist shape particular to the Asian martial arts. Instead of closing the fist completely, the fingers are held out and only the knuckles are bent thereby presenting the upper set of knuckles as the striking surface. This fist is used for breaking boards as the smaller surface area concentrates the punches power. In self-defence, it may be used to purposefully break an attackers jaw.Tae Kwon Do also makes use of reverse and front elbow strikes.

Kicks ( Chagi). Main article:All kicks can be executed as jump kicks, spin kicks, jump spin kicks or multi-rotational spin kicks.

Also, all can be performed by the front or rear leg in a given stance.Some of the best-known Taekwondo kicks include:. (앞 차기 ap chagi): This is a very linear kick. The practitioner raises the knee to the waist, pulls the toes back and quickly extends the foot at the target.

It is also known as the snap kick. The front kick is one of the first kicks learned in TKD; if mastered it can become one of the most powerful. Steven Ho: Jump Spin Hook KickThere are also many kicks that involve jumping before their execution. These include jumping front kick (ee dan ap chagi), jumping side kick (이단 옆 차기 idan yeop chagi), flying side kick, jumping axe kick, jumping roundhouse (ee dan dollyeo chagi), jumping spinning hook kick, jumping spinning roundhouse kick, butterfly kick or 'shuffle jump kick,' jumping (or counter) back kick, and jump spinning side kick.

Normally, jumping kicks involve pulling up the back leg to help gain height during the jump and then performing the kick itself with the front leg. Advanced Kicks: There are a variety of kicks that can be used in combination or stem out from a simple kick to create more difficult ones.

Some of these include 540 Kick (One spins 1 1/2 times in mid-air and does a kick, usually a back spinning hook kick) and Triple Aero Kicks (One does round house kick, back spinning hook kick, and another round house kick in mid-air). Fast Kicks: Also, many kicks can be employed using a fast kick style. The practitioner shuffles the back leg forward to the front leg, and the front leg comes up and kicks closer to the enemy than the practitioner had been before execution. This can be used with side kick, roundhouse kick, front kick, hook kick, and axe kick.

They are called Fast 'insert kick name'.Blocks ( Makgi). Main article:Taekwondo blocks known as Makgi are used to stop and deflect an incoming attack.

They engage various parts of the arm with the hand and are held in different positions such as knife-hand, closed fist etc. Each block is suitable for a particular kind of attack and may be combined with another punch or kick to make a counter-attack. Single Forearm Block - Wae Sun Palmok is used to deflect an attack (usually a kick) made at the torso.

Starting up near the opposite shoulder,and the leading hand is projected down and across the body to deflect the kick with the forearm. Low Block - Najundi Makgi is used to defend against low attacks to the torso or legs.

This is one of the most basic Taekwondo blocks and one of the first things a beginner will learn. The lead forearm is bent and raised to shoulder height, snapping the arm down straight with the palm facing the ground, which blocks any incoming low kicks. Rising Block - Chookya Makgi is another basic Taekwondo block, used to defend against overhead attacks to the head and shoulders. The arm is bent and raised above the head, and the underside of the forearm absorbs the impact of the blow, which may be painful but is better than it connecting with your head or delicate clavicle.

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This block is used to defend against Hammerfists, Axe Kicks and overhead strikes with blunt instruments. Palm Block - Sonbadak Naeryo Makgi is a standard block used to deflect incoming kicks and punches. The open hand is raised up to shoulder height and thrust directly down to meet the attackers limb. The heel of the hand makes contact with the attacker’s forearm in case of a punch, or shin in case of a kick. Although simple, it requires a lot of partner training to get the timing of this Taekwondo block correct. Knife Hand Block - The hand is kept in a knife hand position to block attacks to the torso. As the front arms sweeps down in an arc from the inside to the outside of the body, the back hand is simultaneously pulled back to the back hip and ready for a counter punch.

Double Forearm Block - This is a more advanced Taekwondo block, designed to be used against a strong attack to the center of the body. Standing sideways, the lead forearm blocks the attack with the fist closed. The second arm provides further support, linking into the crook of the arm so both forearms are at a 90 degree angle to the body.

Double Knife Hand Block - With the hands held open in the knife hand position, a powerful kick aimed at the solar plexus can be successfully blocked.

Taekwondo exists in two different forms. One has been derived from Kukkiwon, the World Taekwondo Headquarters that serves as an issuing body for the taekwondo black belt degree. Kukkiwon has served as the source of the sparring system that is now one of the events at the Summer Olympic Games. The other taekwondo style has originated from the International Taekwondo Federation, which promotes martial art in Korea by organizing training seminars and tournaments. There are certain differences in the two taekwondo techniques but in general, the training for taekwondo includes kicks, punches and open-handed strikes. The art emphasizes on the leg's reach and power, which are comparatively greater than those of the hand. The kicking techniques, which are a part of taekwondo, are its true differentiators from other martial arts like karate and kung fu.

Typically, a taekwondo student receives training in the techniques and curriculum of taekwondo. Taekwondo students are trained in taekwondo patterns, sparring, throwing and falling techniques and also the breaking techniques. Emphasis on mental health through relaxation and meditation exercises, inculcation of discipline, confidence and strong ethical values are a part of the taekwondo training.

There are 3200 techniques in taekwondo. They comprise stances, hand attacks and kicks. Depending on the relative positions of the shoulders and the legs, the stances have been named as sitting stance, walking stance, parallel stance, rear foot stance, L stance, closed stance and attention stance. Apart from these basic stances, there is a fighting stance that is used in sparring and combat. The hand attacks are in the form of punches or open hand techniques. Punches, as most of us know are thrusting blows given with one's fists. Open hand techniques include strikes, which are attacks with a weapon or a part of the human body.

Kicks are an essential component of taekwondo. They are executed as jump kicks; spin kicks or multirotational spin kicks. Taekwondo ranks are categorized as junior and senior ranks. The junior section consists of ten ranks known as geups.

They are identified by belts of specific colors. Students commence their taekwondo training from the tenth rank and advance towards the first one. Each color bears significance with respect to the proficiency levels of the trainees. The ranking starts with a white belt symbolizing innocence. The yellow belt that comes next signifies the foundation of taekwondo being laid. Next is the green belt that stands for the development of taekwondo skills in the students.

The blue belt indicates the towering of a student's skills in taekwondo. The red belt indicates a caution to the students or a warning about the opponents. The first ranked black belt signifies the proficiency of the student and is representative of the student's mastery over taekwondo. It is officially stated that taekwondo originated from the Korean martial arts of the earlier days.

Some believe that the neighboring countries have influenced the taekwondo forms to a certain extent. It is also said that taekwondo evolved from karate. When Japan occupied Korea, the Japanese impacted the Korean culture and their way of living.

The Korean art forms were banned and many of the Korean customs were prohibited. Those in Japan during that time were exposed to the Japanese martial arts.

After the long years of Japanese occupation, there was a desire to create a national sport that was entirely Korean. This gave rise to a uniquely Korean sport called taekwondo.

Eventually it gained popularity worldwide and came to be included in the Olympic Games. Today, taekwondo is popular with both genders of different age groups. It is one of the most popular Asian martial arts. It is a sport and exercise that develops strength, flexibility and stamina. It develops the ability to concentrate and focus on one's strengths to achieve the desired goals.

Thus, taekwondo is a sport that contributes to the overall development of an individual. This 'way of fist and foot', as it is loosely translated, remains to be one of the most appreciated martial arts in the world.