Overview

Taekwon-do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self defence. It is however, more than that. It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self defence; a body that has gained the ultimate use of its facilities through intensive physical and mental training.

It is a martial arts that has no equal in either power or technique. Though it is a martial art, its discipline, technique and mental training are the mortar for building a strong sense of justice, fortitude, humility and resolve. It is the mental conditioning that separates the true practitioner from the sensationalist, content with mastering only the fighting aspects of the art.

This is one of the reasons why it is called an art of self defence. It also implies a way of thinking and life, particularly in instilling a concept and spirit of strict self-imposed discipline and an ideal of noble moral rearmament.

Translated literally “TAE” stands for jumping or flying, to kick or smash with the foot. “KWON” denotes the fist – chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist. “DO” means an art or way – the right way built and paved by the saints and sages in the past. Thus taken collectively “TAEKWON-DO” indicates the mental training and the techniques of unarmed combat for self defence as well as health, involving the skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks and dodges with bare hands and feet to the rapid destruction of the moving opponent or opponents.

Taekwon-do enables the weak to possess a fine weapon together with a confidence to defend him or herself and defeat the opponent as well. Of course, wrongly applied, taekwon-do can be a lethal weapon. Therefore mental training must always be stressed to prevent the student from misusing it.

Even if taekwon-do is practiced for the sake of exercise alone, the enjoyment derived will justify the time invested and spent. As an exercise, it is equally suitable for the young and old, male and female.

(Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do. General Choi Hong Hi. Vol 1. Pg 21)

History of Taekwon-Do

Although the origins of the marital arts are shrouded in mystery, we consider it an undeniable fact that time immemorial there have been actions involving the use of hands and feet for the purpose of self protection. If we were to define these physical actions as “Taekwon-Do” any country might claim credit for inventing it. There is however, scant resemblance between Taekwon-Do, as it is practiced today, and the crude forms of unarmed combat developed in the past.

Modern Taekwon-do differs greatly from other martial arts. In fact, no other martial art is so advance with regards to the sophistication and effectiveness of its techniques or the overall physical fitness it imparts to its practitioners.

When & Where did Taekwon-Do begin?

A combination of circumstances made it possible for General Choi Hong Hi to originate and develop Taekwon-Do. In addition to his knowledge of Taek Kyon, he had an opportunity to learn Karate in Japan during the unhappy thirty-six years when his native land was occupied by the Japanese. Soon after Korea was liberated in 1945, he was placed in privileged position as founding member of the newly formed South Korean Armed Forces.

This provided him with a definite sense of creation, and the latter gave him the power to disseminate Taekwon-Do throughout the entire armed forces, despite furious opposition.

The emergence of Taekwon-Do as an international martial art in a relative short period of time was due to a variety of factors. The evils of contemporary society (moral corruption, materialism, selfishness, etc) had created a spiritual vacuum. Taekwon-Do was able to compensate for the prevailing sense of emptiness, distrust, decadence and lack of confidence.

In addition these were violent times, where people felt the need for a means of protecting themselves. And the superiority of Taekwon-Do technique came to be widely recognized. General Choi Hong Hi’s social status, the advantage of being Taekwon-Do’s founder and his god-given health also contributed to the rapid growth.

(Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do. General Choi Hong Hi. Vol 1. Pg 21)

Taekwon-Do

By PLAVEB
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2010 Kick Off Camp - Gold Coast

2010 got off to a flying start with the 2nd annual Kick-Off Camp!

Starting the Year with a Bang!

The Year is 2010

  • The Event... The Brain Child of Master Michael Daher (8th Dan) This is the 2nd Annual IL Shim Taekwon Do Kick Off Camp
  • Where... Tallebudgera Beach
  • The purpose... open to all IL Shim Clubs from around Australia, the design is to share knowledge, have fun and make some new Friends.

Hosted by IL Shim Gold Coast branch, Instructors John Abdallah (3rd Dan) and Michelle Reisser (3rd Dan); the format consisted of various Senior Dan Instructors taking an hour to introduce and analyse an aspect of TKD with the participants of the camp.

A highlight of the Camp is the inclusion of a mystery guest instructor, whom only a handful of people know about... This year’s mystery Guest was NZ’s very own Master Paul Mcphail (7th Dan)

Click on Photo to see the Album

DAY 1

First Class, Master Mcphail Instructing a class on combinations and rhythm. Everything has to flow; it’s almost like a dance between 2 combatants. Getting your movements to Flow is the key to success in any sparring situation. The combination - sliding front forefist punch, sliding out on contact finishing up with a stance reversal 3 movements in a flowing motion, much like a waltz, this analogy was realised when you could hear many people saying 123...123...123 out loud while practising.

Following this was a lesson in an aspect some TKD practitioners seem to forget, especially those who don’t frequent tournament s often, the hands. To quote a line from a famous NZ film "Too much weights, not enough speed work!" If time is taken on the development of the speed and technique of your hands the myth that all Taekwon-Do practitioners have no idea how to use their hands will be dispelled.

The purpose of the camp is to have fun, Observe and React; A variation on musical chairs. The goal of this exercise every round was to not be left standing without a purple stick in your hand. There were always 2 less sticks than people participating in the round which determined who was out. Last Round... a determined Shawn Sutton beat his opponent of 1/3 his size to take the win!

Self Defence Techniques shouldn’t be taken lightly, Master Daher demonstrated swiftly and deadly; 4 situations were taken and an escape solution was explained. 1 arm grab, 1&2 arm lapel grab, and the bear hug. The end solutions were similar in the fact that u end up using your opponents arm like a joystick playing on an Xbox. So simple really....

The day continued with a game that took a spin on the game of soccer.... playing on our knees and with the hands. Hitting the ball was allowed and grabbing was not, the only exception was the goal keeper. 6 teams whittled down to 4... Down to 2, the sand was hard and the sun was hot, but to the victor went the spoils.

As the Sun went down and Day 1 drew to a close, an important aspect of mental and physical fitness was discussed, Nutrition and TKD. With the amount of distress our bodies take sometimes, especially at some Tournaments.... It is important to think about how we fuel our bodies and keep them ready for action. The camp was not all about physical tests, but also an acknowledgement of the effects of life. The body cannot live without the mind and vice versa.

DAY 2

Master Mcphail kicked off with a continuation of the previous days class, by adding a move to the 3 combination sequence, 1234... 1234... 1234... This quickly turned into a lesson in patterns... Know your pattern inside out was his motto of the hour... even backwards. Starting of easy (apparently) we broke down Chon-Ji and performed the backwards variation. Next Up Dan-Gun, which after the dust settled a blue belt named Sabastian DeViana, managed to get from start to end with little difficulty.

The Obstacle course is a staple of outdoor activities and it’s no different with this event. The group Split in Half tackled four pads at each corner of a square field and on each leg an obstacle of sorts whether it is a pad to jump over or 6 to run over. The rest were concentrating on one task... The Flying Side Piercing Kick, difficulties are set as the transition from jumping off the sand to jumping off a meter ledge. The stakes were raised with the addition of a vertical kick pad to jump over...

As the day drew to an end the last hour of the seminar was instructed by Master Daher. Prior to this hour Master Daher had said "In this session you will get wet!" Everything was done in waist deep water; Patterns, Line work, jumping techniques, push ups, and sit ups. Finally a test of Endurance, and teams were devised where we participated in relays, dragging each other through the water...

All in all the weekend went by with great success, the event was enjoyed by all and it was great seeing people from around the country. Bonds were formed Friendships made and its through things like this that the TKD family grows stronger! Countdown for 2011, the 3rd annual Kick off camp is just around the corner; with more fun and games, experience to draw off and another important mystery guest! Stay Tuned.

Michael Young - 1st Dan

IL Shim Taekwon Do Gold Coast
 

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