Grand Master Jack Pierce, an 8th Degree Black Belt, founded the Hwa–Rang Taekwondo Federation (HTF) on December 1, 1999. The HTF is an association consisting of students, instructors, and Masters dedicated to the education and unification of those who wish to learn, teach, and advance rank in Taekwondo. To learn more about HTF, visit the website of Grand Master Pierce.
TAEKWONDO - THE MARTIAL ART
Taekwondo means “Art of the hand and foot”, and originally comes from Korea where it is still practiced as a national sport. Taekwondo is one of the world’s newest martial arts, formally getting it’s name in 1953. It’s roots, however, are based on techniques tested for thousands of years. Today there are hundreds of thousands of Americans studying Taekwondo.
Hwa-Rang Taekwondo Federation stands for excellence, providing instructor training, belt rank testing, and supervision of competitive contests. Rhodes Taekwondo is proud to be an accredited member of the HTF family.
TAEKWONDO BENEFITS
Who can benefit from Taekwondo training? Everyone can! The HTF has practicing students from four years old into their seventies. Taekwondo offers something that no other sport can. It’s a “learning style” athletic activity that develops a combination of balance, coordination and flexibility while instilling a sense of self-discipline that can carry over into all aspects of life.
Women in Taekwondo has more than tripled in recent years, and today represents more than 30% of all practicing students. Much of this interest can be attributed to the nature of Taekwondo techniques. In self-defense, striking and kicking are instinctive and these types of techniques can be readily adapted to a woman’s physical structure.
When people first see Taekwondo techniques, they are fascinated by the strong, high kicks, often over their heads. As we age our flexibility and agility often tends to decrease. This decreased level of flexibility can have a negative effect on the activities we do or the style of life we lead. Not everyone can achieve super flexibility but the flexibility gained by practicing Taekwondo techniques can benefit anyone no matter what age they start.
Taekwondo has grown very popular because it’ is a comprehensive martial art that can benefit anyone and help them meet their own individual goals.
TAEKWONDO TECHNIQUES
When Americans first started signing up for Taekwondo lessons some 40 years ago, most of them were primarily interested in learning self-defense. Today, many Americans practice Taekwondo for physical fitness. Practicing the Taekwondo techniques of blocking, punching, kicking and striking provides a powerful limbering and toning workout.
The principles of Taekwondo techniques are based on the design of your body. For power, you develop the larger, powerful muscles of the torso. The speed of the techniques come from the fast, agile muscles of the arms and legs. When you learn to coordinate this speed and power through your smallest muscles, you can develop the concentration to focus all your body’s strength into a small, hard striking surface like the edge of the hand or the heel of your foot. When used in a self-defense situation against the soft and vulnerable parts of an attacker’s body, this power can be devistating.
TAEKWONDO FOR YOUR CHILD
A lot of parents shudder in disbelief when their child mentions the word Karate or Martial Arts. Broken furniture, mangled brothers and sisters and holes in the walls are usually the first images that pop into a parent’s head. Dispelling these myths and misunderstandings is generally the right place to begin when you first start inquiring about martial arts.
The discipline you see in our class becomes self-discipline outside the class. When children first start Taekwondo, it’s the parents who love the discipline while the child is drawn by the fun and challenge of the martial art. Parents, for example, notice subtle changes in their children’s school work, their self-control and patience with other children.
Taekwondo is a unique athletic because it is a Total Learning style activity that keeps all individuals involved. Children learning Taekwondo begin practicing the basic skills that are the foundation of the sport. These skills, which help build their coordination and balance, let the children become active in the sport as they progress, instead of just sitting on the bench.
Another benefit with our style of training is improved self-confidence. Any child can do Taekwondo and everyone improves their abilities while learning to deal positively with peers and adults.
Athletic ability increases the longer a child takes lessons. As they do, the child’s overall coordinated movements soon turn into a knowledge of self-defense that can last a lifetime.
Don’t be concerned if your child is a little nervous or thinks the techniques look too difficult, for they will be in class with other beginners just like themselves. The instructors will do everything necessary to make sure this nervousness disappears as quickly as possible.
TAEKWONDO - GETTING STARTED
Taekwondo Beginners start class everyday. Each new student starts slowly and progresses at their own rate of speed. Don’t be concerned if you’re out of shape or think the techniques look too difficult, for you will be in a class with other beginners like yourself.
We hope to have supplied you with information as to why Taekwondo is America’s most popular form of martial art.
