More Than Just a Sport
When most people think of Taekwondo, they think of it as a sport – an Olympic event, a way to become an athlete and a competitive activity. But Taekwondo, the martial art from Korea, is so much more than that.
Taekwondo lessons go beyond just physical exercise – it’s a mindset for living. You’ll learn
- self-defense,
- gain self-confidence,
- increase self-awareness and
- learn to respect yourself and others.
The personal rewards of training in any of the martial arts are endless, but it’s not an overnight achievement – it’s a commitment to an amazing lifestyle.
If you’re new to martial arts training, you might be wondering what the big deal is. You’re fine just as you are, and all you want to do is enjoy Taekwondo lessons and leave it at that. But the truth is – a transformation happens within you – as you train. It’s not something you plan for or expect, it just happens – and as you get deeper into it, and it’s one of the most organic and remarkable experiences you’ll enjoy.
Self-Defense is at the Core of Taekwondo
Self-discovery also happens when you train
Taekwondo is first and foremost about self-defense – that’s what martial arts are all about. But when we focus solely on the competitive aspects of martial arts, we lose many of the traditional ways of training and the path of self-discovery.
In any self-defense system, the ultimate goal is to win (or at least – not be the loser) but also the goal is to stop an altercation and that’s it. There’s no need to go any further. In competition, the goal is to beat others through scores, move on to the next stage, and so on.
This is the main difference between traditional and sport-style training. Our Taekwondo lessons take you on a journey.
Personal Training for Personal Growth
Self-discovery also happens when you train
As a student of martial arts, if you choose to practice for yourself, you’ll gain many benefits – far beyond the physical rewards of kicking and punching.
The physical practice of martial arts is personal. Everyone is built differently. No matter your height, weight, gender, or any other difference, you’ll make Taekwondo your own. Regardless of the rank you achieve, from day one to the day you choose to stop training, you’re always referred to as “a student of martial arts” when you train for yourself.
A Taekwondo beginner
As a beginner, you’ll start to understand your limitations and what it takes to work past them. The first lesson martial arts teaches us is to have belief in ourselves, that we can do more than we think we can.
With the right instruction and training with a “belief in yourself”, you’ll learn how to make your body deliver more speed, power, and energy to carry out various techniques better and better over time. You’ll be able to kick harder, punch harder, and block more accurately with little or no injury to yourself.
1. Self-Discipline is the key to Taekwondo Success
Self-discipline is the absolute key to success in martial arts – and in just about anything, actually.
It’s simple to cultivate too, you can practice it every time you train – at home and in your taekwondo lessons.
It’s about pushing through on the bad days, turning up to class even if you’ve had a bad day at work.
Leave the day’s problems at the door as you approach your taekwondo lessons and commit to trying to be 5% faster, stronger, better in class than you were the week before.
If you’re training at home and ‘don’t feel like it’ that day, commit to practising for just 10 more minutes.
2. It’s up to us
The second lesson that taekwondo teaches us is that it’s all up to us.
We can work hard, see ourselves improving and progressing and feel good. Or, we can put in minimal effort, feel dejected that we’re not improving and quit.
It’s exactly the same in daily life at school or at work. We have the power to choose our own path and make the most out of our training.
New taekwondo techniques
One of the most rewarding aspects of Taekwondo is mastering new techniques.
Seeing an unbelievable technique happen and trying to achieve it is always a challenge. Take the spinning back kick for example.
Anyone can spin, anyone can kick. But can you put the two together in a powerful and effective way?
Yes, with practice.
Can you make it pinpoint accurate every time?
Absolutely, but with many hours of practice.
It’s not just a spinning back kick, it’s the footwork, the alignment of your hips, knees, and hands, and keeping your focus on the target. All these elements come together through hours of sweat and hard work, but the payoff is amazing.
And that’s the third lesson that Taekwondo instills:
3. Never give up until you reach your goal.
Knowing you have achieved that technique will last with you for a lifetime.
As you progress on your Taekwondo journey, you’ll realize that it’s not just about physical stuff, but also about mental and emotional growth. The self-confidence and self-discipline you gain through Taekwondo training means you don’t feel the need to prove yourself and would prefer to safely walk away from a confrontation if possible. It’s your choice, all up to you.
If you ever have a chance to talk to anyone who has been in martial arts for a long time, they will tell you stories of accomplishments, failures, and all the moments in between, and they will be filled with pride through all of it. The journey and the results are all a retrospective soft spot for anyone who takes on martial arts with a traditional mindset of life training.
Taekwondo as a sport is amazing, but Taekwondo as a life choice is even more amazing.
Achievements you make in Taekwondo will always be a constant reminder of why you started training in the first place.
Self-Confidence + Self-Discipline = Self-Defense.