By James Porter
After much dedicated training in Taekwondo, I qualified to compete in a nationwide tournament in 1994, utilizing my skills to earn the distinction of National Champion that year. Additionally, I garnered the title of State Champion from the United States Taekwondo Union (USTU) nine times prior to retiring from the competitive arena. Although my current career as an integrated health professional and Chief Executive Officer of Varsity Publications, Inc. requires a great deal of time and energy, I continue to pursue martial arts on a recreational basis whenever my schedule allows.
A form of self-defense with roots in ancient Korean culture, Taekwondo derives its name from the Korean words “tae,” translated as foot; “kwon,” meaning fist; and “do,” understood in English as "way" or "method." First practiced approximately 2,300 years ago in Asia, Taekwondo gained in popularity in the West in the mid-1950s, with dojos specializing in the marital art springing up rapidly over the course of the ensuing decades. Employing a graceful combination of offensive and defensive fighting, the practice of Taekwondo also involves meditation and philosophical study of the physical art form’s historical background and underlying principles. Declared the world’s most popular form of martial art in 1989, Taekwondo became an Olympic event in 2000.
Broken down into two separate branches, traditional Taekwondo and sport Taekwondo, this type of self-defense emphasizes targeted kicks thrown from a mobile stance, in addition to a complex system of open-handed strikes, punches, blocks, sweeps, and joint locks. Some Taekwondo instructors and experts also choose to employ jiapsul, a means of pressure-point attack, as well as specific grabbing movements borrowed from judo and hapkido. Unlike karate or southern Asian styles of kung fu, the foundational elements of Taekwondo center on the leg as the most powerful means of retaliation, considering the limb’s length and strong musculature. Interestingly, ancient Koreans viewed the hands as somewhat delicate and extremely valuable parts of the body, thus explaining Taekwondo's minimized use of the fists, palms, and fingers in comparison to the legs and feet. Practiced across the globe by young and old alike, Taekwondo stands apart as an excellent way to maintain a fit body, as well as optimal mental clarity and focus.
