Well, everyone should be back in school, and before you know it you will shoveling snow for the first time this year! Taekwon-Do should be an important part of your daily activities, but school and homework is also very important. If you are not passing your classes in school, you should be spending your evenings doing homework instead of Taekwon-Do. We must keep our priorities in the proper order, school first, then everything else (including Taekwon-Do).
Etiquette: There is a reason we keep bringing this particular subject up, it’s because we still need to improve. When the instructor calls your name or call out your belt rank, you need to answer up so they know you are listening. The rest of the time you should be quiet and listening. The junior class does a very good job at this, but the adult class has a long way to go! There is far too much talking and not near enough listening going on. But on a good note, we have see a huge improvement in students letting the instructors know when they will not be in class. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Tournament: Battle of the Belts - The 2004 Battle of the Belts will be held in Harrisburg, Missouri on Saturday, September 18th. This is the 16th annual tournament promoted by Region 6. We have a number of students who are going to participate this year. We will report the results in next months newsletter. We will have an additional class on Saturday, 11 September at the Youth Center starting at noon and going till 2:00pm.
Technique:
Hand techniques: Although hand techniques are certainly very important in offensive motions, they play the most important part in defense, especially blocking.
COMMON PRINCIPLES:
1. Turn the hip and abdomen in the same direction as the attacking or blocking tool does throughout the action.
2. The heel of the rear foot should be raised slightly off the ground at the beginning of the motion and placed firmly on the ground at the moment of impact in most cases. This principle, however, is only applicable to those movements which are performed from the same position.
3. Raise the body slightly at the beginning of the motion, and lower it at the moment of impact in all cases.
4. All movements must begin with a backward motion in order to utilize the maximum velocity.
5. Keep both arms slightly bent while the movement is in motion.
6. The heel of the rear foot must be placed firmly on the ground at the moment of impact for both attack and defense.
ATTACKING TECHNIQUES:
The attack is executed in the form of punching, striking, thrusting, cross cutting, pressing, and breaking. Since three of these techniques – punches , strikes, and thrusts – are so closely interrelated in principle, it may be difficult to make a clear distinction among them. The purpose behind each technique, as well as the method, differs slightly. A punch is used primarily to cause an internal hemorrhage rather than surface damage by twisting the attacking tool. A thrusting motion, however, is delivered with an intention to cut through the vital spot with less twisting of the attacking tool. A striking motion is used to destroy or break the bone or muscles of vital spots with the least twist of the attacking tool.
BASIC PRINCIPLES:
1. Jerk the hip and abdomen throughout the action, slowly at the beginning and sharply at the moment of impact. The hip is jerked slightly before the action in order to concentrate the larger muscles of the hip and abdomen together with the smaller muscles of the four extremities against the target simultaneously.
2. Completely twist the attacking tool, with few exceptions, in order to use full acceleration especially in punching techniques.
3. Tense the abdomen at the moment of impact by exhaling sharply.
4. The moment the attacking tool reaches the target, pull it back to allow it to be ready for the next action while preventing a grab by the opponent.
5. The attacking tool usually will form a triangle with the shoulders at the moment of impact when attacking the opponent in front.
6. Hold the breath while attacking or blocking.
THEORY OF POWER
The beginning student may ask: “Where does one obtain the power to create the devastating results attributed to Taekwon-Do?” This power is attributed to the utilization of a person’s full potential through the mathematical application of Taekwon-Do techniques. The average person uses only 10 to 20 percent of his potential. Anyone, regardless of size, age, or sex who can condition himself to use 100 percent of his potential can also perform the same destructive techniques.
Through training will certainly result in a superb level of physical fitness, it will not necessarily result in the acquisition of extraordinary stamina or superhuman strength. More important, Taekwon-Do training will result in obtaining a high level of reaction force, concentration, equilibrium, breath control, and speed; these are the factors of physical power.
REACTION FORCE
According to Newton’s Law, every force has and equal and opposite force. When an automobile crashes into a wall with the force of 2,000 pounds, the wall will return a force or 2,000 pounds; or forcing the end of a seesaw down with a ton of weight will provide and upward force of the same weight; if your opponent is rushing towards you at a high speed, by the slightest blow at his head, the force with which you strike his head would be that of his own onslaught plus that of your blow.
The two forces combined; his, which is large, and yours, which is small are quite impressive. This, then, is the reaction force from the opponent. Another reaction force is your own. A punch with the right fist is aided by pulling the left fist to the hip.
CONCENTRATION
By applying the impact force onto the smallest target area, it will concentrate the force and therefore, increase its effect. For example, the force of water coming out of a water hose is greater if the office is smaller. Conversely, the weight of a man spread out on snowshoes makes hardly any impression on the snow. The blows in Taekwon-Do are often concentrated onto the edge of the open palm or to the crook of the fingers.
It is very important that you should no unleash all your strength at the beginning but gradually, and particularly at the point of contact with your opponent’s body, the force must be so concentrated as to give a knockout blow. That is to say, the shorter the time for the concentration, the greater will be the power of the blow. The utmost concentration is required in order to mobilize every muscle of the body onto the smallest target area simultaneously.
In conclusion, concentration is done in two ways: one is to concentrate every muscle of the body, particularly the bigger muscles around the hip and abdomen (which theoretically are slower than the smaller muscles of other parts of the body) towards the appropriate tool to be used at the proper time; the second way is to concentrate such mobilized muscles onto the opponent’s vital spot. This is the reason why the hip and abdomen are jerked slightly before the hands and feet in any action, whether it be attack or defense.
Remember, jerking can be executed in two way: laterally and vertically.
EQUILIBRIUM
Balance is of utmost importance in any type of athletics. In Taekwon-Do, is deserves special consideration. By keeping the body always in equilibrium, that is, well balanced, a blow is more effective and deadly. Conversely, the unbalanced one is easily toppled. The stance should always be stable yet flexible, for both offensive and defensive movements.
Equilibrium is classified into both dynamic and static stability. They when the static stability is maintained through dynamic stability.
To maintain good equilibrium, the center of gravity of the stance must fall on a straight line midway between both legs when the body weight is distributed equally on both legs, or in the center of the foot if it is necessary to concentrate the bulk of body weight on one foot. The center of gravity can be adjusted according to body weight. Flexibility and knee spring are also important in maintaining balance for both a quick attack and instant recovery. One additional point; the heel of the rear foot should never be off the ground at the point of impact. This is not only necessary for good balance but also to produce maximum power at the point of impact.
BREATH CONTROL
Controlled breathing not only affects one’s stamina and speed but can also condition a body to receive a blow and augment the power of a blow directed against an opponent. Through practice, breath stopped in the state of exhaling at the critical moment when a blow is landed against a pressure point on the body can prevent a loss of consciousness and stifle pain. A sharp exhaling of breath at the moment of impact and stopping the breath the execution of a movement tense the abdomen to concentrate maximum effort on the delivery of the motion, while a slow inhaling helps the preparation of the next movement. An important rule to remember: never inhale while focusing a block or blow against an opponent. Not only will this impede movement but it will also result in a loss of power.
Students should also practice disguised breathing to conceal any outward signs of fatigue. An experienced fighter will certainly press an attack when he realizes his opponent is on the point of exhaustion.
One breath is required for one movement with the exception of a continuous motion.
MASS
Mathematically, the maximum kinetic energy or force is obtained from maximum body weight and speed and it is all important that the body weight be increased during the execution of a blow. No doubt the maximum body weight is applied with the motion by turning the hip. The large abdominal muscles are twisted to provide additional body momentum. Thus the hip rotates in the same direction as that of the attacking or blocking tool. Another way of increasing body weight is the utilization of a springing action of the knee joint. This is achieved by slightly raising the hip at the beginning of the motion and lowering the hip at the moment of impact to drop the body weight into the motion.
In summarizing, it is necessary to point out that the principles of force outlined here hold just as true today in our modern scientific and nuclear age as they did centuries ago.
I am sure that when you go through this art, both in theory and in practice, you will find that the scientific basis of the motions and the real power which comes out a small human body cannot fail to impress you.
SPEED
Speed is the most essential factor of force or power. Scientifically, force equals mass X acceleration (F=MA) or (P=MV2).
A large stone gently dropped on a double pane of glass from a height of three inches has no effect. On the other hand a small stone thrown against the glass with great speed breaks the glass. The flat of the hand passed in a slow motion through the flame of a candle has no results on the flame. The candle, however, is put out with a controlled punch or kick stopped within an inch of the flame.
According to the theory of kinetic energy, every object increases its weight as well as speed in a downward movement. This very principle is applied to this particular art of self-defense. For this reason, at the moment of impact, the position of the hand normally becomes lower than the shoulder and the foot lower than the hip while the body is in the air.
Reaction force, breath control, equilibrium, concentration, and relaxation of the muscles cannot be ignored. However, these are the factors that contribute to the speed and all these factors, together with flexible and rhythmic movement, must be well coordinated to produce the maximum power in Taekwon-Do.
Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, Vol. II, Pages 10-34. Gen. Choi Hong Hi, 1993.
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