Taekwondo Essay

From the earliest times in Korean history, martial arts have impacted every facet of Korean life. Martial arts in Korea have remained fluid and ever changing as a result of movement and connections of other cultures and countries throughout Asia. It is difficult for us as Americans to understand just how significant of an impact martial arts had on everyday life during this time in Korean history; however, we can look into multiple key relationships to attain a better understanding of just how much that influence had throughout the Korean peninsula. The history of Korean martial arts is rooted in their deep connection to Korean government, culture, and religion.

My black belt will help me fulfill this goal as it will give me a reason to stick to my goal. In karate class, the instructors over there didn’t wanted perfection, they wanted us to try our best. It will remind me not to give up. The black belt represents a level of appreciation, humanity, trust, life, love, courage, strength, knowledge, self-discipline, coordination, friendship, and willingness to do what is right. These character traits will help me to understand my patient and guide them with the right advice.

Many years later, my parents finally agreed to send me to a Taekwondo class. I could eventually wear my Taekwondo suits, and tie the belt that is the symbol of the levels; I could sweat and try my best to challenge my limits both physically and mentally.

Education is taken earnestly in primarily all countries throughout the world including America, but even more so in South Korea. While high school is considered to be one of the best times of your life in America, it is not the same for Koreans. In America, sports,

Students in South Korea take their education very seriously. Eric described their school system as a “pressure cooker”. “rigor mattered, koreans understood that mastering difficult academic content was important. They didn’t take shortcuts.”(pg.116) These students have to compete with each other in order to get accepted into the most prestigious colleges. Not only do students attend school from seven in the morning to three in the afternoon, they also have to attend hagwons which are private tutors after school. They study at least twelve hours a day to make sure they get the best grades.

KARATE, Goju-Ryu by The Cat, Tenth Dan Gogen Yamaguchi, Pp.250-274. Rapid Print Co. Ltd. Publisher International Karate-Do Goju-kai...p.91 (The Khandra-Pranayama)

Receiving a well-earned Black Belt in Tang Soo Do is one of the hardest achievements anyone can do in life. It begins with determination, dedication, perseverance, belief, and faith, understanding of this long journey with strength of mind to overcome obstacles that may discourage or stand in the way. It is a motivating goal to accomplish and once attained, reinforces the confidence that you are able to accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. Black Belt is a continuous commitment to the pursuit of excellence and striving to be the best.

I hail from Kerala, a beautiful southern state in India, often known as ‘God’s own Country’. During my schooling, unlike other girls of my age, I found a passion in Taekwondo and was involved actively in it since the age of eleven. I joined medical school and soon realized the similarities between Taekwondo and medicine. Mastery of both requires passion, dedication and perseverance. I was the only student in my batch who completed the Taekwondo course and attained a black belt.

Julie: Hello, and welcome to Black Belt Interviews which will be in Black Belt Magazine. I am Julie Smith and today we have special guest Ed Parker. Mr. Parker has created a style called Kenpo Karate which belongs to the American system. Mr. Parker is fondly called as “Father of American Kenpo”. It is very obvious that many people look up to Mr. Parker as a great martial artist. Today, we are here to ask him about his inspiration and reasons for creating this style of martial arts.

First of all, boxing gloves were introduced into boxing not for safety reasons, but to increase hits to the head and dramatic knockouts. Second, an official boxing match between a bear and a man was held in 1949, and the bear won. Third, there is a growing sport in Berlin and London, which is called Chess Boxing. Players alternate between a round of chess and a round of boxing until one is declared winner either by checkmate, knockout, or technical stoppage. Another fact is that approximately 500 boxers have died in the ring or as a result of boxing since 1884. Like boxing, there are also some fascinating facts about wrestling. In fact, wrestling was referenced in the Bible. Surprisingly, wrestling is believed to build perseverance, diligence and determination. There is oil wrestling in Turkey. Wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil. This wrestling match could go on for many days originally, but in 1975 the time was limited to 40 minutes. Here are some facts about taekwondo that is not known well. There is belt system in taekwondo. There are six colors of belts: white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black. Taekwondo is used by the South Korean military as part of its training. Taekwondo is more than just kicks and punches. It relies on concentration, combat philosophy, self-defense, and physical

As armed citizens, we face unique challenges. We must use a series of skills in tandem, creating the challenge of managing diverse strategies, tactics, techniques and tools, while most of our training is separated. Mixed Martial Arts once faced this challenge, each art specializing in a subset of technical skills that lead to a reduced ability to deal with different styles of attack, eventually the essential fundamentals were fused in cohesive core. The same conundrum faces the armed citizen.

Several years ago, when I was five years-old, I watched the movie The Karate Kid (1984) starring Ralph Macchio as the bullied teen who comes out of his shell, having mastered a form of martial arts. At that tender age, I was impressed by the fact that such a mousy adolescent came out of his shell in such an impacting way. Mr. Miyagi (played by Pat Morita) was especially impressive with his quiet demeanor and extraordinary martial arts skills. The movie was a bit old-fashioned, but I loved it! Although I was never bullied, I knew that I wanted to be just like Daniel Larusso, the character that Ralph Macchio played: strong and disciplined. So when the chance came along to join a martial arts class came along, I grabbed it. I started taking classes

of these attacks, you can stop them. If you block the kick and follow up quickly

South Korea’s social structure revolves around the individual’s professional, family, and education background. People who have attained prestigious job titles, graduated from a first-rate university, or was born into an influential family are placed very high on the social structure. People who do not have a respectable education background are usually on the bottom of the status pole; however, it is possible for social mobility. The South Korean education system is similar to the one in the United States. Even though the years of attendance might be dissimilar from the US, the education system still consists of an elementary, middle, and high school. After graduating from high school, most students apply and attend universities from all across the nation.

In South Korea, the Korean language is the most frequently used language and the Koreans use Hangul as the main writing system. Quoted from kwintessential.co.uk, “The Korean language is spoken by more than 65 million people living on the peninsula and its outlying islands as well as 5.5 million Koreans living in other parts of the world.  The fact that all Koreans speak and write the same language has been a crucial factor in their strong national identity.” In the present time, Korea boasts many dialects, including the standard dialect used in Seoul and central areas. Even