Taekwondo 태권도Taekwondo Preschool
Promotion from one geup to the next can proceed rapidly in some schools, since schools often allow geup promotions every two, three, or four months. Students of geup rank learn the most basic techniques first, and then move on to more advanced techniques as they approach first dan. Many of the older and more traditional schools often take longer to allow students to test for higher ranks than newer, more contemporary schools, as they may not have the required testing intervals. View Taekwondo belt levels »
Training Hall
( 도장 dojang )
When you reach senior belt you are expected to guide the junior belts when they are beginning Taekwondo such as showing by example.
Dojang is a term used in Korean martial arts such as taekwondo that refers to a formal training hall. It is typically considered the formal gathering place for students of a martial art to conduct training, examinations and other related encounters.
Meaning
Do (道) means 'the way' or 'art' and Jang (場) means 'a place'. Which makes dojang the place where one practices the way. In the case of martial arts it is the place where one practices the path of that martial art, much like dojo in Japanese. More specific terms such as "hapkidojang" or "taekwondojang" can be used for particular subtypes of dojang. The word dojang (道場) originates from Buddhism. The dojang is a place where meditation and practice takes place in the temple.
Decoration
The dojang walls can be decorated with a variety of items ranging from the national and federation flag to pictures and calligraphy and boards with the names of techniques practiced in the dojang on it. In general, Korean dojangs are usually heavily decorated.
In dojangs where the practice of the art may involve much falling, there will usually be mats on the floor. In older days the floor could also be covered with the sacks rice was stored in, but in modern days there are a variety of mats available.
At the beginning of class, students may line up according to their rank – the highest-ranking students at the front left and the lowest-ranking students at the back right from the point of view of the students. If several students are of the same rank, age or age of rank may determine their places in line.
Highlight World Taekwondo (WT) Tournament Point System
Under World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic rules, sparring ( 겨루기 gyeorugi ) is a full-contact event and takes place between two competitors in an area measuring 8 meters square. Points are awarded for permitted, accurate, and powerful techniques to the legal scoring areas; light contact does not score any points. The only techniques allowed are kicks ( 차기 chagi ) (delivering a strike using an area of the foot below the ankle) and punches ( 지르기 jireugi ) (delivering a strike using the closed fist). The referee can give penalties at any time for rule-breaking, such as hitting an area not recognized as a target, usually the legs or groin ( 샅 sat ). View Tournament Point System »
* Please see a certified Master Instructor ( 사범님 sabeomnim ) for training. Proper guidance and instructions are needed to ensure safe training.
Taekwondo Basics
Here is where you can learn more about Taekwondo 태권도. Knowing the fundamental basics is very important for your learning path as you build your skills and knowledge. There are certain rules that need to be followed to show respect to the master ( 사범님 sabeomnim ), the instructors ( 교사님 gyosannim ), other practitioners and to the martial arts. They vary between schools but many have similar rules and guidelines. For more information View Taekwondo Basics »
There are five tenets defined in the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and several more in World Taekwondo (WT).
Indomitable spirit ( 백절불굴 baekjul-boolgool ): "To have indomitable spirit means to have the courage to stand up for what you believe in, no matter what odds you are up against, and to always give 100% effort in whatever you do." View Taekwondo Tenets »
RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dojang", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
