What is Tae Kwon Do?
Tae Kwon Do is the Korean art of kicking and punching. It is a discipline-oriented sport with many benefits.
What are the benefits of Tae Kwon Do?
Tae Kwon Do is beneficial both physically and mentally. The physical benefits include improved motor skills, coordination, physical fitness, strength and self-defense.
The mental benefits include improved discipline, mental focus, attention span and self-confidence. All of these benefits carry over to better grades and social skills.
What is learned through Tae Kwon Do?
Students of Tae Kwon Do learn goal setting, patience, courage, inner strength and respect for authority. These lessons culminate in a series of belt tests.
Why are belt tests so important?
Belt tests are important because they reaffirm the lessons taught in class.
Each belt test is a short-term goal that the student sets in working toward their long-term goal of reaching black belt. Each belt test consists of 6 requirements.
- Poomse (forms)
- Self-defense
- Kicking
- Sparring
- Board Breaking
- School Knowledge
The poomse (forms), kicks and self-defense moves tested reflect the new skills gained by the student during that period of training.
The sparring shows their increased physical fitness and inner strength.
The board breaking shows the courage gained, and the school knowledge requirements reinforce the lessons of mental focus as well as the importance of learning.
As you can see, each of the belt tests reinforces the basic benefits and lessons of Tae Kwon Do.
It also allows the students to track their progress and gain self-confidence in seeing the improvements made at each level.
Students take pride in the color of their belt because it is an outwardly visible sign of their hard work and commitment. |
