To the uninitiated, martial arts invariably presents itself as an area of involvement for either young children seeking some form of self-protection from such things as bullying (on their part) or a means of instilling a form of discipline and physical fitness (on the part of their parents). For the older person, of whatever gender, the aspect of protection for themselves and others they may be responsible for, plus the added benefits of overall fitness and resulting personal self-confidence, this can act as a lure to investigate the world of martial arts as opposed to just attending a gym to improve their health (weight-wise) and fitness
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STEP SPARRING
By GM Ruben D. Suarez, USA
When most people think of martial arts, the first thing that comes to mind is sparring. Yet, sparring is only one of the five components constituting the physical composition of Taekwon-do; moreover, the category of sparring can be further classified into several different styles, including step sparring, which is considered the foundation for free sparring.
THE STUDY OF TAEKWONDO KICK TECHNIQUES FROM THE BIOMECHANICS POINT OF VIEW
By M Gromov Yury, Bulgaria
In the world of martial arts, Taekwondo is widely recognized for its range and the advantages of its foot techniques. Taekwondo’s arsenal of foot techniques is so great that in order to cover it completely, a separate book in which each technique is described from the point of view of biomechanics (the physics of the human anatomy) would be needed.
WOMEN IN TAEKWON-DO
By M Cathy Downey, Canada
Taekwon-Do was developed in the 1940’s as a method of hand to hand combat training for soldiers, all of whom were male, so it is somewhat understandable that it has an overall male focus. However, since most schools have female students as well as male, it is important for us, as instructors, and for the ITF as an organization, to acknowledge where bias exists in our martial art and take steps to address it.
WOMEN@ITF TAEKWON-DO
By M Annick Van Driessche, Belgium
Women@ITF Taekwon-Do Thesis for VII Dan by Annick Van Driessche, Belgium When I started practising Taekwon-Do, doing grading for Master VII°degree was not something I had in mind. At first I just wanted to practise…
PERFECT STRETCHING
By M Rod Johnson, Canada
A martial student stretches to improve his/her flexibility. Improved flexibility means better technique, increased power and more enjoyment in training. Correct stretching also provides many health benefits.
ADAPTING THE ITF TOURNAMENTS FOR ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
By M Adrian Byrne, Ireland
Adapting the ITF tournaments for athlete development Thesis for VII Dan by Adrian Byrne, Ireland ITF events, whether national or international in nature, typically have to manage the logistics of bringing together hundreds or even…