Taekwondo, which is a national martial art of
As in all Martial Arts, ethics are of great importance. One can look at individual ethics, treat a fellow-man right, or one can look at social ethics, as part of a whole.
Basically, ethics all comes down to one point, the difference between 'good'
and 'evil'. We practice taekwondo, often seen as an aggressive or violent
sport, but does this mean that we can be aggressive or violent? Do we
want to be aggressive or violent? The answer is NO!
The color of the belt is an indication of the skill level of a Taekwondo student. Sometimes belts can be gained by winning competitions but the common way is by completing an exam.
According to the World TaeKwonDo Federation (W.T.F.) there are 12 Gups,
starting from the 12th Gup (white belt) and ends with the 1st Gup (red-black
belt). The term "Gup" means phase. The term "Dan"
means degree. All Dan-degrees are represented by a black belt.
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Many people have the Korean Flag on their uniforms without knowing that it has a more meaningful background than most common flags.
Forms, or Poomses in Korean language, are a series of defending and
attacking movements performed against imaginary opponents in a set
pattern. Through the practice of forms, students come to learn the
applications of various techniques of Taekwondo. Forms serve a
multi-dimensional role, aiding in development and refinement of coordination,
balance, timing, breath control and rhythm, all of which are essential skills
to the Taekwondo student.