Status Updates From Taekwon-Do (The Korean Art ...

My goal is to finish this by the end of the year, unless I try some moves and hurt myself!

The 24 different forms are covered. These are a series of exercises where various moves are put together much like a choreographed gymnastic or dance routine. They are beautiful to watch when done correctly. I could watch my wife do them all day.

Lots and lots of pictures and diagrams of where to place your feet.

Lots of combinations covered. These teach you to move fast with power.

Getting into combinations. Blocks combined with strikes and kicks. Putting it all together. As I read the pages and look at the photos, it all comes back to me. I remember being there with my loving wife and son. Surprisingly some things you never forget. This is a good book, and you can learn a lot. You should still seek out a good teacher though.

Lots of photos and explanations. Ah, it brings back memories! To think that I could once do all that. I tried a few moves in the kitchen in the morning and decided I such stick to teaching the grandkids.

Warm up exercises, stretching, and more equipment is shown. When we taught class we bought various training aids. These guys made their own. Of course they had their own building that they could do things to, and they probably had plenty of bamboo available. It's funny, bamboo is so useful for a lot of things.

Instructions are included for making and installing training aids (punching posts and hanging bags).

Covered is what is needed for the training hall, and the relationship between Student and teacher.

The author takes a scientific view of which parts of the body are ideal for either strikes or blocks. Getting into the kicks and especially the flying kicks which are so unique to Taekwon-Do.

Yet more strikes and blocks: knife hand, X-block, forearm, palm, etc.

More strikes and blocks. Plenty of pics of correct and incorrect methods.

Balance is shown to be important. All muscles of body used to be most effective.
Starting to get into various hand blocks.

Proper stances are covered in order to make the most use of the Theory of Power. The different striking tools of not only the hands and feet, but other parts of the body are demonstrated. Target areas of the body and proper attacking tools are explained. Attack and defense are determined scientifically to be the most effective.

The Theory of Power is explained. Photos included of a test at M.I.T. where kicks were recorded with flash photography at the speed of 3/10s of a second, a punch at 1/100 of a second.

This book is a classic. As instructors we used this book in our classes. The background history, proper moral foundation, and even the official Tar Kwon Do song is covered.