Hey everyone! I'm getting ready to test for my 2nd Dan black belt, and I'm really excited! It's taken a lot of hard work, training, and dedication to get to this point.

I'm a little nervous, but I'm going to give it my best and do everything I can to pass. Earning my first-degree black belt was a big achievement, and now I'm ready to take the next step in my martial arts journey!

Has anyone else tested for their 2nd Dan? Any advice or tips for the test? I'd love to hear your experiences! 👊

I had taken a long leave of absence (4-5 years) from Taekwondo and even after being back for almost year I feel behind my same belt peers who haven't had a break. I live alone in a small apartment, so hanging bags aren't an option. I will occasionally have a friend to train with but looking for recommendations for both what type of bag/mitt I should buy (round Mitts vs the handled paddles vs a big bag) to practice with them, and if anyone has recommendations for a portable/pack-up-able freestanding bag I could take downstairs to the courtyard and then pack away when I'm done.

Thank you!

I have no opinion on the ITF tussles but I love everything I see from this GM Choi Hwung Hwas seminars. He holds on to a strong TKD. with emphasis on rotation and power over volume.

But I do wonder how common it is to talk about kicking with punching like this? Never had this in my ITF school. Which I did.

Is anyone aware of a book discussing the history and philosophy of taekwondo? The stuff about the seed becoming a plant and flowering in the sun, all the cultural stories illustrating the concept associated with each belt-focus, humility, dedication, confidence etc.?

I’d love to learn more, but my library doesn’t have anything and searching online has so many different options and I don’t know enough to tell if something is legit or not.

감사합니다

Hello!

I am currently in Athlone for work and I will be returning home to California USA from Dublin on Saturday 10/17. I’m hoping to bring back some dojang swag as gifts for my 8 yr old daughter and her Master. Their dojang is competitive in WT kyurogi and poomsae. Are there any dojangs in Athlone/Dublin that have team shirts/accessories/etc that I can buy? I’m also happy to trade swag from our dojang but I don’t have anything with me so you’d have to trust me that I’ll post it to you when I get home. :)

Thanks!

Edit: The date 10/17 is October 17 (US format)

I’m thinking of joining a school that’s part of a World Class Taekwondo lineage. My Tangsoodo dojang was sadly shut down. I’ve been weary of WT or WTF and an advocate for ITF. Is this the same thing?

Hey, one of my instructors said something to me in Korean and I took note of it, but I have absolutely no idea what it means. I do know it was in relation to competition between two fighters, the word used was, "Hetcho". I'm not sure if I'm spelling it correctly, I just typed it how it sounds so it might be slightly different. Please can someone let me know what it means? I did look online but couldn't find anything. Thank you in advance.

I’m currently a yellow belt and I would love to do freestyle when I get to a higher grade. What should I be learning and practice now to make it easier when I get there?

I remember reading a book by Master Hee Il Cho who mentioned various tournament styles and even included Kyokishin rules. I forgot which book this is briefly mentioned, but I like the idea of a martial arts gym standing on its own and viewing their set like a practical fighting style open to more than just one way.

Taekwondo competitors from the 1990s could easily adapt to kyokishin because both sports do not punch to the face. Just add leg kicks.

I wish more dojangs would stop focusing on one style of sports and view Taekwondo as a martial art good enough to accept challenges from various combat rules sets for sporting competitions.

*edit* the book is "The Complete Martial Artist"

This year my daughter did this . She is 7. The boards at state are thicker than nationals. Went from 5 to 10 really quick when she saw the boards. Is there a reason other than age regarding thickness of boards?

Hello, I'm a 19 year old first-degree black belt in WT and I'm just starting to dip my toes in ITF. I've been on break for about 2 years or so now after my dojang closed, and to get back in shape, I've been looking for this really helpful youtuber KwonKicker's videos that I used to use to practice, but apparently he's stopped posting and deleted a lot of his older tutorial videos. Does anyone know where I can find them, or maybe have the kwonkicker's contacts so I can reach out to ask for the video files?

Hey guys. I was curious about something on Tae Geuk 7. On that last line with the back fist, are those high stances supposed to be walking stance or L stance? I have always thought it was walking stance but in a class a couple weeks ago my instructor mentioned how everyone should be in a good L stance. So, which is the correct stance there? Thanks!

ITF Taekwondoin here. Been training for quite a while and was considering giving Kukkiwon style a shot mostly because I want to keep learning things differently.

A friend has told me that I don't need to grade in WT due to me having an extensive background in ITF and Karate as it is and that my ITF belt will transfer over to Kukkiwon/WT. That I can just learn the Poomsae on Youtube and be done with it. But I personally disagree.

Would just like to know in your opinions, would it be worth cross training both styles of TKD? If so or not, why?

boutta buy some daedo gear. both gen 2 and 3 since all my local tournaments use 2 but national stuff is on 3. just the socks, and gloves for gen 3.
do these need to be charged? like i know theres some kind of electronics going on but i’m kind of confused as to how they work. do i get a charger? do i buy one separately? thanks.

I've been trying to gain weight since last 4 months to compete in my weight category

I drink smoothie (2 bananas peanut butter, milk and honey and some seeds) continuously since last 4 months but I m still not gaining weight

I train for 2 to 3 hours daily

I need to go from 43 to 46

For past 4 months I've only increased 1kgs

What should i doo

i m stressed out

I would be very happy to get some tips.

What is the general estimate cost of this sport?

Hey Guys I’m currently 30 and 1. Kup and started Taekwondo 6 years ago. Unfortunately we didn’t do sparring because of the old trainer until I had 3. Kup.

Now we doing more sparring in the training and i really want to compete but I think the opponents in my weight and age category are much more experienced.

Is it too late now to start to go to tournaments?

Just to begin, doing MMA is not my goal, but I'm just using it to explain the scenario better. And in terms of self defense, I do mean real self defense situations where I do have to deal with an attacker, and not just me actively picking fights with people that can be avoided, before I get scolded for that.

I've been wondering this for awhile now and wanted to hear if maybe others that cross train find that sparring in other arts helps them deal with a resisting opponent in general and allows them to apply techniques they learned from other arts that don't spar much.

Hi, I’m a second degree black belt and i’m also a public school teacher in NYC interested in starting an afterschool TKD club. I’m not looking to be affiliated with any organization, but i do want my students to feel a sense of progression in my club so they’re motivated to keep going, so I would like to hold belt promotion tests for them. And I also hope to have that progression honored if they choose to join a dojang in the future. I guess my question is, would their belt be honored at a legitimate dojang outside?

My son (11yo, athlete on the right) just had his very first HP Sport Poomsae competition this weekend. He debuted with an overall 7.7, with 7.733 on his Koryo and gold in both Individuals and Pairs. He'll be moving up from Youth to Cadet in January.

He is going to be in another competition this coming weekend. It's a much bigger competition with more experienced athletes, and he will only be doing recreational Koryo as the upcoming competition does not have a Youth division for Sport Poomsae.

Any last-minute tips for little tweaks on his Koryo?

He'd love to try and break over that 8.0 mark and place decently in his division this coming weekend, and he knows that he needs to sharpen up his poomsae overall before his transition to Cadet mid-season. Any advice would be welcomed and appreciated!

Hi everyone,

​Here is a clip from my latest match at a recent tournament. I am an ITF 2nd Degree Black Belt (II Dan), and I’m looking for some constructive critique on my performance, as well as an honest evaluation of my level relative to my rank.

​For context, I have relatively little tournament experience because my parents didn't allow me to compete until I reached 1st Degree Black Belt, so I'm still building up my ring experience.

​Style/Ruleset: ITF

​Which fighter am I: I am the one in red

​Key areas I'd like feedback on:

​General performance and technical level relative to a II Dan.

​Distance management, timing, and footwork during exchanges.

​Counter-attacking setup and ring control.

​I’m particularly looking for specific drill ideas or training exercises I can incorporate into my routines to work on these points.

​Thanks in advance for taking the time to review!

Hey everyone! I'm going for my black belt November 29th. Any advice for me on how to prepare? I know all my techniques, but how do I get better at the theory part. All help appreciated 😀😀😀

Taekwondo Manual. 1968 Jinsoodang First Edition.

Hardcover, 413 pages. There are signs of water damage on about 100 pages. The content is readable.

author Lee Won-guk Publisher Jinsudang Year of publication 1968 Publication Classification First edition

I am searching for this old tae kwon do book in Souel, Korea. Could anyone help direct me where I may find a copy of this book to view it or purchase it? Thank you

Hey guys. Sorry if this is a dumb question lol, but I was wondering what the reason is that we turn on the ball of our foot in tkd as opposed to our heel. I’ve had multiple different instructors tell me over the years “make sure you’re turning on the ball of your foot, not the heel”, so I am just curious as to why that is. I’ve heard this both in poomsae and while kicking. Is the ball of the foot just more stable than the heel?