ITF & Similar:
The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do by General Choi Hong-Hi (15 volumes)
Taekwon-Do and I by General Choi Hong-Hi (2 volumes)
Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-Do Hae Sul by Stuart Paul Anslow
The Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do Patterns by Stuart Paul Anslow (3 volumes)
Effective Taekwon-Do Sparring by Master Jim Hogan and James Home
Taekwon-Do Patterns by Master Jim Hogan
A Killing Art by Alex Gillis
WTF:
Taekwon-Do and I by General Choi Hong Hi (2 volumes)
A Killing Art by Alex Gillis
ALL TAEKWON-DO STYLES:
The New Toughness Training for Sports by James E. Loehr
FAQs
Below are FAQs as designed for new Taekwon-Do students, particularly the ITF-style.
Courtesy of http://www.lvtkd.com/
Q. Is Taekwon-Do the same as Karate?
A. No. Taekwon-Do is 'the way of the hands and the feet,' created by General Choi Hong-Hi on April 11th, 1955. He took Shotokan Karate and Taek-Kyun, a Korean martial art, and changed them into Taekwon-Do. Taekwon-Do is the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defense. This martial art has no equal in either power or technique. Most of the devastating maneuvers are based specifically on the initial impact of a blow plus the consequential additional force provided by the rebound of the opponent's moving part of the body. Although this Korean Art of Self-Defense was created from Karate and Taek-Kyun, it is completely different.
Q. What are the benefits of Taekwon-Do?
A. General Choi Hong-Hi, the father of Taekwon-Do says '…Taekwon-Do is an art of self-defense which aims at a noble moral rearmament, high degree of intellectual achievement, graceful techniques, formidable power at beauty of physical form…' Through the scientific practice of Taekwon-Do a person can significantly improve his or her heath and nourish his intellect. Taekwon-Do will help one get in and stay in good shape. Moral society is characterized by self discipline, sacrifice, and devotion- dedication to the art can promote change toward a moral society. If you are interesting in playing a sport or are playing a sport right now, Taekwon-Do will help you become better at all sports you try. Taekwon-Do develops your hand, eye, foot coordination; reflexes, speed, quickness, tones your muscles to run faster and jump higher. It teaches you courtesy and indomitable spirit.
Q. Will I or my child get hurt?
A. 'Wrongly applied, Taekwon-Do can be a lethal weapon' says General Choi Hong-Hi, the founder of Taekwon-Do, 'therefore mental training must always be stressed to prevent the student from misusing it.' During the Student Oath, the students say, 'I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do' and 'I shall build a more peaceful world.' The fourth tenet is 'self-control.' Yes, it is possible one could be hurt during Taekwon-Do practice, but never severely. The students spar each other from gold stripe and up, wearing protective equipment so they don't hurt themselves or others. We never have anyone go all-out during free sparring, so the only way someone could get hurt is by accident. During class, the students stand far enough away from each other so no one unknowingly hits another student when practicing. Taekwon-Do, although a martial art, is not practiced so that students can hurt each other. It is practiced so that the students know how to fight so that they don't have to.
Q. Is it ever too late to start Taekwon-Do?
A. No! Taekwon-Do is for anyone from 6 to 106, It is suitable for the young and old, male and female. Whether you are taking it to learn self-defense, for the exercise, or for self-discipline, the enjoyment derived will justify the time invest and spent. Taekwon-Do can become a way of life, for one person or for the whole family. Every student can go at his or her own pace, learning at the speed that they learn. Hours spent on training, at home or at the do-jang, will not be wasted.
Q. Can anyone take Taekwon-Do?
A. Anyone can take Taekwon-Do, male or female, young or old, strong or weak. Everyone can benefit from the martial art. Young children ages 6 and up can begin classes, and anyone else, older children, teenagers, adults and the elderly can take the 'way of the hands and the feet' too.
Q. Are all Taekwon-Do styles the same?
A. No. There is a large amount of styles of Taekwon-Do. Visit the Organizations page on BestTKD to see what they are.
Q. How long does it take to get to black belt and how many belts are there?
A. There are six belt colors which are white, gold, green, blue, red and black. Between each belt advancement is a stripe level. Total there are 11 levels to achieve a black belt. Then there will be all the degrees of black belt, 1st degree to 9th degree. How long does it take to get to black belt? If you don't miss too many classes, try your hardest and pass your tests, you will reach black belt in three years. But black belt is only the beginning, and just because you get to black belt doesn't mean you are a master of the martial art.
Q. What about tests?
A. You will test for your gold stripe after 18 classes as a white belt, and will keep testing from there after you have been your belt or stripe for a certain amount of time and know your patterns and other testing requirements for each belt and stripe well. Everyone goes at their own pace, so if you need longer to learn things it is no big deal. What about failing tests? It is possible to fail a test, but if you do you will be able to test again in a little bit. Most people who test pass, because your instrutor probably doesn't let people test if they are really not ready. The tests are done at class and the student who is testing (usually with other students) will do his or her pattern, free sparring pattern and releases or Step Sparring, and will break a board, and spar no-contact against another student if the testing student is a gold stripe or higher.
Q. Who is General Choi Hong-Hi?
A. General Choi Hong-Hi is the creator of Taekwon-Do. He founded it on April 11th, 1955, and worked very hard to make it the best it could be. He died in 2002, but before his death wrote great works including the 15-volume Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, Taekwon-Do: The Condensed Encyclopedia and his memoirs, Taekwon-Do and I volumes 1 and 2.
Q. Is Taekwon-Do going to be too hard?
A. What would be the point of doing anything if it was easy? Taekwon-Do is sometimes hard, but is great training and helps you get better and better at what you've learned. White belts have it easier than higher belts, and as you gain more knowledge and skill in Taekwon-Do you learn more difficult things. Red belts, black stripes and black belts have the choice to attend the Red and Black Belt class, which is twice a month. Taekwon-Do is difficult, but awesome. But if an adult cannot do back-bridges because of a sore back, or a child cannot do push-ups because of an injured wrist, no one is forced to something they are not yet capable of doing. Remember, the easy choice isn't always the best choice, and even if Taekwon-Do is sometimes hard, that is no reason to think you cannot handle it.
Courtesy of http://www.lvtkd.com/
Q. Is Taekwon-Do the same as Karate?
A. No. Taekwon-Do is 'the way of the hands and the feet,' created by General Choi Hong-Hi on April 11th, 1955. He took Shotokan Karate and Taek-Kyun, a Korean martial art, and changed them into Taekwon-Do. Taekwon-Do is the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defense. This martial art has no equal in either power or technique. Most of the devastating maneuvers are based specifically on the initial impact of a blow plus the consequential additional force provided by the rebound of the opponent's moving part of the body. Although this Korean Art of Self-Defense was created from Karate and Taek-Kyun, it is completely different.
Q. What are the benefits of Taekwon-Do?
A. General Choi Hong-Hi, the father of Taekwon-Do says '…Taekwon-Do is an art of self-defense which aims at a noble moral rearmament, high degree of intellectual achievement, graceful techniques, formidable power at beauty of physical form…' Through the scientific practice of Taekwon-Do a person can significantly improve his or her heath and nourish his intellect. Taekwon-Do will help one get in and stay in good shape. Moral society is characterized by self discipline, sacrifice, and devotion- dedication to the art can promote change toward a moral society. If you are interesting in playing a sport or are playing a sport right now, Taekwon-Do will help you become better at all sports you try. Taekwon-Do develops your hand, eye, foot coordination; reflexes, speed, quickness, tones your muscles to run faster and jump higher. It teaches you courtesy and indomitable spirit.
Q. Will I or my child get hurt?
A. 'Wrongly applied, Taekwon-Do can be a lethal weapon' says General Choi Hong-Hi, the founder of Taekwon-Do, 'therefore mental training must always be stressed to prevent the student from misusing it.' During the Student Oath, the students say, 'I shall never misuse Taekwon-Do' and 'I shall build a more peaceful world.' The fourth tenet is 'self-control.' Yes, it is possible one could be hurt during Taekwon-Do practice, but never severely. The students spar each other from gold stripe and up, wearing protective equipment so they don't hurt themselves or others. We never have anyone go all-out during free sparring, so the only way someone could get hurt is by accident. During class, the students stand far enough away from each other so no one unknowingly hits another student when practicing. Taekwon-Do, although a martial art, is not practiced so that students can hurt each other. It is practiced so that the students know how to fight so that they don't have to.
Q. Is it ever too late to start Taekwon-Do?
A. No! Taekwon-Do is for anyone from 6 to 106, It is suitable for the young and old, male and female. Whether you are taking it to learn self-defense, for the exercise, or for self-discipline, the enjoyment derived will justify the time invest and spent. Taekwon-Do can become a way of life, for one person or for the whole family. Every student can go at his or her own pace, learning at the speed that they learn. Hours spent on training, at home or at the do-jang, will not be wasted.
Q. Can anyone take Taekwon-Do?
A. Anyone can take Taekwon-Do, male or female, young or old, strong or weak. Everyone can benefit from the martial art. Young children ages 6 and up can begin classes, and anyone else, older children, teenagers, adults and the elderly can take the 'way of the hands and the feet' too.
Q. Are all Taekwon-Do styles the same?
A. No. There is a large amount of styles of Taekwon-Do. Visit the Organizations page on BestTKD to see what they are.
Q. How long does it take to get to black belt and how many belts are there?
A. There are six belt colors which are white, gold, green, blue, red and black. Between each belt advancement is a stripe level. Total there are 11 levels to achieve a black belt. Then there will be all the degrees of black belt, 1st degree to 9th degree. How long does it take to get to black belt? If you don't miss too many classes, try your hardest and pass your tests, you will reach black belt in three years. But black belt is only the beginning, and just because you get to black belt doesn't mean you are a master of the martial art.
Q. What about tests?
A. You will test for your gold stripe after 18 classes as a white belt, and will keep testing from there after you have been your belt or stripe for a certain amount of time and know your patterns and other testing requirements for each belt and stripe well. Everyone goes at their own pace, so if you need longer to learn things it is no big deal. What about failing tests? It is possible to fail a test, but if you do you will be able to test again in a little bit. Most people who test pass, because your instrutor probably doesn't let people test if they are really not ready. The tests are done at class and the student who is testing (usually with other students) will do his or her pattern, free sparring pattern and releases or Step Sparring, and will break a board, and spar no-contact against another student if the testing student is a gold stripe or higher.
Q. Who is General Choi Hong-Hi?
A. General Choi Hong-Hi is the creator of Taekwon-Do. He founded it on April 11th, 1955, and worked very hard to make it the best it could be. He died in 2002, but before his death wrote great works including the 15-volume Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do, Taekwon-Do: The Condensed Encyclopedia and his memoirs, Taekwon-Do and I volumes 1 and 2.
Q. Is Taekwon-Do going to be too hard?
A. What would be the point of doing anything if it was easy? Taekwon-Do is sometimes hard, but is great training and helps you get better and better at what you've learned. White belts have it easier than higher belts, and as you gain more knowledge and skill in Taekwon-Do you learn more difficult things. Red belts, black stripes and black belts have the choice to attend the Red and Black Belt class, which is twice a month. Taekwon-Do is difficult, but awesome. But if an adult cannot do back-bridges because of a sore back, or a child cannot do push-ups because of an injured wrist, no one is forced to something they are not yet capable of doing. Remember, the easy choice isn't always the best choice, and even if Taekwon-Do is sometimes hard, that is no reason to think you cannot handle it.
Belt Grades
ITF and other General Choi Hong Hi's style- Taekwon-Do organizations:
Note: 'Gup' is sometimes spelled 'Kup' or 'Geup' and 'Stripe' is also called 'Tag' and 'Tip.'
ITF and similar practitioners averagely take 3-4 years to get their 1st dan, if practicing 1-3 classes per week for an hour or more.
White Belt (10th Gup)
Gold/Yellow Stripe (9th Gup)
Gold/Yellow Belt (8th Gup)
Green Stripe (7th Gup)
Green Belt (6th Gup)
Blue Stripe (5th Gup)
Blue Belt (4th Gup)
Red Stripe (3rd Gup)
Red Belt (2nd Gup)
Black Stripe (1st Gup)
1st Dan Black Belt (becomes Novice Black Belt)
2nd Dan Black Belt
3rd Dan Black Belt
4th Dan Black Belt (becomes Expert Black Belt)
5th Dan Black Belt
6th Dan Black Belt
7th Dan Black Belt (becomes Master)
8th Dan Black Belt
9th Dan Black Belt (becomes Grandmaster)
WTF Belt Grades:
Note: WTF color belts vary highly depending on the school, therefore a world-wide belt establishment is not avaliable to add here. It is usually simmilar to the ITF belts, sometimes with additional colors such as orange or purple or brown. Below, however, are the WTF black belt grades.
WTF practitioners averagely take 2 years to get their 1st dan when practicing 1-3 45 minute classes per week.
Poom (a black belt for children 15 or 16 or under. Exactly like a black belt, but held only until an official black belt is awarded once the child is old enough.)
1st Dan Black Belt
2nd Dan Black Belt
3rd Dan Black Belt
4th Dan Black Belt
5th Dan Black Belt (becomes a Master)
6th Dan Black Belt
7th Dan Black Belt
8th Dan Black Belt (becomes a Grandmaster)
9th Dan Black Belt
10th Dan Black Belt
ATA (Songham) Belt Grades:
Note: ATA practitioners averagely take 1 year to get their 1st degree.
White Belt (9th Grade)
Orange Belt (8th Grade)
Yellow Belt (7th Grade)
Camo Belt (6th Grade)
Green Belt (5th Grade)
Purple Belt (4th Grade)
Blue Belt (3rd Grade)
Brown Belt (2nd Grade)
Red Belt (1st Grade)
1st Degree Black Belt
2nd Degree Black Belt
3rd Degree Black Belt
4th Degree Black Belt
5th Degree Black Belt
6th Degree Black Belt
7th Degree Black Belt (becomes a Master)
8th Degree Black Belt
9th Degree Black Belt (becomes a Grandmaster)
Please Comment If You Have More Belt Information!
Note: 'Gup' is sometimes spelled 'Kup' or 'Geup' and 'Stripe' is also called 'Tag' and 'Tip.'
ITF and similar practitioners averagely take 3-4 years to get their 1st dan, if practicing 1-3 classes per week for an hour or more.
WTF Belt Grades:
Note: WTF color belts vary highly depending on the school, therefore a world-wide belt establishment is not avaliable to add here. It is usually simmilar to the ITF belts, sometimes with additional colors such as orange or purple or brown. Below, however, are the WTF black belt grades.
WTF practitioners averagely take 2 years to get their 1st dan when practicing 1-3 45 minute classes per week.
ATA (Songham) Belt Grades:
Note: ATA practitioners averagely take 1 year to get their 1st degree.
Please Comment If You Have More Belt Information!
Websites
Scroll down to see organization websites, information websites, do-jang websites, and magazine websites all related to various styles of Taekwon-Do.
ORGANIZATIONS:
International Taekwon-Do Federation- ( ITF -President Tran Trieu Quan)
ITF-USA
American Taekwon-Do Federation International (ATFI)
International Taekwon-Do Federation- (ITF- President Chang Ung)
US-ITF
International Taekwon-Do Federation- (ITF- President Choi Jung Hwa)
International Ch'ang-Hon Taekwon-Do Federation (ICTF)
Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation (UITF)
International Taekwon-Do Association (ITA)
Global Taekwon-Do Federation (GTF)
GTF Scotland
Jhoon Rhee Institute of Taekwondo
Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo
Kukkiwon
World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)
USA Taekwondo
World Taekwondo Council (WTC)
United States National Taekwondo Federation (USNTF)
American Taekwondo Association (ATA)
American Taekwondo Federation (ATF)
United States Taekwon-Do Federation (USTF)
United States Taekwon-Do Foundation (USTF)
United World Taekwondo Association (UWTA)
United States Taekwon-Do Center (USTC)
US National Taekwondo Association (USNTA)
Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA)
Taekwondo Jidokwan Society
AAU Taekwondo
INFORMATION SITES:
Comdo (ITF)
TaekwondoPatterns.Info (ITF & WTF)
General Taekwondo Information (ITF & WTF)
Taekwondo Training (WTF)
Taekwondo-Information.org (All)
Taekwondo Information (WTF)
The Taekwondo Network (All)
Taekwon-Do Wiki (All)
Taekwondo Patterns (WTF)
DO-JANG LIST (Comment to have yours added)
UNITED STATES:
ITF-STYLE:
Kick Connection (Maryland)
Las Vegas Taekwon-Do Club (Nevada)
Mightyfist Taekwon-Do (California)
Red Tiger Taekwon-Do (Philadelphia PA, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Puerto Rico)
Thibado Taekwon-Do (Florida)
Queens Taekwon-Do Center (New York)
Black Dragon Taekwon-Do (Connecticut)
MAGAZINES:
Totally Tae Kwon Do
TaeKwonDo Times
WTF Magazine
ORGANIZATIONS:
International Taekwon-Do Federation- ( ITF -President Tran Trieu Quan)
ITF-USA
American Taekwon-Do Federation International (ATFI)
International Taekwon-Do Federation- (ITF- President Chang Ung)
US-ITF
International Taekwon-Do Federation- (ITF- President Choi Jung Hwa)
International Ch'ang-Hon Taekwon-Do Federation (ICTF)
Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation (UITF)
International Taekwon-Do Association (ITA)
Global Taekwon-Do Federation (GTF)
GTF Scotland
Jhoon Rhee Institute of Taekwondo
Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo
Kukkiwon
World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)
USA Taekwondo
World Taekwondo Council (WTC)
United States National Taekwondo Federation (USNTF)
American Taekwondo Association (ATA)
American Taekwondo Federation (ATF)
United States Taekwon-Do Federation (USTF)
United States Taekwon-Do Foundation (USTF)
United World Taekwondo Association (UWTA)
United States Taekwon-Do Center (USTC)
US National Taekwondo Association (USNTA)
Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA)
Taekwondo Jidokwan Society
AAU Taekwondo
INFORMATION SITES:
Comdo (ITF)
TaekwondoPatterns.Info (ITF & WTF)
General Taekwondo Information (ITF & WTF)
Taekwondo Training (WTF)
Taekwondo-Information.org (All)
Taekwondo Information (WTF)
The Taekwondo Network (All)
Taekwon-Do Wiki (All)
Taekwondo Patterns (WTF)
DO-JANG LIST (Comment to have yours added)
UNITED STATES:
ITF-STYLE:
Kick Connection (Maryland)
Las Vegas Taekwon-Do Club (Nevada)
Mightyfist Taekwon-Do (California)
Red Tiger Taekwon-Do (Philadelphia PA, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Puerto Rico)
Thibado Taekwon-Do (Florida)
Queens Taekwon-Do Center (New York)
Black Dragon Taekwon-Do (Connecticut)
MAGAZINES:
Totally Tae Kwon Do
TaeKwonDo Times
WTF Magazine
Inspirational Quotes
Perfect for the Taekwon-Do, Tae Kwon Do, or Taekwondo practitioner to take to heart and learn from, here are some inspirational quotes from various sources.
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." -Neale Donald Walsh.
"Correct your mistake as soon as you have found it." -Sun Tzu
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." -Neale Donald Walsh.
"Correct your mistake as soon as you have found it." -Sun Tzu
Games
INTERNET GAMES:
ACTION GAMES:
Taekwon-Do Competition
Spar ITF style in this Taekwon-Do fighting game. Score more points with various techniques to win.
S-Punch, D-Kick, A- Avoid.
Taekwondo Show Game
Break boards the best to earn points at a Taekwondo show. Use spacebar.
Kick Head
This simple game isn't specifically Taekwon-Do. Play as a martial artist and use your high kicks to defend yourself against advancing enemies.
TRIVIA/QUIZ GAMES:
Funtrivia Tae Kwon Do Quizzes
Test your knowledge with various TKD quizzes about different styles
Which Taekwondo Belt Are You?
Take this quiz to find out how far you will go in Taekwondo.
VIDEO GAMES:
Tae Kwon Do World Champion
A Tae Kwon Do sparring video game for your computer. You can also use it to play against others online. Train to be a World Champion!
ACTION GAMES:
Taekwon-Do Competition
Spar ITF style in this Taekwon-Do fighting game. Score more points with various techniques to win.
S-Punch, D-Kick, A- Avoid.
Taekwondo Show Game
Break boards the best to earn points at a Taekwondo show. Use spacebar.
Kick Head
This simple game isn't specifically Taekwon-Do. Play as a martial artist and use your high kicks to defend yourself against advancing enemies.
TRIVIA/QUIZ GAMES:
Funtrivia Tae Kwon Do Quizzes
Test your knowledge with various TKD quizzes about different styles
Which Taekwondo Belt Are You?
Take this quiz to find out how far you will go in Taekwondo.
VIDEO GAMES:
Tae Kwon Do World Champion
A Tae Kwon Do sparring video game for your computer. You can also use it to play against others online. Train to be a World Champion!
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