TTA Logo

Unleash your potential. Be fit for life.

Taekwondo London

A Traditional Taekwondo Association (WTF style) club

Information for members

What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo is an ancient Korean martial art of self-defence. “Tae” means to kick or smash with the feet, “Kwon” means fist or to punch and “Do” means art or way. Therefore Taekwondo is the art of hand and foot fighting.

Taekwondo is an art primarily concerned with self-defence.

Taekwondo seeks to train the body with optimum speed and accuracy to effectively defeat any kind of attack.

TTA Taekwondo teaches the COMPLETE art of Taekwondo. The philosophy and spirit that is embodied in the ancient art as well as modern up to date sports science practises are combined to provide you with a balanced and complete martial art.

The philosophy of Taekwondo

The practise of Taekwondo enhances the Total Health of the individual (i.e. the mind, body and spirit). This is achieved as the practitioner undergoes: -

Fitness programme
In T.T.A. Taekwondo the student learns to improve their cardiovascular endurance.

Co-ordination training
The student learns to co-ordinate between their eyes, hands and feet.

Self discipline
This is achieved through the focus of mind and body. The student repeats the various fundamentals of Taekwondo, striving to improve their techniques each and every time.

Team work
The student learns to work with fellow members as part of the team in class and inter-relation between peer groups, seniors and juniors.

Respect
The student takes on more responsibility in terms of looking after juniors and guiding them. At the same time they learn to seek guidance from their seniors and are responsible towards them.

High achievers
The student learns to persevere and develop a strong tenacity to be responsible for their actions and achieve set goals and tasks.

High morality
With acquiring skills that turn his or her feet and hands into lethal weapons, the student learns to abide by the Tenets and oath of Taekwondo to achieve a sense of fair play, justice and loyalty to the ethics of Taekwondo.

Tenets of Taekwondo

Oath of Taekwondo

Rules of Do Jang (School)

It should be understood by members that the purpose of these rules is primarily to ensure maximum benefit for the study of Taekwondo. These rules have been part of Taekwondo from its inception.

  1. Bow to your instructor when entering and leaving the school. This is to show respect and your modesty.
  2. Do not enter or leave the class without permission from your instructor.
  3. Students must always bow before speaking to the instructor and use words of consideration such as yes or no Sir, pardon me, etc.
  4. All students are expected to be courteous and understanding. Advanced students are to set an example to new students and to assist such students whenever necessary.
  5. Loud conversation, laughing in excess, smoking and chewing gum have no place in a Taekwondo school.
  6. Your uniform should be clean and pressed at all times
  7. Exchange greetings between students to create a friendlier atmosphere.
  8. Any substitute teacher shall be treated as would your regular instructor.
  9. When standing in line, stand to the left or behind a student of a higher grade.
  10. Do not engage in any activity that might degrade the code of Taekwondo ethics or the reputation of the school
  11. Do not talk to other students while your instructor is teaching or speaking.
  12. Ask questions to your instructor to clear up any difficulties.
  13. When returning after a period of absence, the student must seek the permission of the instructor before commencing training. Students who cannot attend class for one week or more should notify their instructor.
  14. When seated on the floor, knees should be tucked and hands should be on the knees.
  15. Students must remove all jewellery from their person before entering the Dojang to begin practice.
  16. Fingernails and toenails should be clipped short to prevent any injury. All students must observe a high degree of personal hygiene.
  17. Tuition, grading fees and license fees must be paid on time.

Etiquette

Students must adhere to the organisation rules in order to maintain a high standard of etiquette and discipline.

1. Entering and leaving the Dojang (training area)

Upon Entering

  1. Face the flag and stand to attention
  2. Bow

Leaving During Practice

  1. Ask the instructors permission to leave
  2. Upon leaving the Dojang bow to the instructor
  3. On re-entry to the Dojang bow to the instructor
  4. Ask the instructors’ permission to rejoin the class

Leaving At the End of Practice

  1. Follow the same procedure as entering the Dojang

2. When Practising With A Partner

  1. Before commencing practice face each other, stand to attention and bow
  2. Repeat when practice has finished

3. Respect to the Instructor

When speaking to the Instructor (Sa bumnim) you should first bring your feet together (attention stance) and raise your hand. After you have spoken to your instructor you should stand to attention and bow. Instructors have equal respect for students (they were Kup grades themselves once).

The Belts

White
Represents the INNOCENCE of the beginner who does not yet have any knowledge of Taekwondo

Yellow
Represents the EARTH in which the seed of Taekwondo is planted, symbolising a student’s latent abilities.

Green
Represents a GROWING SHOOT, symbolising the student’s abilities as they start to develop.

Blue
Represents the HEAVENS or SKY towards which the shoot is reaching, as the student attempts to reach beyond competence to excellence.

Red
Represents DANGER, a warning to the student to excercise self-control and for opponents to beware.

Black
Represents MATURITY, the opposite of the innocence of the White Belt.

Patterns

Patterns are prearranged sequences of attack and defence moves against imaginary opponents. They are designed to improve power, accuracy and speed and to make techniques reflex actions rather than the result of (Slow) conscious thought. The names of the patterns for the coloured belt grade (kup) students is from the TAE GEUK (Tal Chi, in Chinese), the ultimate principle in oriental philosophy. TAE means “great” and GEUK means “ultimate” or “eternal”. Each pattern represents one of the Eight Trigrams (Pal Gwe) of the I Chin- (The book of Changes).

Colour Belt Patterns

SAJU CHIREUGI
Four-directional punching; 14 movements, for 9th kup

KIBON POOMSE
Basic pattern; 20 movements; for 8th kup

TAE GEUK IL JANG
Represents HEAVEN and LIGHT (Keon); 18 movements; for 7th kup; perform clearly and methodologically, but fluently

TAE GEUK EE JANG
Represents JOYFULLNESS (Tae); 18 movements; for 6th kup; perform gently but forcefully

TAE GEUK SAM JANG
Represents FIRE and SUN (Ri); 20 movements; for 5th kup; perform with vitality and passion

TAE GEUK SA JANG
Represents THUNDER (Jin); 20 movements; for 4th kup; perform with strength and power

TAE GEUK O JANG
Represents WIND (Seon); 20 movements; for 3rd kup; perform alternately as slow/graceful and strong/fast

TAE GEUK YUK JANG
Represents WATER (Gam); 23 movements; for 2nd kup

TAE GEUK CHIL JANG
Represents MOUNTAIN (Gan); 25 movements; for 1st kup; perform with stability but free movement

TAE GEUK PAL JANG
Represents EARTH (Gon); 24 movements; for 1st Dan; perform with strength and unbending force

Black Belt Patterns

KORYO
Name of a Korean dynasty (918 – I392 AD); 27 movements

KEUM GANG
“Diamond”, suggesting great strength; 27 movements

TAE BAEK
Old name of Baek Doo, highest mountain in Korea and site of mythical founding of Korea by Dan Gun; 26 movements

PYONG WON
“Plain”; 31 movements

SIP JIN
“Decimal”; 31 movements

CHON KWON
“Sky”; 27 movements

HAN SOO
“Water”; 27 movements

ILYO
“Oneness”; 27 movements

Counting

Number Command Naming
1 Hana Il
2 Tul Ee
3 Seyt Sam
4 Neyt Sa
5 Tasut O
6 Yosut Ryuk
7 Ilkop Chil
8 Yudol Pal
9 Ahop Ku
10 Yul Sip

Glossary of Korean Terminology

Commands
Attention Charyot
Bow Kyong-ye
Ready (adopt the appropriate ready stance) Joonbi
Begin Seejak
Stop Geuman
Rest Shio
Return (to previous position, often joonbi stance) Baro
Sit Down An Jo
Turn Around Do Rah
Referee commands
Blue Chung
Red Hong
Break Kal yeo
Warning (1/2 point) Kyong go
Deduction (full point) Gam jeom
Add one point Il jeom
Injury time Kye shi
Time out Shi gan
Continue Kye sok
Stances Sogi
Short walking stance Ap Sogi
Long walking stance Ap Kubi
Attention stance Char-ryut
Ready stance Choonbi
Tiger stance Bom Sogi
L stance Dwi Sogi
Fixed stance Gojung Sogi
Sitting stance Juchum Sogi
Parallel stance Pyong Sogi
Back stance Dwit Sogi
Kicks Chagi
Front kick Ap chagi
Front raising kick Ap cha-olligi
Front Turning kick Ap Dolryo chagi
Side kick Yeop chagi
45 Turning kick Bit chagi
Twisting kick Bituro chagi
Axe kick Chiko chagi
Back kick Dwit chagi
Reverse turning kick Bandae dollyo chagi
Crescent kick Bandal chagi
Hooking kick Golcho chagi
Jumping kick Twimyo chagi
Punches Chirugi
Obverse punch Baro chirugi
Reverse punch Bandae chirugi
Turning punch Dolyo chirugi
Upset punch Dwi jibo chirugi
Double punch Du chirugi
Side punch Yeop chirugi
Back fist Dung jumuk
Spear hand Sonkut
Knife hand Son-nal
Ridge hand Son-nal dung
Blocks Makki
Low section block Arae makki
Middle section block Momtong makki
Upward rising block Ilgo makki
Knife hand block Son-nal daebi makki
W shape block San makki
Forearm guarding block Palmok daebi makki
Wedging block Hecho yo makki
Inside forearm block An palmok makki
Outside forearm block Pakat palmok makki