Oh's Taekwondo Centre

In Korean, tae means "foot", kwon means "fist" and do means "way", so taekwondo can be translated as meaning "the way of the foot and fist".

Taekwondo is known for its emphasis on kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts such as karate or southern styles of kung fu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation.

Taekwondo as a sport and exercise is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. Physically, taekwondo develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's strength.

A taekwondo student typically wears a uniform (dobok), often white but sometimes black or other colors, with a belt tied around the waist. The belt indicates the student's rank. The school or place where instruction is given is called the dojang.

At Oh's Taekwondo School a student can expect to take part in the following:

• Learning the techniques and curriculum of taekwondo
• Both anaerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
• Self-defense techniques
• Forms which are a set pattern of defending and attacking moves
• Sparring, which may include 3, 2 and 1 step sparring, free-style sparring, arranged sparring, point sparring
• Relaxation and meditation exercises
• Throwing and/or falling techniques
• Exams to progress to the next rank
• A focus on mental and ethical discipline, justice, etiquette, respect, and self-confidence