The Advantages of Taekwondo

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2014 | By Denise Stern

Taekwondo improves health and discipline. Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

Taekwondo is a martial art form that originated in Korea and is practiced around the world. It offers a variety of physical and mental benefits. From self-defense to losing weight, taekwondo is a martial art for all ages. It can be an individual sport, a partner sport or a group sport.

 

Self-Discipline

Any martial art form requires self-discipline and determination. Taekwondo offers a variety of movements, patterns, strikes, kicks and punches that keep the mind stimulated and the body strong. Learning to control your movements, perfect your forms and memorize patterns takes concentration and focus.

 

Exercise

Taekwondo provides all-around exercise benefits, from stretching to aerobic moves. Regardless of your current physical fitness level, beginners in taekwondo learn basic moves that gradually strengthen and tone the body, increase flexibility and stamina and improve endurance. Each pattern in taekwondo builds on the basics of the pattern before it, gradually offering the student increasing mental and physical challenges. Muscle toning and strengthening, joint range of motion, balance and endurance improve as you perfect your taekwondo skills and aptitude. As your exercise levels and skills progress, you have more energy, strength, coordination and endurance.

 

Self-Defense

Taekwondo focuses on kicks and strikes with the feet and hands, but also offers the opportunity to learn blocking and evasive moves that may help extricate you from a dangerous situation. As you progress through taekwondo training, you'll advance from defensive positions and blocking moves to the most advanced stages of the martial art form that condition your body and enhance your alertness levels to avoid or deal with and confront a variety of circumstances, using mild, moderate or severe force, as required by the situation.


Coordination and Flexibility

Many of the moves in taekwondo require a certain degree of flexibility and range of motion. For example, taekwondo moves require core and spinal strength for upright kicking moves. Range of hip and shoulder motion is also important, as is balance. Whether balancing on one foot, performing a front or side kick, or striking, many moves require your legs and arms to work together to either defend or attack.