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Martial Arts School

Some Common Queries

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Martial Arts School

Does Martial Art Training encourage Children to be more aggressive?

We believe not. That it has the opposite effect. Discipline, progressive skill development and personal insight will help to make people more balanced, and less likely to provoke aggression. Martial arts will not promote aggression any more than other sports. Even individuals initially attracted to the perceived aggression quickly change their minds.

Does violence get aggression out of my system?

This is a myth, sometimes termed catharsis, or at least mislabeled catharsis. Some people call it ‘ventilation theory’. Acting on aggression only reinforces violent behavior, which is a vicious cycle. Violence is only useful when we are violently attacked, and even then marital arts are used to minimize injury to both parties. No professional psychologist believes that violence gets ‘aggression out of the system’.

Catharsis, which is confused with ventilation theory, is an ancient literary theory. It proposes the idea that observing somebody else’s emotion journey, perhaps through a film, play or novel, allows us to gain some insight into ourselves as if we underwent the experience ourselves. This is totally different to acting on violent thought, which is foolish.
Do women and girls take a Martial Arts class?

Yes, many quite often do. Some even compete at Professional and Olympic levels.

Is there an age limit?

We often see children as young as three train quite successfully. Many older individuals also take classes, largely to keep physically and mentally alert. We have yet to find an upper age limit.

Does every student compete in tournaments?

Not at all, most people don’t compete. Those who do enter tournaments tend to take some different classes.
Competition has some advantages. It helps us deal with stress and adrenaline. This is very useful in a crisis situation; the first time we experience an Adrenalin dump we react in an unpredictable way. But if we have grown used to this type of thing over time then we handle a crisis much better.

Is martial Arts like way it is portrayed in the films?

Film is very misleading, full of half-truths. But the thing that often most attracts us to films is the emotional journey of the main character. If you are looking for some personal triumph you will find martial arts quite rewarding. Training and achievement is an emotional journey, even if it is not as stylized as a film might suggest.

Taekwondo Sydney

2020 Olympics – Taekwondo

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Is it the Olympics again this year? Time goes by so quickly.

Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport for the last 20 years, and appeared before this at the Olympics as an exhibition sport.

Some Triva

Taekwondo first appeared as an exhibition sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Taekwondo became a competitive sport (people win medals) at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games.
There are eight Olympic categories for the sport, comprising of four different weight classes for men and four for women.
In the 2012 Olympics the 8 gold medals for Taekwondo were taken home by 8 different nations.
Athletes compete in three rounds of two minutes each.
Points are awarded for hits to the torso and head.
More challenging moves, such as a kick to the head or a spinning kick to the torso, get three points.
For the 2012 Olympics there were electronic detectors used for scoring in Taekwondo. These proved controversial, some claiming the encouraged lighter hits with less power, and that the sport’s techniques changed because of this.
For the first time ever the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will use a 360 degree camera system for TV replays and for judges to check scores.

Taekwondo Sydney

Many people learn Taekwondo (TKD) for a variety of reasons. Some feel the need for self defense, or self discipline, but many simply enjoy it for the sake of sport.

Taekwondo Kingsgrove

Spiritual

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Taekwondo Kingsgrove

There is a myth that Martial Arts is strongly tied to religion or spirituality. Perhaps this was true of some martial arts in the past, maybe even a few in the present. But of the most part practices like taekwondo have nothing to go with religion.
Taekwondo or any decent martial art is about physical activity, improving the body and providing a means of self-defense should we be unlucky enough to encounter a situation where we might need it. Yet the mind and body are not completely independent. If we training ourselves for any task then we improve our mind. The discipline this requires, the mindset where we set and achieve goals, the understanding of our abilities and limits that this imparts – this has a certain spiritual aspect to it. Martial arts training can help us understand ourselves and our place in the world.

Of course there is philosophy entwined with Taekwondo, and with at least some other martial arts. Taekwondo teaches the five tenant – Courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and the indomitable spirit. But these are things we might find in any approach to life, including religious approaches or ethical systems of though. They are about finding the best way to live and be an individual amid a society of other individuals. People who make the mistake of thinking that philosophy means spirituality tend to misunderstand this. Philosophy literally means a love of knowledge. And there is knowledge involved in any endevour. With taekwondo there is knowledge behind the training and skills, a knowledge that also helps with many other aspects of life.

Taekwondo The Ponds

Competition Taekwondo helps in a way that neither book knowledge or isolated training will. When we compete with others we learn to deal with stress, fear, adrenaline, anxiety. These are factors that can compromise our performance, especially in unexpected situations. If we are unfortunate enough to encounter a street fight, if we are mugged, we may find that all out training goes to waste because of the unexpected adrenaline we experience when seriously threatened. We cannot be sure how we will react until we are in the situation. But constant competition will help us considerably. Having experienced stress and adrenaline in competition we learn how to function under these circumstances. And then a real threat doesn’t quite catch us so off-guard.

Taekwondo West Pennant Hills

Taekwondo training can help us develop as individuals, and help us considerably through life. It is only spiritual in the sense that we learn about ourselves and our place amid others.

Self Defence for Kids Sydney

Is Taekwondo Good for Self Defence?

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Self Defence for Kids Sydney

There is some debate whether Taekwondo training or other martial arts are useful for self defense. This seems odd as almost all martial arts started as military techniques, which would seem the very thing for defending ourselves. But others argue that modern martial arts have become sports rather than serious combat systems, so they have little use in a legitimate fight. There is a partial truth to the idea that the modern martial arts are more orientated towards competition, but this need not mean that they have lost their edge when it comes to self-defence.

Karate and Kung-fu have tended to stick more to their traditional roots than other martial arts, even as Karate has branched off into many different school. Some individual fighters and training schools combine different martial arts to maximize their lethal ability Taekwondo seems to fall between these two extremes.

Modern Taekwondo does emphasis sports competition, being able to kick the opponent to gain points. But a large part of this is being able to avoid or block your opponents attack. This is always a useful skill (or set of skills) in any fight.
Of course in a street fight your opponent will not fight fair, and will not stick to the rules, even if they do have some martial arts training. It might be a sight disadvantage if we expect them to attach us as a competitive fighter would. On the contrary, they will always do something unexpected.

Yet the often overlooked aspect of street fights is our emotional reaction. A fight is not something we were anticipating, and the Adrenalin rush from a confrontation can easily render us unable to fight. Martial arts training, especially if we have engaged in regular competition, is a considerable help if we have to deal with a surprise attach and the huge hit of Adrenalin. This alone, being able to keep our wits, can make all the difference in a fight.

The fact that marital arts like Taekwondo is still taught in the military shows that has considerable merit for real fights. Being able to block an opponents attack is reason enough to learn Taekwondo. Being able to deal with stressful situations is also a huge benefit.

Martial Arts Sydney

A Martial arts class will make a big difference to your life. Hopefully we will never be in a situation where we need to defend ourselves, but sometimes we have no choice. But even if we manage to avoid confrontation the discipline, exercise and sense of achievement we get from progressing with Taekwondo, karate or any martial arts can make for a more fulfilling experience of life.

Taekwondo Cherrybrook

Common questions about Taekwondo.

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Some common questions about Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Cherrybrook

Are there different forms of TWD?
To a certain degree, yes there are different forms. But less so than other Martial Arts.
Taekwondo is largely standardized, so you will learn the same techniques in every school, except North Korea where the practice is different.

But there is variation between martial arts that are designed foe competitive sports, or for self defense, or for military combat. Taekwondo for sports will not encourage any lethal techniques, or target vulnerable parts of the opponent’s body, even though the basic martial art techniques are similar. Self defense techniques are very similar in all taekwondo, but there maybe additional defensive moves against military opponents.

The WTF (world Taekwondo Federation) standardized Taekwondo generations ago. The ITF (in North Korean) is the only real exception to this.
Taekwondo Kellyville

Is Taekwondo effective in a street fight?

The short answer is yes. It is a lot better than no training at all. You will have a much better chance of fending off your attacker and avoiding serious injury. Importantly, you should be better able to handle the stress of the situation. This is often overlooked, but a confrontation on the street will cause a huge Adrenalin spike, and this makes it very hard to keep a clear head. But it helps considerably if you are use to competition fighting and have experienced this before.

Of course there is a chance that your opponent knows more martial arts than you do. the only answer here is to train to be as proficient as possible.

Taekwondo Stanhope Gardens

Can you mix Taekwondo with other Martial Arts?

While it is possible it probably isn’t a great idea. Better to master one form than try to mix two forms, and find they conflict. Taekwondo emphasizes kicks, while something like karate emphasizes punches. This can be a problem if you have to resist the urge to punch while competing in Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is a structured and codified system. Better to master this, or advance further in this system, than compromise between two systems.

Taekwondo Kingsgrove

Many people study martial arts for the sake of discipline and fitness. Being better able to defend yourself is an added bonus should you be unfortunate enough to encounter such an emergency.

Sydney Martial Arts

Marital Arts and Improved Cognition

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Marital Arts and Improved Cognition

Martial Arts Training Sydney

The connection between the physical and the mental, how our body’s health affects our mental facilities, is not fully understood. But there appears to be some connection. At the very least a healthy body benefits our mind; we can think a little clearer, have a better memory and improve our focus and attention by being physically fit.

There is a reasonable amount of evidence to suggest that martial arts training can benefit cognitive function in children. Is probably has some similar benefit for adults. Research in the area is encouraging.

Attention, the ability to focus on a task, is a essential for all physical and mental endeavour. This is something that can be measured by the Attention Network test (ANT). Studies on groups of people who start Martial arts training, with little or no background in the subject, indicate some improvement over the space of a few years. This improvement carries over into other tasks, which is reason enough to continue with a
Martial arts class.

Other activities that purportedly improve attention, like playing video games, also show some positive results. But the results were short term and limited. Individuals found the improvement in attention started to decline after they stopped playing the games. And the attention was limited to activities that were physically interactive; they did not carry over to reading or book learning. Other computer activities like brain training games had slightly different benefits, helping to remember words and learn concepts that were applicable to formal study. This appeared to have a more lasting effect. Though obviously computer activities did not improve physical fitness, and while it might help fine motor skills (using the hands on a keyboard or joystick) it didn’t benefit course motor skills where individuals had to more the whole body.
Martial arts school training offer a broader improvement in attention and mental functioning. This is because martial arts are physically interactive. Like many eastern cultural practices it mean being involved physically and mentally, and improving both together.
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Some studies in the mental improvements of Martial arts suggest that the greatest improvements come to those who were less than average to start with. The martial arts training helped people to reach at least an average level of mental competence, in some cases recovering their former level of competence. People who already performed well before the training progressed a little faster, but showed less mental improvement, perhaps because they were already near their potential. Though the training did improve their physical fitness and their martial arts performance.

It has also been suggested that martial arts training may prevent or reduce the mental decline of older individuals. This is a possibility that is worth pursuing.
Sydney Martial Arts

Consider Martial arts classes as a way to improve you life, physically and mentally.

Taekwondo The Ponds

What we Wish we had Known

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We learn a lot when we start something new, partly because we have so much to learn in the new subject, partly because the new subject forces us to open our eyes to new possibilities. When we look back the new things we learnt will seem obvious. But of course they weren’t obvious at the time. If we already knew we wouldn’t be there to learn about it all.

A few things that we wish we could have seen at the time.

  • Be ready to learn at all times. Constantly adding 1% will eventually lead to impressive abilities. Sometimes many months of frustration suddenly gives away to rapid improvement.
  • Replace bad habits with good ones. This can be the thing that holds us back.  Standing the right way might be necessary for the right kick. Breathing the right way means more energy and clarity of thought.
  • Focus on the positive. Look at negative things as something we can potentially overcome.
  • Stretching makes for better performance and less muscle ache afterwards. Stretch before and after training
  • Doing is better than thinking. This is not to say that we shouldn’t watch and learn from others, or to say that we shouldn’t think about a good approach. But actually doing and experiencing these things is the main part of learning.
  • Quality equipment is a good investment. A foam roller is cheap and prevents muscle problems.

Taekwondo The Ponds

 Make some progress in Martial Arts and improve your life, both mentally and physically. Look back and see how far you have come.

TKD West Pennant Hills

FACTS ABOUT TAEKWONDO

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FACTS ABOUT TAEKWONDO

TKD West Pennant Hills

  • Taekwondo is the national Sport of South Korea
  • This marital only really developed after the Korean War (1953), when earlier Korean martial arts and the martial arts of the former Japanese occupants were combined and developed into the new practice called Taekwondo
  • Taekwondo is part of Korean military training, which is mandatory for all capable males in the country.
  • Because of its late development it is virtually the only martial art that has a consistent set of techniques and rules. It is the same everywhere in the world, except (perhaps ironically) North Korea.
  • The practice emphasizes kicks, which is reflected in the name (foot-fist-way). But it also includes blocks, punches and hands strikes. Other martial arts tend to emphasis the hand strikes.
  • Taekwondo, along with Judo, is one of the few martial arts seen at the Olympic games. This is because of its systematic practice. Many other martial arts vary between school.
  • Training includes the hardening of the body through practice of the various attack and defense forms.
  • Taekwondo has included female practitioners long before most other martial arts.
  • Taekwondo is administrated by the World Taekwondo Federation in South Korea, and these WTF rules are used from beginners to Olympic competitions.
  • There are injuries in Taekwondo, but most are minor.
  • Commands in Taekwondo remain in the native Korean Language.
  • The five tenets of Taekwondo apply to every aspect of life, aiming to make all better developed individuals.

Taekwondo West Pennant Hills

Consider martial arts in order to improve your physical, mental and social well being. This is discipline and skill, but of the type that you feel better for developing and following.

Martial Arts Kellyville

Meditation

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Martial Arts Kellyville

Meditation is the underappreciated aspect of martial arts. It is perhaps the underappreciated aspect of a balanced life. To an novice observer the ability to sit still may look like nothing, or a waste of time. But meditation is about being in harmony with oneself, and in harmony with the world we all live in. The importance of meditation becomes apparent when we see how difficult it can be for some people to sit quietly for any period of time.
A poorly adjusted person, and that is everybody at least some of the time, feels some internal conflict – clashing priorities, inappropriate desires, rivalries, past regrets. These things are real, but not productive, at least not when they pull us in different directions and prevent us from pursuing important goals. To be able to sit quietly, meditate, and recognize these conflicts from an impartial perspective – this is important for a well adjusted person.

It is too easy to be carried along by social obligation or to simply fall into habits (good, bad or monotonous) that we have developed in the past. And we end up where ever this pushes us. Meditation allows us to step back and see more of the bigger picture. We can feel at peace despite the situation we are in, and be in a clear state of mind for deciding the best course of action.

Of course this cannot exist on its own. We cannot really spend an entire life meditating, anymore than we can spend an entire life planning while never getting anything done. Meditation is about getting into the right state of mind to do things well. When suitably prepared, we then have to go out and get things done.

Martial Arts Kingsgrove

Anybody who seriously pursues any form of physical training knows that rest is as important as exertion. We exert our muscles now and we let them recover afterwards. This allows the muscle to grow. The same principle applies to mental training. We need to sit still and let the knowledge and skills we have acquired sink into our brain, to integrate with what we already know. We absorb information and skills and let them become an integrated part of who we are.

Meditation is not withdrawal, it is about being poised to respond in exactly the right way at exactly the right moment. Seeing ourselves as a small entity in a bigger world, and knowing how to interact with that world effectively.

self defence classes stanhope gardens

Self Defence Classes Stanhope Gardens

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Self Defence Classes Stanhope Gardens

There’s a PREMIER TAEKWONDO SCHOOL that’s called TAEKWONDO WORLD.

WHY PICK TAEKWONDO WORLD? There are many reasons.

HERE ARE THOUGHTS THAT OUR STUDENTS GAVE THAT SET US APART FROM OTHER TAEKWONDO SCHOOLS:

Before I give you the reason, let me ask you would you want to inquire about Self Defence Classes Stanhope Gardens? Visit our website for more info.

Qualifications and Specialisations

– Our main man, our leader, Grand Master, Master Incheol Yoo, is a 9th Dan Black belt. In all of Australia, he has the highest ranked Black Belt.

– All of our Head Instructors have majored in Taekwondo at top Korean Universities. This allow us to teach original Taekwondo straight from Korea. All our Instructors and Assistant Instructors hold an internationally recognised Black Belt.

Do you want to know more about Self Defence Classes Stanhope Gardens?

We have small class sizes (all students are given enough attention)

We have more than 10 full-time Instructors ready to assist, who all hold Black Belts of 4th Dan or even higher. They also have University qualifications majoring in Taekwondo.

Also, we have some part-time or assistant instructors. They are all highly qualified to teach. They hold Internationally Recognised Black Belts, 1st Dan or higher.

The large number of qualified Instructors ready to teach at our centre ensures that each class can be divided into smaller classes to allow personal attention for every student. Parents and Students do appreciate the impressive Teacher: Student ratios at our centres. If you want to inquire about sSelf Defence Classes at Stanhope Gardens, please don’t hesitate to call us or email us.