Taekwondo is a Korean martial art developed in the early 1960’s for use in the Korean military by a man named Gen. Choi Hong Hi. Taekwondo is translated as “Tae” meaning Hand or fist, “kwon” meaning foot or kick, and “do” which means way or path or method. Taekwondo is a martial art based on the scientific principals of kinesiology, physics, biomechanics, and geometry and is designed to hone the plethora of traditional and newer martial arts techniques that comprise Taekwondo’s arsenal into their strongest, fastest, and most effective permutation. Since its invention Taekwondo has spread across the world becoming a global phenomenon. It is currently practiced in almost every country worldwide and holds a place in both the Olympics and Special Olympics.
There are many styles and versions of Taekwondo available developed and modified by various practitioners of the art. Here at Northampton Martial Arts we practice the original traditional forms/patterns (pre choreographed movements or fight scenario against invisible opponents to help develop automatic and subconscious reflexes to react correctly against aggressive stimuli) called Chong Hon or International Taekwondo Federation. We utilize the revolutionary system of harnessing all of the principals of power development called the Sine Wave, and add many elements from other martial arts as they prove to compliment the traditional Taekwondo arsenal.