NMA Blog

Taekwondo meaning

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.

Northampton Martial Arts – Simon Scher

Mr. Simon Scher began his training in Tampa, Florida in 1988 under Master Garry Dyals. He currently holds the rank of 7th degree black belt. He is certified in numerous organizations, though his most recent rank was awarded by Grand Master Jong Soo Park (VP of the International Tae Kwon Do Federation) and Grand Master Park Jung Tae (founder of the Global Tae Kwon Do Federation). He has been teaching martial arts all over the world for over 15 years with passion and vigor.

    Mr. Scher is the author of The Martial Arts Manual, a quintessential guide to sparring stratagem and technique. He is also a regular contributor to Black Belt Magazine. He holds the title of North American Pattern Grand Champion, and AAU Junior Olympic Gold Medalist.

    Northampton Martial Arts is designed and conceptualized by Mr. Scher to aid martial artists and those wishing to become martial artists achieve their goals in ascending the mountain of technique to the peak of mastery.

    He brings with him knowledge and experience gained from training and teaching in Ecuador, Japan, Canada, Florida, New York and Massachusetts under numerous skilled masters. From his years of training and teaching, he has developed a cohesive training philosophy that requires his classes to be fun, challenging, and constructive for all students.