4 Tools Every Tae Kwon Do Instructor Needs!

Master Newhall
Jan 11
4 min read

Updated: May 21

So, you want to be a Tae Kwon Do instructor. You’ve gone through the training, you know everything, and you’ve passed the test. Now the question is: what tools do you need to run class?

Much like their classroom counterparts, Tae Kwon Do instructors use lots of different kinds of tools, from practice boards to agility ladders. There is a lot of variety between instructors, too. Instructors do, however, have a few tools that are generally universal. Here are the top 4 tools every Tae Kwon Do instructor needs to use!

A Good Dobok

When you joined your Tae Kwon Do school, one of the first things you probably noticed is: tae kwon do instructors have style! There are so many different colors and types of uniform out there. There are so many different styles, designs, and colors that Tae Kwon Do instructors like to wear. Which ones to pick?

Personally, The one I wear the most is an all black y-neck. It’s very comfortable, and often draws my students attention. Though it can be seen as a little intimidating, so I don’t usually wear it when I teach younger kids, instead preferring a more colorful uniform.

The one I wear for poomse competition is also one of my favorites. While I only wear it for competitions, I have colleagues who like to wear it to train and/or teach. It features a white top, navy blue neck, and navy blue pants to match. Two colleagues (recently engaged to each other) like to both wear this uniform. They certainly look like a charming couple with the matching uniforms.

Shoes (that’s right, shoes)

If you’ve been training awhile, you’ve seen… shoes? Some Tae Kwon Do instructors have shoes. Why do Tae Kwon Do instructors have shoes, you ask? Simply put, these shoes are designed specifically for the dojang. With the soles designed specifically for Taekwondo movements, particularly the circles on the ball of the foot and the heel, students and instructors can move around much more easily. I’ve used them myself, and I find them to be quite comfortable. When I’m walking around the classroom for hours, I find it feels better to have comfortable shoes that I only wear on the mat.

Hand Targets

This one is a Tae Kwon Do instructor must have. You know the paddle targets that you hold in your hand so your training partner can kick and/or punch? You probably use these for every class. When you started training, this was probably the first thing you hit. These targets are used by instructors all-day everyday. I honestly spend at least half the class time holding these targets and having students hit them as needed. They’re fairly comfortable, though my wrists sometimes hurt if I hold them for too long!

Books

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know: Tae Kwon Do instructors love to read! From Sun Tzu to Marcus Aurelius, instructors can be quite knowledgeable and quite bookish. Here are some of the books I’ve found many of them reading.

Poomse books: There are books that are entirely about Tae Kwon Do forms and can be very helpful in a person’s martial arts education if used correctly. These books are often out of date because the competition criteria (particularly the details) for the forms get updated fairly frequently. If you want to know what your instructor is looking for in your forms, it’s best to ask them. However, if you’re looking for a book that instructors often use to help with learning a new form, or reminding themselves of a form they haven’t taught in awhile, there are many that can do that task. Here is one of the books that I commonly find in their bookshelf. This book, “Complete Taekwondo Poomse” by Sang H Kim and Kyu Hyung Lee, is an excellent text for those learning poomse, and need a little more help outside of class. The authors give the readers many of the forms that schools commonly use, as well as stretches, philosophy, and explanation of techniques the forms often require. They even have korean vocabulary that is frequently used in classes!

History books: I know, I know. It sounds kind of strange that athletes like instructors like reading so much. Yet, it’s true! Some even like to read about history. Now, some texts are more detailed then others, but a good book to start on is Doug Cook’s “Taekwondo: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World”. This was one of the first Taekwondo history books I ever read. It’s certainly not the text for academics by any means, but for enthusiasts, black belts, and the curious, it’s a very good starting place. Doug Cook has a talent for making an entertaining and educational text. If you’re about to become an instructor, an introductory knowledge to Tae Kwon Do history can be very helpful.

So there you go! Now you know what (in my opinion) a good Tae Kwon Do instructor needs! May you have good luck in your Taekwondo career!