I've Betrayed Taekwondo!

I have a confession to make: I’ve betrayed taekwondo.

I know! What a crime. So what is my betrayal?

My betrayal is rather severe.

Yes, I have indeed been learning in the local park!

I’ve been learning Tai Chi. I know! Scandalous!

That sounds like a rather mundane betrayal. That’s because it is not actually a betrayal of taekwondo (though it might seem so to some of my younger students). At least, not really. In fact, it’s actually a part of taekwondo training!

That’s right! Learning other martial arts is, historically, a big part of taekwondo training. In fact, it’s part of what makes taekwondo, taekwondo. I’m working on another post about this particular topic (soon to be released, I swear), but taekwondo is actually based on a bunch of grand masters learning other martial arts from China and Japan, and bringing them together, eventually creating what we now call taekwondo.

Learning other martial arts is, in fact, what taekwondo is all about.

Why though? And how is it useful?

The first question (the “why?”) is both simple and incredibly complicated. In summary, every martial art is based, at least in some regards, on other techniques taught to masters who later founded the martial art. Those masters’ students, in turn, added to the pool. This happens for a few generations and then suddenly the new martial art is distinctly separate from its ancestors. Subak and Taekkyeon are earlier forms of Korean martial arts (Subak actually has cave drawings of it) that aren’t practiced very much anymore, but are clearly connected to taekwondo. As an example, the crescent kick is almost identical to a common kick practiced in Taekkyeon, as are some of the evasive techniques used on the sparring mat. Surprised? Hold on, it gets better.

The next question is even simpler. It’s useful because it adds something unique to the martial artist and their repertoire. Every taekwondo black belt learns the roundhouse kick. And the axe kick. And certainly the tornado kick. In fact, many dojangs practice the same taekwondo forms as other dojangs as part of their training. Yet each black belt is unique despite this universal training. They have their own strategies, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own ways of solving various self-defense circumstances.

Part of this individualism comes from a black belt's education outside of taekwondo. Many black belts, in my experience, take the time to learn bits and pieces of other martial arts. A common one in America is to learn MMA or Kickboxing. These black belts often are stronger and hit harder than their peers.

Training outside of class does involve reading!

Another common one is Aikido or Judo. It never hurts to improve one’s ability to do groundwork! After all, taekwondo really isn't equipped to handle throws, wrestling, and holds. That's a pretty big gaping hole! Though, to be fair, most dojangs and their masters also teach Hapkido, and this often covers that area.

Personally, I’m a big fan of martial arts like Kung Fu and Tai Chi. This might be because of my fascination with history, but I like older martial arts. There is something to learn from the past, after all. Personally, I find older martial arts to be quite soothing and fluid than their more modern contemporaries. After teaching taekwondo, I certainly like an opportunity to relax. I might even try yoga some day! It certainly would improve my poomsae if I were more flexible!

So, what have I learned in Tai Chi so far? Well, to be honest, I’ve only just started. Though, I have learned a lot! As an example, I learned that, unlike taekwondo, Tai Chi is all about redirecting power, rather than stopping it entirely. I’ve found this entire change in mind set to be quite challenging, but quite rewarding!

Taekwondo's sparring training centers around the general premise of "hit and don't be hit." Tai chi, on the other hand is all about what should happen when you do get hit. What do you do? How do you handle it? My Tai Chi instructor was excellent at teaching me this tactic. I could see very easily how I could apply this tactic in my own training.

The most significant difference in my training so far has been speed. Taekwondo is an incredibly fast martial art. Tai Chi, on the other hand, is very slow and methodical. Contrary to popular belief, just because it's slow doesn't mean it's useless. In a sparring match with my Tai Chi instructor, I discovered that a) he’s quite fast when he wants to be and b) I never know that I’ve lost until it’s way too late. In our sparring sessions in which we slow down, I’ve learned quite a bit. In those sparring sessions I have plenty of time to think about what to do next, while also having to react promptly. The more I practice, the more it becomes second nature; which of course is the goal of martial arts training!

By the end of my first class, I could really feel my core muscles. It felt like I had done a hundred sit ups! Unlike Aikido and Judo, Tai Chi definitely doesn't do groundwork but, surprisingly, is quite useful in close-up sparring. I could probably write forever, gushing about how much I’ve learned so far, but I think I’ll pause here, and summarize it as such: it never hurts to learn from other sources! You can find wisdom from many other sources, you just have to look for it.

Good luck in your taekwondo journey!