Traditional Taekwondo – Core Techniques, History, and Philosophy by Doug Cook

“Conventional Taekwondo: Core Strategies, Historical past, and Philosophy” by Doug Prepare dinner is a ebook that each one Taekwondo practitioners will need on their ebook shelf. It is also a ebook that can attraction to different Korean martial artists and even those that do not apply Korean arts however want to perceive extra in regards to the “foot, hand, Method” from the land of the morning calm.

The ebook is split into three components, the primary is Historical past and Tradition, the second is Philosophy, and the ultimate part focuses on Method. The primary two sections had been glorious and can assist all those that apply the artwork of Taekwondo higher perceive the historical past, tradition, and philosophy discovered throughout the artwork. These are the sections that may even attraction to different Korean martial artists and even different arts. The third half, Method, did an alright job of displaying a number of strategies from the Taekwondo curriculum, however was not as robust or as attention-grabbing as the primary two components.

This can be very tough to boil a rustic’s historical past, particularly a rustic like Korea that has an extended and attention-grabbing historical past, into a number of brief chapters. I believe Prepare dinner did an excellent job of narrowing the historical past down to some of essentially the most related and attention-grabbing historic references, beginning with the legend of Tan-gun. He briefly covers the Three Kingdoms and a number of the key gamers in Korea’s historical past. He has a bit on the Japanese Occupation from 1910 to 1945 which is vital concerning Taekwodo’s growth. The subsequent chapter on the Formative Years of Taekwondo may be very attention-grabbing and will likely be useful for all those who wish to know extra historical past of the artwork.

The Philosophy half had chapters on the function of meditation in conventional taekwondo, the event and use of fight ki, and the relevance of poom-se in conventional taekwondo. These chapters, once more, had been attention-grabbing and academic. I do suppose they supply the reader with a extra in depth have a look at taekwondo than simply the favored sport sparring.

The third, and longest half, focuses on method. It’s the longest as a result of it’s primarily photos, illustrating the strategies chosen for the textual content. The chapters cowl conditioning workout routines first, after which a chapter describing coaching strategies. Whereas I agree with most of what was written, there have been a number of issues that I’d have written otherwise, particularly the outline of ho shin sool, or self-defense strategies. It’s right, that ho shin sool strategies present options to grabs as written, however ho shin sool strategies additionally embrace defenses to strikes, kicks, and initiating strikes.

I favored the rules concerning coaching, particularly the emphasis on respect and security. Then, for the strategies really demonstrated with photos, there are 18 Il Su Sik (One-Step Sparring) combos, 8 Sam Su Sik (Three-Step Sparring) combos, 18 Ho Shin Sool (self-defense strategies), and 16 defenses for girls. You possibly can have a look at this a pair methods. First, simply have a look at this part as a small sampling of strategies you discover within the taekwondo curriculum. That is what it’s. And as a small sampling, Prepare dinner did a very good job of including it. Nevertheless, to study the strategies from the ebook could be extraordinarily tough, simply as studying any martial artwork from a ebook just isn’t really useful, you want a stay teacher and a accomplice to coach with. I did have a elementary disagreement with the way in which a number of the ho shin sool strategies had been demonstrated as a result of right physique positions, motion, and weight placement weren’t illustrated, and I even have difficulties with a few the strategies solely. (i.e. blocking a pipe along with your forearm) Nevertheless, it’s not the aim of this evaluation to have interaction in practicality of strategies and so forth. So sufficient mentioned.

There’s a brief conclusion, after which the appendix sections. Appendix A was extraordinarily attention-grabbing. It instructed of a coaching expertise with Grandmaster Gyoo Hyun Lee in Korea. I discovered it attention-grabbing and it additionally made me homesick to return and practice in Korea. It actually made me yearn for my subsequent journey over there to coach. There have been additionally some Korean/English phrases and few martial arts organizations listed. Good additions to the ebook, particularly the coaching expertise with Grandmaster Lee.

For the Historical past and Philosophy sections, I charge this ebook a 5, and for the Strategies part a 3. Subsequently, the ebook is a 4 total and a ebook I like to recommend all taekwondo stylists learn and study from. I additionally advocate it to any others who wish to higher perceive the historical past, philosophy, and strategies of conventional taekwondo.