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"The study of Taekwon-Do offers several unique advantages to the physical
fitness of the student. No doubt one of life's most treasured assets is good
health. Therefore, one of the great cardinal sins of mankind is his abuse of
this asset. Incidentally, he who does not abuse or hurt his own body, including
the hair, is defined as obedient to his parents; so described in Oriental
philosophy. |
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Wealth, power, fame and the blessing of physical beauty are all relatively
unimportant if one does not possess good health. An individual owes it to
himself and his family to constantly maintain and improve his health. Confucius
said 'Being in good health is a way of showing great devotion to the parents, as
child's heath is their utmost concern.' |
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The students will realize how important Taekwon-Do is to human health through
the following article written by Dr. Robert S. Arner, a black belt holder of
Taekwon-Do. |
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'Taekwon-Do may be practiced individually or in groups without the use of
weights or special equipment. It is, in most cases, practiced alone except the
sparring. Since the body sets its own limits, injuries or strains are rare and
the physical condition of the student paces him automatically. The entire muscle
system of the body, from the fingers to the toes, is brought into play. |
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The training does not produce large knotty muscles; it tends to exchange
flabby fat tissue for lean tissue. The thick muscles developed through weight
training tend to push the blood vessels apart without adding new ones to fill
the gap. Such tissue has difficulty in receiving oxygen and disposing of waste
through the blood stream and thus tires more easily. |
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Taekwon-Do's high repetition, low resistance movements develop a longer,
leaner and more flexible musculature. Such muscles have more of their areas
close to blood supply routes, thus producing maximum endurance and well-being'
(Brown and Kenyon, Classical Studies on Physical Activity, p231.) |
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The emphasis in twisting the trunk in executing the kicking movements and in
counterbalancing the hand movements builds a fim, well-muscled abdomen. The high
leg raise preceeding most of the kicks in Taekwon-Do also develops the side of
the trunk and inner thigh muscles. The study of Taekwon-Do is particularly
recommended for women because of its development of the lower abdomen, hips and
inner thighs; areas which produce a youthful feminine figure for women of all
ages. |
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After childbirth in particular, these areas are stretched and weakened;
Taekwon-Do training is ideal to restore muscle tone for healh as well as
appearance. |
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The typical training regimen, involving extensive movements of the entire body,
raises the pulse rate and oxygen characteristics of the hearth and lungs over an
extended period. This increased ventilation is termed an aerobic effect (Cooper,
Kenneth H. "Aerobics" p108) and provides the following benefits: |
- Helps the lungs operate more efficiently.
- Enlarges the blood vessels, making them more pliable and reducing the resistance
to blood flow, thus lowering the blood pressure.
- Increases the blood supply, especially red blood cells and hemoglobin.
- It makes the body tissue healthier in supplying it with more oxygen.
- It conditions the heart, providing more reserve for emergencies:
- It promotes better sleep and waste elimination.
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The training tends to be a normalizer of body weight in that it results in a
gain of solid tissue for the underweight and a loss of body fat for the obese.
The estimated calorie-consumption for a vigourous Taekwon-Do workout is about
six hundred calories per hour, one of the highest for any sports activity. |
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Since the expenditure of about 3,500 calories results in a weight loss of one
pound, it will be seen that a weekly training schedule of only six hours will
result in weight loss of one pound per week." |
General Choi Hong Hi
Founder of Taekwon-Do |
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References: |
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Choi, Hong Hi, 1999. Taekwon-Do (The Korean Art of Self Defense) also known as
The Condensed Encyclopedia. 5th ed. Canada: Comdo. |