Tae Kwon Do - Books and manuals

memphis

Hi folks,

Just wondered if someone could direct me to where I might find a good book on the techniques and that of Tae Kwon do. I want a kind of beginners book that takes you through moves and patterns in a step by step approach.

Anybody able to help?

PhoenixRising

Check out the ITF site, they have diagrams and step by step instructions for all the patterns:

http://www.itf-information.com/patterns.htm

or try the swiss ITF site for better diagrams.

http://www.itf-suisse.ch/patterns.htm.html

There's also a few videos here:

http://www.hyong.net/index.htm

If you want a book, you can buy the Taekwon-Do encyclopedia written by General Choi. It's very comprehensive (and very expensive!). You can get it through most schools, from the RITA (http://www.rita-itf.org) or from the ITF themselves.

dudara

The encyclopaedia comes in two varieties, the full multi-volume edition that is huge and costs a fortune, or a smaller condenser single volume. Any good instructor should have one of these two, and you could probably borrow and copy it,

My instructor has a CD-ROM with all the patterns and moves on it. I'm getting it off hime soon to burn a copy, but as far as I know, it's an official ITF video.

The British taekwondo federation have produced a series of books for colour belts. I bought the white to yellow one a few years ago when starting out, and even though it's not exactly the same style of TKD as I practice, it was still useful. Links are here and here

good luck with training

NeoSlicerZ

My instructor has pattern books all the way up to black belt, and some beyond. However i don't think you can get them on the open market...

memphis

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.

The link for the ITF patterns have been of great help however. I've noted that with the club I'm in, Great Southern TaeKwonDo (GST), only do the Chong Ji one way and not both ways as I originally learnt when I was about 11 or 12. Though having said that it made my grading far more eaiser.

I went for my first grading last Sunday after just 6 weeks of training and came out with an A+. Not only that but I jumped a grade so I'm now a yellow belt and not a yellow tip. Great eh?

Am... a small question while on the topic of patterns. Now that I have skipped a grade will I still have to learn the pattern for the yellow belt grading or not? I've tried to do it a few times in class but have never really had to learn it. Could I be asked to do it for the next grading for green tip?

memphis

BoB_BoT

there are 2 ways to do chong ji? or do you mean left and right turning?

dudara

Memphis, I'd suggest that you probably will have to learn the pattern Chon-Ji, because technically it is the first pattern in TKD. (Sagi Jirugi and Sagi Maki not really being classed as patterns). You could be asked it at any time in gradings. There is also the possibility of it being used as a tie-breaker in a patterns competition.

Congrats on the grading though and keep it up

memphis

Sorry may have mislead ye slightly.

Chong Ji is the 1st pattern in TKD yes, I am aware of that. I have learnt it. the point I'm making is that we, in GST only go one way, that is to say that we start the 4 demensional punch with with a punch from the right hand and finish after 7 steps. we are not required to do it starting with the left hand and following through the other way. Sounds odd I know... but a lot easier.

Anyway my question is now that I have done Chong and skipped to yellow belt will I still have to do the pattern for yellow tip, or will I just go stright on and do the next pattern for yellow belt to green tip?

Musashi

Memphis,
Are you training unser Mr. Mark Buckley or Mr. Brian Buckley?
I found both to be excellent instructors very well versed in original ITF style TKD.
They do however omit some of the more trad. patterns and stuff,one ,two and three step for example, as it bores a lot of students leading to drop outs.There is no doubt that both instructors are intimately acquainted with all the techniques,they may choose not to train them starting off though!The same can be said of the Korean Terminology, it may not be used day to day in class but on one of my second Dan gradings I was thoroughly quizzed on my knowledge of the Korean for body parts and techniques!
I wish you luck in your training and congrats on having found some great instructors!

dudara

There is no pattern as such for yellow tip. But you do learn Sagi Jirugi and Sagi Magki (Four directional punch and four directional block). They can be asked at anytime. But if you've learned Chong Ji, then they are very/pretty easy.

BLITZ_Molloy

They tend to ask you lots of past stuff in gradings rather than just your newest pattern.

I took up Tae Kwon Do again last year after stopping 6 years ago. Trying to relearn 7 grades worth of theory and patterns is a pain in the arse. Hopefully I'll be up to scratch by July (if I go 3/4 nights a week) and have a crack at getting my red tip. The fact that the standard is higher now than before I quit certainly isn't going to help matters.

Repli

To be honest you won't learn much taekwondo by reading about it, the best way to learn is practice practice practice and then maybe reading about what you're doing. I remember when I was learning Do-San I tried doing it by reading the movements off some website - and it was nearly impossible!

memphis

Originally posted by Musashi
Memphis,
Are you training unser Mr. Mark Buckley or Mr. Brian Buckley?

I wish you luck in your training and congrats on having found some great instructors!

My trainer is actually Fourth Dan Ruari O'Brien, who is in fact the coach to the Irish Olympic team. Having said that Mr. Brian Buckley was the examiner for the grading. Very nice guy!

I'm now learning a new pattern not sure of its name, but its the one for the green tip, think its called Dan-Gun or something like that (Korean Terminology has me baffled). Anyway its got 21 moves, and combines head punches, high and mid section blocks together, etc. Goes in a kinda H shape, really fun one to learn if ya ask me.

Thanks for all the replies guys, much apprecited. Keep up the training!

memphis

Musashi

My favourites were Joon-Gun and Hwa-Rang, gotta love it when a playstation character does your pattern!

memphis

Are you talking Tekken 4 here?

Someone else mentioned this to me too, what character wud that be?

Musashi

He's called HwaRang and if u let the title story thingy play out it goes to a compilation of all the characters doing their style of MA. And Hwa Rang starts to do a nice version of the pattern

memphis

Sounds cool.

Thanks for that Musashi.
I'll check it out later when I get a chance.

memphis