Taekwondo

I started Taekwondo at 40 and felt completely out of my depth in the first class. Most people were twenty-something and athletic. I was neither. But the coach adapted sessions to my level and nobody made me feel unwelcome. Recovery takes longer at my age, and adjusting to the point-scoring system h…

Purely as a fitness tool, Taekwondo is good but not exceptional. There are more efficient ways to get fit. Where Taekwondo is genuinely underrated is everything else: the spinning heel kick problem-solving, the poomsae forms depth, how poomsae develops balance and body control. These aren't fitness …

I track everything, so here are actual results after 15 months of Taekwondo: significantly improved cardiovascular fitness, noticeable strength gains, and a flexibility improvement I didn't expect. None of that came from a gym program — it came from learning axe kick and understanding poomsae forms.…

I want to separate the sport from my specific experience. Taekwondo as a discipline is genuinely compelling — the jump spinning back kick, the depth of poomsae forms, first sparring session. All of that is real and valuable. My gym, however, has been mediocre. Coaching quality varies session to ses…

I've done gym, running clubs, and team sports. The Taekwondo community is different. There's something about shared struggle around back kick and pattern memorisation that creates a genuine bond. People at my gym remember everyone's name. Higher belts and better athletes make time for beginners. fi…

Taekwondo has been one of the best decisions I've made for my fitness and mental health. The dollyo-chagi roundhouse and the deeper reaction time training keep training mentally engaging in a way the gym never did. But I want to be honest: adjusting to the point-scoring system. Nobody told me about…

I've been training Taekwondo for 3 months and the moment back kick finally clicked was a turning point. Before that I was going through the motions. After, the whole game opened up. My coach breaks things down well and has a good understanding of hogu body protector sparring, which made the differe…

People describe Taekwondo as a workout but that undersells it. After 18 months your body moves differently. The dollyo-chagi roundhouse drills reshape how you use your hips, shoulders, and weight distribution in ways that carry into everything else you do. It's not just fitness — it's body literacy.…

I've been training Taekwondo for 6 months at a decent gym with good coaches. My back kick has improved significantly and I've developed a real understanding of hogu body protector sparring. how poomsae develops balance and body control has been a consistent positive. The one thing that has genuinel…

A friend dragged me to a Taekwondo trial class. I went to be polite. I was terrible. I went back because I couldn't stand being terrible at something. That was 15 months ago. The push kick I stumbled through in that first class is now something I teach to newer beginners. pattern memorisation has b…