Taekwon-do is the scientific use of the body in the method of self defence.  A body that has gained the ultimate use of its facilities through intensive physical and mental training.

Translated from Korean, "TAE" literally means to jump, kick or smash with the foot, "KWON" means to punch or destroy with the hand or fist and "DO" means art, way or method.  Therefore Taekwon-Do means foot, hand, way.

Korean martial arts began more than 2000 years ago and have evolved into what we now know as Taekwon-Do.

Today, Taekwon-Do has many followers throughout the world.  It is considered to be one of the most effective forms of self defence and is also a highly effective way of providing mental and physical self development.

To the practitioner, Taekwon-Do is more than just a set of physical exercises.  It is more a way of life, utilizing the tenets of Taekwon-Do.  These tenets help the student to cope with the stress and pressures of everyday life, as well as developing a noble moral code.

All 24 Patterns, their descriptions, diagrams and complete breakdown of all moves are listed here, see the buttons on the left for more information.

For any questions on particular moves etc, please use the Technical Support page.

The best defence is awareness.  That is, to be keen enough to avoid any type of confrontation.

With this in mind you should have already trained yourself to be somewhat aware of your surroundings at all times.

However, although you can learn many self defence techniques in a relatively short period of time, the key to utilising them comes from your state of mind.

Confidence, calmness and clarity are essential elements in successful self protection.

To achieve the correct state of mind takes time and practice.  For this, a balance of constant training is necessary.  By continually training, your technique becomes better and in turn your confidence and ability will rise.

Dedicated training provides both the techniques to defend and the state of mind to properly execute them.

These are the keys to self defence.

This section is for those of you that would like to learn more of the history of Taekwon-Do.

None of the information shown here is required for your grading, it is only for your interest.

If you need information for your grading, please refer to your P.U.M.A. handbook or use the Technical Support page.

We hope you enjoy reading a little about the history of your art.

See the buttons on the left for more information.