Foundations of Traditional Taekwondo - Basic Techniques

This is the final post in my series on the Foundations of Taekwondo training. I listed them as basic techniques, poomsae, sparring, self-defence and breaking. These are what I believe are part of traditional Taekwondo training. I have gone into detail about most of them but I have left basic techniques till last and I have done this on purpose.

The word basic implies that these techniques are something for beginners and that once it is mastered it can be forgotten in favour of something more advanced. This can’t be further from the truth. These moves are fundamental to all of our training. Without these basic techniques, all the other aspects of Taekwondo I have been talking about are irrelevant. In many respects, the other components,

poomsae, sparring, breaking and self-defence are like the walls of the house and the true foundation of Taekwondo, the thing the walls are built on, are our basic techniques.

If our foundation is weak, if our basic techniques are not continuously practised then like a house built on sand, all our work will be swept away when we need it to stand strong.

Everything we do in Taekwondo whether it is for sport, self-defence, combat, health etc, is done by performing basic techniques. If you are sparring you are using basic techniques against an opponent, if you are performing patterns then you are using basic techniques. If you are doing self-defence against an attacker then you are using basic techniques in a practical way. So what exactly is basic techniques? The most common way of defining basic techniques are:

• Blocking techniques (Makki)
• Punching techniques (Jirruegi)
• Strike techniques (Chigi)
• Kicking techniques (Chagi)

And that’s it. This is also the basis of all the "official" or basic interpretation of poomsae application since all techniques must be in one of these categories. Each category can be subdivided of course. Blocking techniques (Makki) can be divided into upper section, middle section, and low section blocks. And these can be divided into even smaller subgroups. I will not delve into every grouping as that would make for too long a post.

Traditional taekwondo schools see that these fundamental movements need to be practiced in isolation so that each movement can be perfected with perfect form, speed, power and accuracy. This is often done with line work. Either moving backwards or forwards through the hall against an imaginary opponent or stationary. I am sure you agree that good basic techniques should contain with all the attributes above, but if you think about it you will notice that "line work" will only get you so far in terms of perfect form, but what about power, speed and accuracy?

The early masters of Taekwondo used several training aids to help them to perfect their techniques and one of the most important ones was the "Dallyon Joo" or "forging post" in English. It was essentially what the Japanese called Makkiwara and it is a striking post with a padded surface. All the "blocks", kicks and punches was trained by relentlessly pounding the Dallyon Joo over and over again. Impact training and conditioning was seen as very important maybe just as important as line work, and a great deal of time was used to train each technique so that it could be used with great power in a combative context. Modern clubs have replaced this device with block pads and punching bags and these all have their place and can help with generating power. Some clubs develop conditioning as well using other methods but the Dallyon Joo was essential for the original martial art that became today's Taekwondo.

The Dallyon Joo was not the only training aid as power and speed was seen as important but accuracy too was seen as paramount. Accuracy is the most important thing in a martial art. In a real fight you might only get one chance to strike your opponent and you need to put him down with that one technique. Historically, early masters of Taekwondo trained for this using different training aids like removing their shoes to kick them while their partners held them in their hands, like we use paddles today or hitting a small target (for example a nut) tied so that it floated at chest height or so above the floor (connected to the ceiling by a string) and kicking/punching it without stopping trying to hit it as it bobbed and weaved.

Another but largely overlooked part of basic training is the health aspect. The techniques of Taekwondo if done correctly does improve health. The stances strengthens the legs, the hip twist for power generation trains the hips, and lower back, the pulling hand tightens up your back muscles, the high kicks improve range of motion etc. Coupled with proper breathing training the fundamental movements of Taekwondo is great for your body.

Basic techniques are the fundamental in Taekwondo and are something all martial artists should be practising again and again. Always go back and re learn the basics, your skills will improve vastly if you do.

Mark Underwood

Mark is a 4th Dan Master in both Taekwondo and Haidong Gumdo (Korean swords). He has also trained in other styles of martial arts. He is currently the owner and head instructor for Zone Martial Arts in Sydney, Australia.