THE BENEFITS OF TAE KWON DO

Joseph G. Bonanno

Stress relief, strength training, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, setting goals, meeting goals and doing things that you never thought you could. All of those things are only a part of what Tae Kwon Do has done for me…and can do for you too! 

Whatever your source of stress may be, stress relief is something that everyone looks for today. Tae Kwon Do provides a source of stress relief by providing an environment where students can kick, punch and yell in a physically challenging yet controlled environment. How many times have you had days when at the end of the day you feel like screaming?  Like punching? Like kicking? Tae Kwon Do lets you do that, while developing physical skills and teaching self control, all at the same time. Ironically, Tae Kwon Do both relieves stress and teaches patience.

Ever look at bodybuilders and think to yourself what great strength they must have?   All of us have inner strength that far surpasses exterior muscular strength. In order to develop the stamina, discipline, speed, flexibility and accuracy that is needed to practice and improve in Tae Kwon Do, you will call upon an inner strength that you may not even know that you have to develop all of those attributes. Not only will your inner strength develop and surface, but you will also develop exterior strength and muscles of a different type from bodybuilders, a type that will always stay with you unlike the bodybuilders who lose their muscle if they stop lifting.  As long as you continue to practice Tae Kwon Do, your inner and exterior strength will always stay with you.

Did you think that aerobics, jogging or the treadmill provides you with the best cardiovascular exercise that you can get? I must admit that although those forms exercise provide you with a good cardio workout, nothing provides as good a cardiovascular endurance development as Tae Kwon Do. You learn to synchronize breathing with exertion, developing controlled breathing techniques that enhance cardiovascular endurance and physical performance.

Flexibility is something that I never had until about one-year into Tae Kwon Do. I still remember the feeling of reintroducing my fingertips to my toes when the first time since I was a kid; I was able to stretch enough to touch my fingers to my toes. That is only one form of flexibility that Tae Kwon Do has developed for me, there being many other forms of flexibility that I have developed that I did not even have when I was younger.

Goals. Set, meet and set new ones. Tae Kwon Do provides an opportunity for you to do that at every belt level. As the student advances, techniques and forms become more sophisticated. Whether it is forms, self-defense or one step sparring, what seems complicated the first time you see it becomes simple as you master it, building your skills and most importantly, your confidence.

As your confidence builds, you will do things that you never thought you could do. You will notice increase is strength, flexibility, understanding and mastering techniques as well as improved performance through higher kicks, increased endurance and speed.  And as you advance, you will want to assist those just beginning, in order to help advance your fellow student.

The true spirit of Tae Kwon Do provides the student with all of the above benefits in exchange for work, dedication and commitment to learning. My experience has been nothing but positive and will continue to be nothing but positive in the future.