History of Taekwon-Do

The name 'Taekwon-Do was founded April 11, 1955 by General Choi Hong Hi.

The International Taekwon-Do Federation or (ITF) exists to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of Taekwon-Do. Its main functions are to coordinate and approve tournaments and seminars, setting standards for teaching, collaborating with affiliated member organizations, and servicing members in regards to rank and certifications.

The United States Taekwon-Do Federation (USTF) is headed by Grand Master Charles E. Sereff IX Dan. Headquarters are located in Broomfield, Colorado. The goal of the USTF is to continue to teach Taekwon Do as General Choi Hong Hi designed.

Blue Heron Taekwon-Do

It is the philosophy of Blue Heron Taekwon-Do to closely follow the Tenets of Taekwon-Do put forth by the General. These include: 

       COURTESTY

       INTEGRITY

       PERSERVERANCE

       SELF-CONTOL

       INDOMITABLE SPIRIT 

Our motto is “Humble, but assertive”. We promote humility in that we ask each student to be respectful and ready to learn from others, regardless of rank, age, physical ability, etc. We promote assertiveness in that we ask each student to express strength in their physical, mental, and emotional efforts in class.

What will I learn?

In addition to learning kicks, punches, blocks and dodges, there are the following areas of study:

Patterns or tuls in Korean, are considered by many to be one of the most important aspects of training in Taekwon-Do. The majority of the patterns start with a defensive move, which emphasizes Taekwondo's defensive nature. All of the patterns start and end at the same location. This ensures that the practitioners' stances are the correct length, width, and in the proper direction.

Sparring

ITF / USTF competition sparring rounds are 2 minutes. In national and international levels of competition they hold two rounds each 2 minutes with a one minute rest in between. Certain rules are no strikes below the belt, no hitting to the neck, no elbow strikes, no knee strikes, no out of control fighting, no falling down, no going outside of the ring. The ring is a 24 ft. x 24 ft. ring marked by square mats or tape. It has no sides allowing the fighter to move out of bounds. Whenever a fighter creates an infraction of the rules the center referee will issue a warning to the fighter who created the infraction. 3 warnings equals a minus point. If a fighter does not listen to the referees instruction he or she may be given a foul which is an automatic minus point and if the fighter continues to not listen they can be disqualified. ITF / USTF Taekwon-Do is fought in continuous point sparring. Four judges score the fights in each of the corners in the square ring. A  judge votes for the fighter who has the most points and a winner is declared.

Step Sparring – breaks down sparring and helps to train the student by improving:

       Accuracy

       Balance

       Control

       Distance

       Speed

Ho Sin Sul

Ho Sin Sul is the study of self defense. It involves releases, joint locks, joint attacks, and take downs.

Breaking is a skill that is used in competition, demonstration, and testing. Breaking is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects utilizing the proper weapon, power, and technique.

Ranks or Belt Levels

The ITF/USTF ranking system consists of six solid color belts; white, yellow, green, blue, red, and black.

• 10th gup (white)

• 9th gup (white with yellow stripe)

• 8th gup (yellow)

• 7th gup (yellow with green stripe)

• 6th gup (green)

• 5th gup (green with blue stripe)

• 4th gup (blue)

• 3rd gup (blue with red stripe)

• 2nd gup (red)

 U.S.T.F. Approved Gear and Equipment

Century Gear

Headgear – white black blue orange pink purple red yellow $34.99

Hands - $29.99

Feet - $29.99

Shins - $24.99

Mouth Guard & Case – $6.00

 Macho Warrior

(red, white, blue, silver)

Headgear - $43.99

Hands - $37.99

Feet - $37.99

Shins -$29.99

 Macho XP:

XP Headgear - $49.99

 We have updated Century Martial Arts catalogues available.

Annual USTF Membership is required before testing for Green Stripe. At the time of this publication the price for this is $55.00 a year for the first family member and $35.00 for each family member thereafter. ITF membership is optional.

Tests and Testing Fees

There will be a fee for each solid belt test. At the time of this publication the fee is $10.00. The student will be tested on the following requirements for each rank level:  

       Patterns

       Step sparring

       Self defense

       Hand and foot techniques

       Written test

       Board breaking 

Upon passing, the student will receive a Certificate and belt stripe or new color belt.

 Tournament Costs: determined per event

Rules and Regulations

All Blue Heron TKD students are expected to follow safety rules & TKD etiquette. Students can expect a safe and fun environment.

ü       When entering and leaving the Taekwon-Do School, a respectful bow to the Do-jang training area should be made. 

ü       Uniforms are to be cleaned and orderly at all times. 

ü       T-shirts under uniforms are allowed and must be white.

ü       No jewelry to be worn during TKD functions.

ü       The traditional Taekwon-Do protocol emphasizes order and concentration.

ü       Respect is shown at all times toward the instructor and other students.

ü       In addressing an instructor or a Black Belt, always address the person respectfully.  If the instructor or a Black Belt addresses a student or issues a class command, the student will respond “Yes Sir” or “Yes Ma’am”

ü       Drinks and food are not allowed in the school without permission, with the exception of bottled water.

ü        Wearing street shoes or socks in class is prohibited.  Appropriate Taekwon-Do shoes are permitted.

ü        Students must help keep the Do-Jang (Taekwon-Do School) clean.

ü        NO inappropriate language will be tolerated.

Frequently Asked Questions

       Do I have to join the USTF? Joining the USTF can wait just before testing for green stripe. At that point it is mandatory. Joining the ITF is optional.

       Can white belts spar? The instructor will determine when the white belt is ready to spar during class. White belts can spar and compete in patterns at tournaments. Tournament competition is not required until Blue Belt.

       What gear do I have to have to spar? Minimum gear for sparring at Tournament includes: head gear, mouth guard, hand & feet protection, and a cup (for males).

       Where are the Tournaments? Most of the Tournaments are in the Portland or Washington areas.

       Am I too old to start Taekwon-Do? Taekwon-Do does have to do with self defense, but it is much more than that. It provides a great opportunity for physical health and overall well being at any age. Even though TKD may challenge your present fitness level, we teach each student to be mindful of safety and to work at their own pace.

       Do I have to wear a Uniform? Approved USTF uniforms are required after the first test and if the student desires to participate in any USTF Tournament.

SAFETY IS KEY!

1.       There are inherent risks in any activity, including Taekwon-Do.

2.       If you have previous injuries or physical limitations it does not mean that you can not practice Taekwon-Do. It does mean that you have to carefully follow your doctor’s recommendations for movement and activities. We ask that you inform you instructor of your limitations so that we may facilitate the safest modification for you.

3.       You must carry your own health insurance.

4.       We ask that you follow all instructions carefully to minimize safety risks.

5.       We want to be clear that ultimately YOU are responsible for your own safety. Then you may enjoy a safe and FUN environment.

Beginning Knowledge

Testing Requirements for 9^th Gup Yellow Stripe

v      New Patterns:

Four Direction punch

Four Direction block  

v      New Kicks:

Front snap kick

Side front snap kick

v      New Hand Techniques:

Front punch with the fore fist

Side block with the inner forearm

Low block with the outer forearm

Low block with the knife-hand

v      Step Sparring:

     Beginning 3-step sparring

v      Ho Sin Sul:

Two different releases from a straight grab to the wrist

Two different releases from a cross grab to the wrist

v      The Meaning of White Belt:

White signifies innocence as that of the beginning student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwon-Do.

v      Counting to Ten in Korean:

v      Taekwon-Do Color Belt System:

v      New Stances

Attention Stance

Parallel Ready Stance