Classes
Forms (Poomsae)
Forms are the essence of art in Tae Kwon Do. Forms practice provides the unique medium of self-expression for each student. The forms may be practiced for the remainder of one’s life, continuing to offer glimpses of the possibility of perfection to the dedicated student. A hung, or “body poem”, is a prescribed set of blocks, punches and kicks which each student learns at a particular point in his training. As they progress in their training to higher dan rankings, they will continue to learn more difficult forms. Even after decades of training, however, a serious Tae Kwon Do student will continue to practice not only the most advanced of forms but also the early forms as well. At Double Dragon, we insure that our students are well prepared in learning the proper forms governed by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation.
Sparring (Kyorogi):
The purpose of sparring is to practice the kicks and techniques learned during class, as well as learning to develop and demonstrate control. It also helps develop one’s reflexes, timing and judgement. For this reason, great care is taken in the beginning to keep the sparring safe by spending time with the students to learn rules, etiquette, control, strategy, footwork and other elements of good sparring. With careful instruction it is not necessary to have injuries and still have the benefits of increased self-confidence and improved skill.
Self Defense (Hosinsul)
Hosinsul is one of the four principles of Tae Kwon Do. Although Tae Kwon Do is a “self defense” sport in itself, it focuses on high and spinning kicks, which are not very suitable for real life (street) application. Hosinsul is a mixture of all kinds of techniques, including grappling and locks as well as defending against armed attackers etc. Self-defense is something that cannot be practiced alone. You will need a partner that has equal strength. You will learn how to react (and how not to react), proper freeing techniques, locks and strangling techniques.
Weapons - Bo Staff
Bo Staffs or “Bong” in Korean are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by man. The basic premise of the Bong is to increase the force delivered in a strike through leverage. The Bong can also be used to thrust, basically letting you punch from long distance. Thrusting, swinging, and striking techniques often resemble empty-hand movements, following the philosophy that the Bong is merely an “extension of one’s limbs.” The Bong is a weapon mainly used for self-defense, and can be used to execute several blocks and parries as well. Martial arts techniques, such as kicks and blocks, are also often combined with the weapon techniques when practicing this martial art. This is probably one of the first weapons that mankind used to defend or hunt. The techniques and method taught at Double Dragon is that of the old traditional Korean style.
Weapons - Nunchaku
In Korean, “ssangjulbong” or nunchaku consists of many different techniques. Although it may cause injury to an inexperienced user, the nunchaku is a very effective close-range weapon. When used in combat the nunchaku provides the obvious advantage of an increase in the reach of one’s strike. Somewhat difficult to control, the rope or chain joint of the nunchaku adds the benefit of striking from unexpected angles. Practitioners of the flashier styles contend that the motion of the nunchaku is often found distracting by opponents, who may have trouble keeping up with the nunchaku’s rapid movement. Various mixtures of techniques are taught to students at Double Dragon in order to insure that at student has significant training in this weapon.