Taekwondo, often known as TKD, is one of the most well-known forms of martial art, and since the year 2000, it has been included in the Olympic Games.
However, although it is a very well-known combat sport, there are many misconceptions and confusion around this fighting style, especially when it comes to explaining how kicking works in this fighting style.
Students in Taekwondo learn not only how to kick, but also how to punch and use their hands to hit their opponents.
The inventors of taekwondo, however, had the belief that the legs are a longer and more powerful weapon than the hands, which is why the training for taekwondo places a significant focus on leg kicks.
This is the primary reason why persons trained in Taekwondo utilize considerably more leg strikes, and this is also the main reason why so many people have the incorrect idea that this Korean art is all about the kicks.
If you are interested in learning taekwondo, or just want to find out more about this sport, then keep reading to learn all about the part that kicks play in this fighting style.
Can You Do Low Kicks In Taekwondo?
Students of Taekwondo learn how to hit with a wide variety of kicks, including some that are directed below the waist.
However, this only occurs while they are practicing self-defense exercises, as they are not permitted to utilize low kicks during actual competitions.
According to the regulations, the only parts of the body that can be kicked by competitors are those that are located above the waist, including the ribs, the torso, and the head.
Taekwondo’s repertoire of low kicks includes a wide variety of side kicks, front kicks, and roundhouse kicks.
The primary objective is to acquire the skills necessary to hurl these kicks rapidly, from a variety of angles, and with a great deal of force to cause your opponent to lose their balance.
Students learn everything there is to know about hip rotation, balance, and how to create enormous force in a kick, which, when performed incorrectly, may result in severe injuries or even fractures.
For instance, the same low kicking tactics that were used in the past have evolved into one of the primary weapons used in current MMA fighting.
UFC competitors use low kicks in every match, with many of these kicks winning the match for the fighter if they can land them on their opponent correctly.
What Are The Different Kinds Of Taekwondo Kicks?
Taekwondo is a martial art that largely concentrates on leg strikes, so the practice of Taekwondo entails hundreds of different types of spinning, leaping, and other kicks.
Below are the many categories of kicks that Taekwondo students learn, but these themselves can be split up into subcategories because there are just so many kicking styles in this sport.
A front kick – also known as an ap chagi, is a front snap kick or a front thrust kick.
A side kick (yeop chagi) – includes flying, leaping, skipping, and spinning side kicks
The hook kick (huryeo chagi) – is also known as the back hook kick or the step to the rear hook kick.
Axe kick (naeryeo chagi) – includes a jumping kick, skipping kick, and front leg axe kick
Bakkat Chagi (crescent kick) – includes inner and outer crescent kicks
Jump Kicks (ttwieo chagi)
Kicks in the Air (mondollyo chagi)
Roundhouse kick (dollyo chagi)
Back kick (dwit chagi)
Spin kicks
Is Kicking the Main Focus of Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is not only about kicking; rather, it is a diverse martial art that incorporates a variety of skills.
According to the curriculum, students are taught how to do knee and elbow strikes, throw punches, and even how to wrestle and fight while on the ground.
However, leg strikes are regarded as the most powerful weapon students can employ during a conflict, and as such, the majority of schools place a significant amount of focus on them.
Kicking In Competition
When it comes to how competitors get points in a TKD tournament, the regulations that govern the different styles are essentially the same.
Leg strikes are worth the most points in a fight as they’re worth twice as many points as punches.
For instance, a punch to the chest is for one point, whereas a kick is worth either two or four points.
While fists to the head are not permitted under any circumstances, kicks to the head can get you anywhere from a three to a five, depending on the level of technique involved.
Because of this, the majority of taekwondo schools that want to train their pupils for competition emphasize leg strikes.
Because of the intense level of competition, schools are, in some senses, voluntarily ignoring other parts of the art.
How Powerful Is A Taekwondo Kick?
According to the findings of research that was carried out by National Geographic, a skilled Taekwondo athlete is capable of delivering a kick that has a range of around 136 miles (220 kilometers) and a force of 2,292 pounds (1040 kilograms) when it strikes its intended target.
The findings of this research also demonstrated that practitioners of Taekwondo are capable of delivering the swiftest and most powerful kicks when compared to fighters of other forms of martial arts.
When compared to other fighting styles that emphasize kicks, such as Muay Thai, Karate, and Capoeira (Find out What Is A Capoeira Kick? (And How To Do One!) here), both the force and speed are significantly greater (99mph; 1800 pounds) .
Kids kick with about half as much force as adults, which is around 600 pounds, but the ordinary adult who has not been trained in martial arts is capable of generating over 1000 pounds of force in a single kick.
Summary
As Taekwondo is a sport that revolves around kicking, you can execute low kicks in this sport.
However, this is only typically done in training, as in competition competitions are only allowed to kick above the waist of their opponent.
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