Learning Taekwondo and accelerating your journey to black belt is a lot simpler than you thought. In fact, the text book of the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Korea says just 14 moves are the foundation of Taekwondo. Even better, most of these moves are simple to learn!
And I’m going to making it EVEN SIMPLER. Some of the 14 movements are repeats. So I’m going to cut down these moves to just 10 techniques. The simpler the better, right?
So if you want to learn Taekwondo AND get good at it faster — put special emphasis on these techniques in your practice.
(PSSST — Mastering movement #7 will make you the envy of ALL your peers.)
14 10 Basic Taekwondo Movements
Taekwondo Group 1
Straight Punch. The fist starts from a chamber on the hip, and is then thrust straight forward. Impact is made on the two big knuckles. According to the 14 basics, it should be performed from the horse stance and front stance. (All of these punch combinations make up 3 of the original 14 movements.)
Low block. This is the first block you learn in Taekwondo. Put your fist to your opposite shoulder, then sweep it downward in front of the pelvis, stopping on or just bast the same-side leg of the blocking arm.
Front Kick. The front kick is the foundation of every kick in Taekwondo. Just about every kick begins with the front kick chamber. All the major kicking principles are learned here. (Also, don’t discount it as an effective self-defense tool!)
Taekwondo Group 2
Knife Hand Strike. Yep, this is the karate chop. It can be down towards the outside, with the palm facing down. Or it can be done towards the inside, with the palm facing up. You make impact on the “meat” or “knife” of the hand. Usually targets the trachea, side of the neck, or temple.
Back Fist Strike. Bruce Lee loved it. It’s quick and it works. It can be an outward movement to the head, or flipping movement to the philtrum beneath the nose.
Inside block. An inward sweeping motion to protect the body by hitting attacks off to the side.
Side Kick. The staple of Taekwondo. People will judge your overall ability in Taekwondo based on this ONE kick. Performed off the back leg, as a “simple” forward kick, the side kick requires you to bring the leg all the way to your side, then to thrust it straight forward. (While most of the other moves are easy, this one can be a challenge!)
Taekwondo Group 3
Hand-blade / Double Forearm Block. An iceberg of a technique, and quite often misunderstood. One hand blocks while the other is ready — actually, in transition — for a follow-up strike. It can be used as a fighting guard as well as a block.
Face Block. Shoot your arm up at and angle, stopping it just over your brow. It should look like a roof or a church steeple. This makes strikes glance off and protects your head. Good for weapon defense.
Round Kick. Arguably the most popular kick of all martial arts. Very quick and super useful in sparring. Taekwondo has a unique method of executing the round kick.
Boiled Down:
Learning and mastering Taekwondo is way simpler than you might think. Emphasize these 14 moves while you practice, and you’ll reach your black belt in no time. Even better, you’ll get good at Taekwondo FAST. To review, these are the moves you need to focus on:
Straight Punch
Low Block
Front Kick
Knife Hand Strikes
Back Fists
Inside Block
Side Kick
Double Forearm Block
Face Block
Round Kick
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