Technical English language

A People take up Taekwondo for a variety of reasons.
B You should be careful when you are deciding where to learn it.
C Some people are changing to Taekwondo from another martial art.
D The colour for each grade has its own particular meaning.
E All students promise never to misuse what they learn.
F It is a safe activity if you take plenty of care.
G We are not certain where the art of self-defence began.
H It is a unique and increasingly popular activity.

Taking up Taekwondo

0

H

1

Taekwondo is the Korean name for the ‘art of foot and hand fighting’. There is no other martial art style like it and none is so enjoyable in its freedom of expression. Jumping and spinning in the air and striking out with hands and feet are its special characteristics. These can be wonderful to perform and great to watch. Today there are more than twenty million practitioners of Taekwondo and the numbers are growing quickly.

The history of the martial arts is the subject of much discussion and there are many theories concerning its origin. China, Japan, Korea and India all have strong claims to the beginnings of unarmed combat, while fighting skills were a natural development throughout the world for self-protection. Taekwondo itself began in Korea, a country which has a tradition of martial arts that goes back to more than two thousand years.

2

If you have visited a traditional Karate class and found it too formal or even military in its approach, you will recognize that Taekwondo is more modern in the way things are done. None of the politeness or discipline you would expect in a martial arts club is missing, but there is an air of enjoyment. Many people who previously did Karate are now training in Taekwondo as it is in many ways more progressive, more dynamic, more exciting and more entertaining.

3

Beginners are often attracted by what is an enjoyable, physical form of recreation with the added benefit of self-defence and increased self-confidence. For some the fascination of learning techniques and performing them to exacting standards, combined with a high level of fitness, speed and strength, may be what appeals. Others enjoy being a part of a disciplined group of people of both sexes, of all ages and from many different backgrounds who can work together and help achieve their aims. It is not unusual to find a 12-year-old girl or a seventy-year old man wearing a Black Belt.

4

To reach that level takes years of hard work. Your first belt is white, which shows the innocence of the student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwondo. If you pass your first grading exam, you receive a yellow belt. This represents the Earth, where a plant takes root as the Taekwondo foundation is being laid. The next grade is green, symbolizing the plant’s growth as skills begin to develop. This is followed by blue: the plant is now maturing and growing towards heaven as training progresses. Then comes red, meaning danger, cautioning self-control to the student and warning the opponent to stay away. Finally, there is black, meaning maturity and proficiency in Taekwondo. It also indicates the wearer’s conquest of darkness and fear.

5

The first thing to learn, though, is that Taekwondo is a martial art to be practised with control. Careless practice or fooling around can lead to injury. Strict rules of conduct and close attention to them will help keep injuries to a minimum, particularly when you are training one-to-one with another student. In all combat situations like this you will have to wear thick gloves and padded boots to avoid damaging either yourself or your opponent, and – depending on the club you join – you may also need to wear a helmet and a chest protector.

6

In a good club there should be a feeling of friendliness. The pace may be fast and the training might be tough at times, but nobody should be getting hurt. Sit in on a class, see if people are enjoying themselves and have a look at who is there. If the club has been going for a few years there should be, apart from the instructor, some other high grades – Blue, Red and Black Belts – practising, because there is always more to learn. From Black Belt 1^st Dan you can go further still, possibly reaching 5^th, 6^th or even higher Dans after many years’ training.
3. You are going to read an article about a film. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-H the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).