When you start learning the Korean self-defence martial art of Taekwondo, it can be hard to see yourself attaining that desired black belt. It just seems so far away as you struggle to grasp the basic concepts of the techniques that you need to know and learn. In fact there is so much to take in, that it is hard to see yourself reaching your first grading let alone your black belt grading.

Just because there is a lot for a Tae Kwon Do student to learn, it does not mean that the goal of becoming a black belt in Taekwondo is unattainable. A committed and dedicated student can progress through the colour belt grades to reach their black belt grading. It will take a lot of training, hard work, dedication, sheer grit and passion. With the combination of these different factors it is entirely possible for every white belt student to develop and become a black belt in Taekwondo.

There is almost an unwritten rule in Taekwondo that students who have already taken part in a black belt grading do not share the knowledge of what happens with those who are yet to participate in one. Part of taking this grading is to make sure you are prepared for every eventuality – and to be honest, previous students had no clue about what would happen, so why should they pass on any tips for the grading? As such until a Taekwondo student has taken their first black belt grading examination (whether they manage to pass or not) they do not have any idea what to expect when they enter that grading dojang (grading hall).

When you enter the grading dojang for the first time as a black tag student you will be full of anticipation and most likely also wracked with nerves. You will not know exactly what you will face and what you will need to do to successfully to pass your grading until the grading examiner tells you what to do. I have no intention of giving away anything here, but I will provide you with a few pointers about the different elements which will be involved in a Taekwondo black belt grading.

No black belt grading is the same as the next one. There are always differences. Generally though, there are certain areas that will always be tested. Each student will need to perform patterns from a variety of grades – including those designated for a black belt grading. Both free sparring and set sparring (a set sequence of attack and defence movements between two Taekwondo students) will be undertaken. The student’s ability to break wood, using both hand and foot techniques, is considered. Finally their knowledge of Korean terminology will be tested.

No student knows which patterns, sparring, breaking or terminology they will be tested on. The only sure-fire way to pass your Taekwondo black belt grading is to ensure you are both physically and mentally prepared. If you are not you will not pass.

Nicola’s website, Taekwondo Kicks, provides a comprehensive guide to all things Taekwondo. Nikki has developed the website based on her own personal experiences from studying and practising Taekwondo and wanted to share her knowledge with the world.

With information on a variety of different areas including patterns, terminology, stances and the history of Taekwondo, why not visit Taekwondo Kicks to see how it can help you and your knowledge of Taekwondo.

You can learn a few of the basic taekwondo techniques for defending yourself. This martial art self defense principle called hosinul uses punches, kicks and pressure point knowledge to teach you elf defense. The moves are designed to stop and cause injury to an assailant so you can away if being attacked.

All of the martial arts teach self defense as a basic principle. With taekwondo techniques you are taught to protect yourself from attacks that come from every angle, and armed attackers. With so many people looking for a reason to get fights caught on tape, knowing these techniques can keep you safe from these predators.

Taekwondo techniques include the use of pressure points. You will learn to apply pressure to certain area of the body that is extremely sensitive to pain or a reflex action. When these area are kicked or punched they could stop or severely injure attacker.

A few of the pressure points used in taekwondo techniques are the ears, eyes and nose. You will learn that it does not take very much pressure to stop someone when you need to. You will be taught to remember that your attacker does not care about your safety or your life, and you may need to do whatever it takes to get away safely.

The throat is one pressure point that you should never forget, you will learn this with taekwondo techniques. This pressure point is located at the base of the throat close to the chest, it is the hollow area and it is very sensitive. One punch or enough pressure to this area and your attacker will not be able to breathe, if the hit is hard enough you could rupture their trachea, in either case, they will go down and you can get away.

To be aware of your surrounding is the best self defense. I found out the hard way that you should never park next to a van, or if you return to your car and a van is next to you, get in on the passenger side of the car. I was coming out of a store and I had a lot of bags with me, I was starting to load the car when I turned back to the cart someone from the van grabbed me.

I was lucky that I knew of the basic taekwondo techniques. As soon as I was grabbed I punched the guy right in the hollow area of the throat. They quickly went down and as they did, I used my knee to hit them again. I got in my car as fast as I could and found security. Only knowing those few taekwondo techniques saved my life and they will save yours too if you ever need them.

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When I first began training in Taekwondo I could not really imagine reaching a level where I would be trusted to teach others the different elements of this Korean martial art. But I soon learnt that anyone who does Tae Kwon Do can teach anyone else something about it. If they are a lower grade then you, then you can teach them even more.

As you progress through the grades and reach black belt status it is not unusual for the class instructor to give his or her black belt students more responsibility in regards to looking after the rest of the class and the colour grades. This is when you can really test a student’s ability with his or her martial art skills. If you want to teach and demonstrate to other students you must know and be able to perform the technique yourself. This is why many of the best students of Taekwondo are also those who teach it to other people. Teaching takes you to a new level.

I never dreamt of teaching other people Tae Kwon Do, but I did enjoy my martial art, so when I was asked by my instructor to teach others at my club I thought I would give it a go. And to my surprise I really did enjoy the responsibility of teaching Taekwondo to other students who were as eager and enjoyed it as much as I did.

I took my responsibility seriously. I prepared the night before my sessions and knew exactly what I would be teaching my group of students. One of my favourite parts was teaching the group patterns and to have them ask questions as they tried to understand the different elements and how it all came together.

I found teaching Taekwondo so much more fulfilling then I had expected. But despite this I decided that I would not be opening up my own club, which surprised some people. I enjoyed teaching and passing on my knowledge. However, opening up your own club comes with a lot of extra responsibility. There is much to do behind the scenes. I am sure that I would have learnt how to do the administration side. The main issue for me though was the time involved. To run a club you need to commit to attend and teach at all the weekly sessions. Due to the nature of my job I could not guarantee that I would be available for these. So instead I thrived at being an assistant instructor, aiding and giving back to the Taekwondo students this way.

Nicola’s website, Taekwondo Kicks, provides a comprehensive guide to all things Taekwondo. Nikki has developed the website based on her own personal experiences from studying and practising Taekwondo and wanted to share her knowledge with the world.

With information on a variety of different areas including patterns, terminology, stances and the history of Taekwondo, why not visit Taekwondo Kicks to see how it can help you and your knowledge of Taekwondo.