taekwondo

Taekwondo is a martial art for self cultivation, which enables one to exert techniques
in the air, using bare hands and unmeasured speed and power, and to embody the
spiritual integration by means of cultivating spirit and energy to concentrate it on
one thing. One can also bring about the physical development through physical
motions during the practice of techniques, strengthen the spiritual power to control
the body with a strong will and perseverance, and enhance the sense of justice to
become a righteous man as a result of repeated self restraints following his or her
own judgement of situations and self determination.
However, one must establish a long range goal in practicing Taekwondo. Anything
that has no end is meaningless. Even in daily life, one feels contented when a man
has successfully fulfilled the day's work. So is the case with Taekwondo practice. One
must exert all his efforts to perform correct and powerful techniques, such as
punching, kicking, defending,etc., always keeping in mind his ultimate goal.
But, one must first have immediate targets for the training of Taekwondo
techniques. The immediate targets are the vital parts of the body, which sense pains
3
at a very slight impact on them because of the exposure of nerves under the skin
around them. The vital parts on the body, as possible target of attack, count
approximately 280. However, this book will illustrate 34 of them, dividing the human
body into 3 greater parts, i.e., head, trunk and lower part. The most important vital
parts of all are the philtrum in the head, the solar plexus in the trunk and the center
of abdomen in the lower part. In training Taekwondo techniques, one must have
before him an imaginary opponent of about the same stature with him or her to
practice delivering attacks against those three most important vital parts and
defending similar attacks from the imaginary opponent.