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| The Difference between Taekwondo and Other Martial Arts |
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Taekwondo is a relatively new fighting style, and originated in Korea. Most martial arts forms originated in China. Karate originated in Japan, and is widely practiced in North America and around the world, while Kung-fu is probably the most widely practiced of the Chinese fighting arts. Both Karate and Kung-fu use both their hands and feet in about equal balance. Normally, you could expect to see about 60% of the strikes in either martial art being a punch, and the other 40% being used in kicks. Taekwondo on the other hand, uses about 80% of their strikes as kicks. Taekwondo was built around the theory that a person’s legs are far more powerful than their arms, and can deliver blows that are both more powerful and come from a distance, minimizing the chance of retaliation. Taekwondo also uses higher kicks to the head as well as flying kicks, where the practitioner is actually airborne, than either Kung-fu or Karate or most other martial arts for that matter. While emphasis is put on flexibility in all martial arts forms, it’s absolutely essential to be flexible if one wants to learn the high kicks that Taekwondo has to offer. If you’re looking to take up martial arts, Taekwondo is a good choice. It offers the practitioner unparallel kicking skills, and puts real emphasis on cardio work and endurance, which is good for anyone looking to stay in shape or lose weight. Another advantage is that since Taekwondo is so widely practiced, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a school near you. On top of that, you’ll have more choice when it comes to which school you’d like to go to.
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