Why Choose Taekwondo? First...What is Taekwondo? Taekwondo Origins In every ancient culture a form of martial arts was developed as a way to train soldiers and armies. The Korean Peninsula was no different, and there were three kingdoms that developed martial arts that they used to compete sometimes friendly in competitions and sometimes in violent struggle, the Koguryo, the Paekje, and Silla. Over time as the Korean civilizations developed, they began using martial arts in competition to see which Kingdom had the 'best fighters'. These competitions were known as subakhui, and were very popular until the advent of the gunpowder age, when hand to hand combat training was becoming less and less popular. The martial arts of Korea were very fragmented and had no official system of unified martial arts, with a ruling body and standards for training, however the Korean martial arts began to become unified when the Japanese invaded Korea continualy from 1592 to 1598. Eventually, the subahui contests lost backing from the govenment ruling Korea. When the Japanese invaded in 1592 however, the government heavily ramped up the amount of military training and in turn increased the training of soldiers in martial arts. Subsequently, at the time a book called Muyedobo-tongji was published, which contained an illustrated collection of 38 motions, many of which are exactly the same as basic movements in modern-day Taekwondo. When Japan established Korea as a colony, it prohibited study and practice of Korean martial arts, however was kept alive by a network of underground masters who surreptitiously practiced the art until Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945. This art was formalized by the underground movement, and was called taekkyondo of taekwondo. This art was eventually adopted as the Korean national sport and a governing body, the Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation were established in 1972 as the foremost authority on Taekwondo. Overview The meaning of the Korean word Taekwondo is perhaps the best way to describe Taekwondo in one sentence. "Tae" means to strike or kick, "Kwon" means to punch or strike with the fist, and "Do" means the way or art of. So essentially, Taekwondo is the art of kicking and punching. As Taekwondo has very ancient roots in Korean martial arts however, kicks and punches are not the only combat techniques learned. Throws, takedowns, and self-defense are an integral part of a holistic Taekwondo curriculum. Finally, Taekwondo is the world's most widely practiced martial art, and along with Judo, is one of two martial arts to be an Olympic Medal sport. So why should you enroll at Ahn Taekwondo? Ahn Taekwondo Institute Physical Benefits Mental Benefits Experience and Flexibility The Family First and foremost, Taekwondo is a martial art. At Ahn's you will learn the kicks, punches, locks, throws, and escapes, and over time you will learn the art of self-defense. This is not the only physical feat you will learn however. You will get in great shape, through drills, games, stretching, conditioning, and hard work. However the physical benefits of a great workout and a knowledge of self defense are nothing without the enoumous mental benefits studying Taekwondo brings... Respect Discipline Confidence An underlying principle of Taekwondo is respect. When you study Taekwondo, essentially you are studying how to be an effective warrior. To do this however, you must train with other people. You cannot start random fights, disobey a command given by an instructor, or damage training equiptment. To ensure safety at the school, we teach you to respect your fellow students, senior students and instructors, your school, and most importantly, yourself. With your study of Taekwondo you learn discipline. We teach that you need to be disciplined in both your mind and body. We teach that violence is never appropriate, unless ALL options are exhausted. When we send students to compete we are not sending the angriest, meanest fighting machines, because competitions are meant to test skills, not to vent frustration. We teach students to be patient, and to persist in their training, and with that we will help you to become your best. There is no better example of absolute confidence than when you break your first board. We teach you to be so confident in both your body and skills, that when you thrust your leg through an inch of pine, your leg will travel all the way through the board and not stop upon impact. We teach you to stand in front of a class and lead warm-ups, no matter if you are six years old or sixty years old. We teach you that with teaching and hard work, you can win a gold medal in a sparring competition no matter if you are a white belt or a black belt. We help each person realize that no matter what their size, weight, or age, they are always good at some aspect of Taekwondo. We help you believe in your body, mind, and training. For over 50 years, we have been teaching Taekwondo in the Cincinnati region. We have internationally certified referees, teachers that continualy improve their skills through workshops not only around the continental United States, but also in Korea, and coaches who have trained winning athletes that compete on the local, state, and national levels. Grandmaster Ahn is an internationally recognized leader of Taekwondo, recognized for his enormous contribution to bringing the sport to the Olympics, and has taught over 1000 black belts and 50,000 students. Finally, we have a very flexible schedule. We know that life can get crazy and schedules do not always work out. We offer classes 6 days a week at various times to help fit your schedule. Additionally, we offer special seminars often to help you focus and learn intensely on one specific skill you would like to learn and sharpen. At Ahn's we do not believe in the 'black belt factory' method of teaching. Our black belts have genuinely earned their ranks, and have worked hard for their rank. We help to teach you based on your individual needs. We realize not all people have equal levels of flexibility and power and teach each person based on their own personal strengths. On your first day of class, you can expect no 'freshman hazing' or games targeted against white belts. When you join our school, at your first class you will be accepted and taught kindly and with passion. We care about you as a person, and genuinely want you to share in our passion for Taekwondo Finally, we offer more than simple Taekwondo instruction. Our Black Belt Society is a group of Black Belts that have formed a club to get together and plan and host events. Our Junior Black Belt Society is a group of younger black belts who do service projects, take special seminars, and host social events such as parties and bowling. Our sparring team trains, competes, and travels together to compete on the local and national level. Our Demonstration team offers a chance for you to showcase your skills no matter what your rank. We also offer parents' night's out, where parents can drop off their children and we have a fun night of games, food, and entertainment, ranging from dance parties to themed events such as 'Spy night' and 'Pirate night' When you join Ahn's, you become a part of the closely-knit Taekwondo family, who, as any good family would, look out for one another, and genuinely care for one another, and you get to meet fascinating new people from all walks of life, while studying a unique and enriching art. The choice now is yours... For the chance to learn Taekwondo in a fun, entertaining, enriching, setting, we would welcome you as a student at the Ahn Taekwondo Institute. We will help you to use your mind and body in ways you never imagined, and help you to become the best version of yourself. Please see www.ahntkd.com for more information on how to become a student at our school!