What is taekwondo in surrey and delta?

What is Taekwondo in Surrey and Delta?

Taekwondo has a rich Korean history dating back over a thousand years. I outline the following about Taekwondo and its global expansion in 1955 and eventually reaching Surrey, Delta, New Westminster, Burnaby, and Vancouver in British Columbia during 1970's:

1.  Meaning of Taekwondo
2.  Basic techniques ranging from beginner to advanced belt levels
3.  Meaning of Taekwondo belt colors
4.  Founder of Taekwondo and key founding members 
5.  Practicality of Taekwondo for self defense
6.  Taekwondo philosophy
7.  State of Taekwondo in Surrey, BC and Delta, BC and Vancouver

     Taekwondo's creation originated from Korea.  In Korean, the word Tae Kwon Do is broken down into 3 words.  "Tae" means all forms of kicks.  This includes striking, sweeping, and utilizing kicks to block attacks.  "Kwon" means all forms of hand actions.  This includes striking, punching, chopping, blocking, and grabbing.  "Do" means the art or way of. So literally, Taekwondo translates into the art of kicking and punching; or Korean kickboxing.  Long before Taekwondo became an Olympic Sport, Taekwondo was a 50/50 blend of kicking and punching back in 1955; the time of its official creation in world's history as supported by Guiness Book of World's Records book.  Taekwondo is recognized as a strong self defense martial art; which was implemented into the Korean military's self defense curriculum. This was implemented into the Korea's naval, air force and ground branches. 

Taekwondo's basic kicks and hand strikes are as follows:

a.  Front kick - used for attacking primarily lower to mid areas for practical purposes in street combat.  Shins, groin, and abdomen were the primary target areas due to close proximity of strikes generating from hip region.
b.  Turning kick - used primarily for attacking opponent's side areas; including thighs, rib cage, and jaw areas. It is a circular kick in an approximate 180 degree motion range.
c.   Side kick - is a kick chambered 90 degrees from target and explodes in a linear motion towards the opponent like a missile. The taekwondo sidekick primarily aimed at abdomen, chest and face.  It is considered the strongest of the three basic kicks and is a formidable arsenal in a Taekwondo fighter's skill-sets.

Taekwondo belt color meanings:

The original belt color meanings were largely due in part to Grandmaster Jong Chan Kim.  He outlines how he chose colors to coincide with relative skill levels as a Taekwondo practitioner progressed.  Generally there are 10 levels from white belt to the first black belt.  Then, there are an additional 9 levels of black belts. 

White belt - represents innocence and a new beginning in Taekwondo.  It represents one who lacks knowledge and skill at the outset of their training.  It is a great starting point, when done properly, lays an important foundation to the Taekwondo house which will be built from it.

Yellow belt - represents this color to symbolize the yellow seed from which plants grow.  It is further laying down the important foundation from which a student will sprout further.

Green belt - represents as the seed is nurtured and grows  into a green plant where the stems and branches progress in it's taekwondo growth.  This growth  depends on the diligence of the student effort applied into the basics.

Blue belt - represents the plants growth reaching towards the sky in its inevitable desire for further growth in Taekwondo skills and moral culture development.

Red belt - designates the strong foundation from basic kicks and punch techniques.  A student is considered dangerous; a far cry from the innocence of a white belt.

Black belt - it is a dark color which represents not being so innocent anymore in regards to skill level and mental maturity.  Black is absorbed by most light and soaks in strong basic skillsets.

Black belt - In Korean, each black belt level is called "Dan" or degree black belt in western culture.  The first 4 black belt levels is modelled after the post secondary education system.  Once one achieves 4th Dan, it represents one who garners a university degree in said field.  Fifth to seventh dan symbolizes Master degree from university.  Ninth dan represents doctorate degree in Taekwondo.  Taekwondo only has a few handful of grandmasters who have achieved this highest level back in the early 1990's.  Not everyone can attain this coveted and esteemed belt ranking; though with due diligence, one can achieve 8th dan.  

      Founder of Taekwondo is Choi Hong-Hi. He was a great man who had incredible vision to create an effective self defense martial art!  In Korean culture, the last name is always prominent in the name's placement.  General Choi used his influence in the Korean military to put a strong foothold in expanding Taekwondo to the Korean peninsula.  Grandmaster Jong Kim aided General Choi in the expansion Taekwondo on a global scale.  

      Grandmaster Jong Kim pioneered Taekwondo into Korea, Malaysia, and then eventually settling in Canada.  Grandmaster Jong Kim played a pivotal role in further expansion of Taekwondo to Scotland and South American countries.  He is considered a World Famous Taekwondo Grandmaster.  He played a pivotal role in passing on his wisdom and  moral culture to his two sons, Edward and Richard Kim; both whom instruct the family Taekwondo schools in Newton and Guildford ; located in Surrey, BC.  

       When Grandmaster Jong Kim settled in Vancouver in mid 1970's, he quickly grew into over 8 branch taekwondo schools.  Grandmaster Kim held Vancouver's First inter-continental World Taekwondo Championships at the then famous PNE Colosseum; which then housed our beloved Vancouver Canucks during their run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  His first Taekwondo school was in New Westminster on Columbia Street; across from the Army & Navy Store.  He then opened up a Taekwondo school in Surrey, BC because he saw the great potential in Surrey as becoming a metropolis city in the future.  Since Grandmaster Jong Chan Kim introduced Taekwondo into BC, Taekwondo is now one of the most popular martial arts in Surrey, Delta, Vancouver and beyond.   This is the vision he had in Taekwondo's propagation in our beloved province of BC!   

Taekwondo philosophy and moral culture:

    Why is Taekwondo so beloved across the world?  Sure, the exciting aerial kicks garnered the world's attention when Taekwondo was first introduced at the Korean 1988 Seoul Olympics!  This was such a proud moment for all Koreans residing across the world; myself included! 
      In my mind, what really separates Taekwondo from many different martial arts such as karate, kungfu, taichi, kickboxing, boxing, is that Taekwondo is founded on a strong moral culture in Surrey, BC and Delta, BC!  I believe Vancouver's parents love Taekwondo for their kids because it incorporates character traits necessary to improve the bond of a family unit.  Taekwondo at Jong Kim Martial Arts in Surrey emphasizes respect for parents, perseverance during challenging times, excelling beyond one's thought potential, and raising the positive outlook on life through honest hard work.  This is what my father taught us as kids and he laid an important foundation to my upbringing during my formative years; similar to how I wish to pass this crucial element to my own students today!  Surrey and Delta is in dire need of returning back to the key fundamentals of moral culture and it's definite importance to the bettering of society as a whole, in my opinion.  At Jong Kim Martial Arts in Surrey, we work with parents to bring out the very best in every child so that some of the load may be off the shoulders of parents during these challenging times of trying to raise a successful child into adulthood; a life filled with honesty, perseverance, humility, and kindness.  This is how my father and my master in Taekwondo has raised me.  I am truly thankful to him.  He didn't give me a car or a home; but he gave me the greatest gift of all!  My father Jong Kim, my dad, gave me a foundation of humility, honesty, caring, and kindness!  This is the billion dollar gift he gave me!  Taekwondo, in turn, can provide a child with the most valuable thing on this earth! 

       If you wish you child to experience what I was so fortunate to live through my father's careful guidance through Taekwondo, feel free to try out a free Taekwondo class in Surrey or Delta area.  You can register for free class on our website or feel free to personally contact me at 604-590-1000. 

sincerely,
Edward Kim
8th Dan

Jong Kim Martial Arts - Surrey - Taekwondo
Unit 136 - 7536 130 Street,
Surrey, BC,
V3W 1H8.
604-590-1000











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