Taekwondo techniques vary between most schools and level and not all techniques are included. Techniques often combined into shorter set (Hyeong), but these vary from school to school.
Hand attacks Taekwondo hand strikes are as a close distance alternative to kicks. They are executed in a number of ways from standing, jumping, spinning and rushing forwards. Hand strikes make up fast combinations of strikes which can leave an opponent stunned and unable to defend himself. Taekwondo hand strikes can be separated into two distinct styles:
Closed hand strikes () Open hand techniques () Various surfaces of the hand may be engaged as the striking surface depending on which area of the opponents body which is being targeted. This leads to a large array of hand positions. Forefist - A closed fist may be jabbed out directly to strike with the forefist knuckles. This is a suitable position for general punches to soft areas of the body. Without protection, it is inadvisable to strike the bony face as fingers are likely to get broken on the hard temple and jaw bones. Hammer fist - A closed fist may be brought down in a hammering motion to strike with the underneath. Such a strike can obliterate an opponent's nose, making it nearly impossible for them to retaliate. Backfist - A Son Deung clenched hand is swung backwards into the face of an opponent. The back of the hand makes contact and the momentum garnered in the swing makes this a powerful strike. Spinning backfists are a knockout punch and banned in most Taekwondo competitions. Flying Punch - struck usually from the rear hand, the combatant hops on the front foot, kicking back with the rear foot and simultaneously extending the rear hand as a punch, in the form of "superman" flying through the sky. Knifehand - 'Sonkal' is the Taekwondo name for a move similar to the "karate chop", i.e. where an open hand is hammered down to make impact with the underside. A ridgehand is the opposite, where the top of the open hand strikes. These are commonly made to the side of the neck. Fingertips - Jumeok can be used to strike vulnerable areas of the body such as pressure points. Four finger strikes engaging the tips of the outstretched hand (known as a spearhand) can be made to vital points in the neck. Thumb - Eomji is a fist with the thumb protruding over the top. This is a formidable weapon in pressure point striking. Vulnerable areas can be targeted all over the body such as the sternum, the spaces in between the ribs and other nerve clusters. Palm heel - a classic self-defense strike where the hand is pulled back to engage the base of the palm in an upwards thrusting strike. This is particularly dangerous if applied to the base of the nose or chin and can result in death. This strike is banned in competition Taekwondo. Elbow strike ()- The forearm is folded inwards towards the body and the strike is delivered with the outside of the forearm or elbow while stepping forwards. Taekwondo also makes use of reverse and front elbow strikes. Four-knuckle strike - This is a fist shape particular to Asian martial arts. Instead of closing the fist completely, the fingers are held out and only the knuckles are bent, thereby presenting the upper set of knuckles as the striking surface. This fist is used for breaking boards as the smaller surface area concentrates the punches power. In self-defense, it may be used to purposefully break an attacker's jaw. Eagle strike - In this strike, the fingers all touch together, and the hand is pointed down, exposing the top of the wrist, which is then swung upward to strike the underside of the jaw. If done properly, this strike can easily fracture the jawbone, and is usually banned from competitions due to the extreme danger. If done improperly, however, the practitioner may break his wrist. Tiger claw - A strike using the space between the index finger and thumb. Fingers are made rigid, and the attack is usually directed towards the neck/trachea. Serves as a way to incapacitate an opponent for a few seconds. Pincer hand - A strike which uses thumb and forefinger to strike an opponent's throat. In this technique, a fist is closed except thumb and forefinger, which are fully extended outwards. Scissor finger - A fist in which forefinger and middle finger is extended out as if to dig someone's eye. Similar to Pincer hand, except that the forefinger and middle finger are extended outwards. Chestnut fist - Similar to normal fist, except that the first three knuckles are pushed outward slightly with the thumb.
Kick (Chagi)
All kicks can be executed as jump kicks, spin kicks, jump spin kicks or multi-rotational spin kicks. Also, all can be performed by the front or rear leg in a given stance.
Some of the best-known Taekwondo kicks include: Front Kick (앞 차기 ): This is a very linear kick. The practitioner raises the knee to the waist, pulls the toes back and quickly extends the foot at the target. It is also known as the snap kick. The front kick is one of the first kicks learned in taekwondo; if mastered it can become one of the most powerful. This technique is more meant to be used to push the attacker away, but can injure the opponent as well. Side kick (옆 차기 ): A very powerful kick, in which the practitioner simultaneously raises the knee and rotates the body 90 degrees, while extending their leg. In WT style taekwondo, this technique should strike with the outside edge of the foot, although using the heel may provide more force if used in sparring. Roundhouse kick (돌려 차기 ): The practitioner raises the knee, turns the hips, pivots on the non-kicking foot, and snaps the kick horizontally into the target at an 80 to 90-degree angle, either with the instep or with the ball of the foot with the toes pulled back. Back kick (뒷 차기 ): The practitioner turns the body away from the target and pushes the back leg straight toward the target, hitting it with the heel while watching over the shoulder. The turning motion helps to give this kick a lot of power. Without proper care, you can "spin out" and lose your balance from using this attack. Reverse side kick (반대 옆 차기 ): This kick is similar to the back kick, except the body turns further, allowing the heel to hit the target with the foot pointing to the side as in a regular side kick, instead of downward as in a true back kick. Hook kick (후려 차기 ): A less popular kick traditionally, however it has found increasing favor in modern competitions. The practitioner raises the knee in a fashion similar to the roundhouse kick, then extends the foot outward then snaps it around in a dorsal arc, with the heel as the intended striking weapon. Axe kick (내려 차기 ): Another kick that has increased in popularity due to sparring competitions. The leg is raised usually from the outside of the body like an outside crescent kick. then the leg is pulled down with the heel pointed downward. It is typically targeted toward the head, shoulder, or chest and requires significant flexibility to employ effectively. This kick is best used against the collar bone, which can readily break from this attack. the setup in the initial raise of the kick can also be done from the inside, or middle (straight up and down.) Crescent kick (/): There are two variations of this kick: the outer crescent and the inner crescent. In the outer, the practitioner raises the extended leg as high as possible, and slightly up across the body, (a bit across the centerline of the body), then sweeping outward to the side, in a circular movement. In the inner, the motions are the same but the direction of the kick changes, this time originating from the outside of the body, heading towards the inside, or centerline of the body. These kicks are also called "inside crescent kick" and "outside crescent kick" at some taekwondo schools. Reverse Turning Kick (반대 돌려 차기 ): This kick may appear similar to a hook kick, but is performed with a straight leg, and usually at least a half-rotation. The heel connects with the target. Spin kicks There are several spinning kicks that involve the rotation of the entire body and head before the kick is released. Spinning kicks include the back pivot kick (), spinning hook kick (), spinning axe kick, returning kick, 360 turning kick, and a number of other kicks of varying popularity. Fly Kick ():The practitioner steps forward and spins in the direction of their back leg while raising their knee and jumping to perform a spinning inside crescent kick in midair. Jump Kicks (뛰어 차기 ):
There are also many kicks that involve jumping before their execution. These include the jumping front kick (), jumping side kick (이단 옆 차기 ), flying side kick, jumping axe kick, jumping roundhouse (), jumping spinning hook kick, jumping spinning roundhouse kick, jumping back kick, and jump spinning side kick. Normally, jumping kicks involve pulling up the back leg to help gain height during the jump and then performing the kick itself with the front leg. Advanced kicks: There are a variety of kicks that can be used in combination or stem out from a simple kick to create more difficult ones. Some of these include 540 Kick (One spins 1½ times in mid-air and does a kick, usually a back spinning hook kick), a 720 Kick (the practitioner spins 2 times in mid-air and performs a kick, usually a back spinning hook kick), and Triple Aero Kicks (Practitioner performs round house kick, back spinning hook kick, and another round house kick in mid-air). Fast Kicks: Also, many kicks can be employed using a fast kick style. The practitioner shuffles the back leg forward to the front leg, and the front leg comes up and kicks closer to the enemy than the practitioner had been before execution. This can be used with side kick, roundhouse kick, front kick, hook kick, and axe kick. Monkey Kick: This is an awkward, ineffectual kick that is just barely impactful enough to cause hogu that are rigged for electronic scoring to register a point, especially in WT (formerly WTF) - style sparring. It is often cited as an example of how the practice electronic scoring harms sport Taekwondo. Electronic hogu have embedded sensors that detect the vibration from a blow. In principle, the idea is that a legitimate taekwondo kick (such as a roundhouse kick) will impact the hogu and cause the sensors to vibrate—thus scoring a point. Because there is no guarantee that the legitimate kick will impact directly on the sensor, the sensors need to be calibrated to detect even "light" impacts. This kick takes advantage of this light calibration by allowing the competitor to score a point with a simple, awkward tap of the foot on the hogu, as long as the impact occurs near a sensor. In the case of a Monkey Kick specifically, this light impact is accomplished by tapping the bottom of the foot against the opponent's sensor while standing very close to the opponent.
After many complaints from different Member National Associations, the WT Technical Commission decided to sanction the athletes who used the technique in excess. The Commission also called all coaches from the participating countries for a meeting so the coaches could express their opinions about the technique and situation
Lower Kick: This kick can disarm the opponent if done with a lot of force but if the opponent is on the guard the kick might not work. Twist Kick (비틀어차기 ): This is a deceptive kick, in which the practitioner chambers a roundhouse kick, rotating the hips to strike one side, but then twists the lower leg in the opposite direction, hitting the opponent. The practitioner will strike with the ball of the foot or the instep, but can use the heel too.
Blocks