Variations
Intro
Different versions of martial arts techqiues are being taught around the world. The techniques and patterns taught in each version are basically the same with a few variations. Some variations are organization based, some are due to the instructor's training in other martial arts, and some are simply the personal idiosyncrasies of individual instructors. Some instructors have sound reasons for the way they perform certain techniques; others just do them without question. Here are a few of the variations I have noticed in my training with various instructors in various taekwondo organizations.Front stance variations
- Feet
- Both feet should point forward (a forced position).
- The rear foot should angle outward slightly (a natural position).
- Width
- As long as the width is suitable for stability and movement, the amount of width is merely aesthetic.
- The feet should rest be in the opposite corners of an imaginary square on the floor.
- The feet should be in the opposite corners of an imaginary rectangle on the floor.
- Movement
- The stepping foot moves straight forward for quickness.
- The stepping foot moves inward and then outward in a crescent shape (moon-walking) for stability.
Center of mass variations
- The center of mass should not move vertically while moving for stability.
- The center of mass should rise and then drop into the next stance (sine wave) for power.
Punching variations
- Arm
- The arm should be fully extended and locked into the punch for power transfer.
- The elbow should not be locked to prevent injury.
- Movement
- The fist should move first with the elbow directed behind it for power.
- The elbow should move toward the target first and then whip the fist outward for speed and power.
- Shoulders
- Lunge the shoulders forward with a punch.
- Keep the shoulders stationary during a punch to help support precise focus.
- Chamber
- For a punch, chamber the fist at the hip.
- For a punch hamber the fist high beside the ribs.
- Power
- Snap the hip into a punch.
- Lift the rear heel and then drop it into a punch (it’s called knee spring or winding).
Kicking variations
- For a side thrust kick (piercing):
- The kicking foot should be horizontal to the floor.
- The kicking foot should have the toes pointed toward the floor.
- For a side snap kick:
- Even though it’s a karate kick, some, including me, teach it as a useful technique.
- Some don’t teach it or allow it. I was once severely chastised by a Korean master for using it while sparring. He said taekwondo does not have a side snap kick, only a side thrust kick.
Chambering variations
- Some re-chamber the leg after a kick, some just drop the foot to the floor.
- Rear leg roundhouse kick
- Lift knee upward and camber behind the hip before rotating.
- Foot moves from the floor to the target in a straight line, which creates an automatic chamber.
Blocking variations
- Block with the bony sides of the forearm.
- Block with the meaty top and bottom of the forearm.
- Block with a follow-through motion.
- Block with a snapping motion.
- There are numerous variations on how the arms should chamber for a block or strike. For example, for an inside-to-outside inner forearm middle block, some chamber with the blocking arm crossed above the non-blocking arm, some chamber with it under the non-blocking arm.
Pattern variations
There are many variations in the chambering, techniques, stances, and movements within the standard traditional patterns. It is like a virus. An instructor forgets and slips a change into a pattern, or purposely introduces a change, which then gets replicated and is spread by his or her students, who teach the patterns this way to their students until the change becomes a permanent part of the pattern that everyone accepts as being the correct way.↩ Back
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