Martial, according to Webster’s dictionary, is “of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior”. What, then, is a martial art?

It’s the art of fighting. Tae kwon do teaches unarmed fighting, which was once used to break the wooden armor of enemies. But martial arts in general also make use of weapons. Traditional weapons, such as a knife, bo staff, or sword, even nunchaku.

Everything we teach in class can have an application for war. Sparring, of course, but also one-step sparring, kicking targets, and self-defense. Even patterns are all imaginary fighting practice against more than one opponent.

All techniques we teach should all be practiced as though you were fighting someone. You should always use power enough to hurt your imaginary opponent, with enough precision perform the technique correctly, so as to use the least effort to get the most effect. When performing a one-step sparring defense, anyone watching should be convinced your opponent would have been unable to hurt you, and no longer willing to try, yet with enough control in your technique so as not to actually hurt your pretend opponent.

When you perform the techniques with power and precision, you will start to feel the essence of tae kwon do. You are unlikely to need to use tae kwon do in real life to fight, but practicing the proper way of fighting will give you mental discipline and self-control that you can use every day in ways you may not see now. Without even using any of it for war!