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It’s Taekwondo, Yo!
An honorable defense. Ah, who am I kidding?
“Pain does not exist in this dojo, does it? No Sensei! Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it? No Sensei! Defeat does not exist in this dojo, does it? No Sensei!” (Karate Kid, 1984)
The widely popular Korean martial art Taekwondo mostly involves fast, combative multiple-angle kicks and strikes (jabs, chops, blocks, and choking, too). American-style Taekwondo incorporates a more comprehensive approach and includes many hand techniques. Any modern dunce knows this. Okay, maybe not. But that’s beside the point.
My thinking was that I needed to burn some of the toddler-like energy I had been retaining, so when I stumbled upon an expatriate website posting for a few free trial sessions of American-style Taekwondo, I knew my ticket to the Promised Land had arrived.
“Adult and children’s classes will be taught in English … there is great emphasis placed on safety and respect.” With an email exchange and phone call to the class instructor, the stage was set. My invitation was verbally sealed and I was prepared to kick some ass. Enthusiasm swept over my body as I imagined numerous learned martial arts methods for beating down any malicious punks that crossed my path.
