Taekwondo 태권도Taekwondo Preschool

Promotion from one geup to the next can proceed rapidly in some schools, since schools often allow geup promotions every two, three, or four months. Students of geup rank learn the most basic techniques first, and then move on to more advanced techniques as they approach first dan. Many of the older and more traditional schools often take longer to allow students to test for higher ranks than newer, more contemporary schools, as they may not have the required testing intervals. View Taekwondo belt levels »

Hammer Fist Downward Strike

( 메주먹 내려치기 mejumeok-naeryeo-chigi )

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

A closed fist may be brought down in a hammering motion to strike with the underneath. Such a strike called Hammer Fist Downward Strike ( 메주먹 내려치기 mejumeok-naeryeo-chigi ), can obliterate an opponent's nose, making it near impossible for the opponent to retaliate. The hammer fist can also be used horizontally like a backfist strike using the bottom fist. This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist.

The Hammer Fist Strike ( 메주먹 내려치기 mejumeok-naeryeo-chigi ) is particularly effective for striking the occiput (back and lower part of the skull), the temples, the nose, the mandible (the lower jaw that holds the lower teeth in place), the wrist (for blocking punches), the testicles, the sternum, and the ear (although a cupped hand is more effective). The hammer fist is sometimes used during "ground-and-pound" striking in mixed martial arts to avoid damaging the bones of the hand.

Strikers generally exhale as the strike nears the target. Breath control is also important to relax the body when not attacking; novice strikers often waste significant energy because they are tense at inappropriate times.

Hammer Fist Strike ( 메주먹 치기 mejumeok-chigi )
Hammer Fist Downward Strike ( 메주먹 내려치기 mejumeok-naeryeo-chigi )
Hammer Fist Outward Strike ( 메주먹 바깥치기 mejumeok-bakkat-chigi )

* Please see a certified Master Instructor ( 사범님 sabeomnim ) for training. Proper guidance and instructions are needed to ensure safe training.

Did you know?

Impact Surface Area

Various surfaces of the body may be engaged as the blocking and striking surface depending on which area of the body is being targeted. This leads to a large array of blocking and striking positions. More information on Impact Surface Areas »

Surface	Korean	Description	Tutorial
Fist ( 주먹 jumeok ) - is an action where a hand has the fingers curled into the palm and the thumb retracted, displaying the knuckles.	주먹 jumeok	A fist ( 주먹 jumeok ) is an action where a hand has the fingers curled into the palm and the thumb retracted, displaying the knuckles. The act of creating a fist is known as 'making a fist' or 'clenching a fist'.	Tutorial »
Hammer Fist ( 메주먹 mejumeok ) - is an action where a hand has the fingers curled into the palm and the thumb retracted, using the bottom of the hand as the striking surface.	메주먹 mejumeok	A Hammer Fist is an action where a hand has the fingers curled into the palm and the thumb retracted, using the bottom of the hand as the striking surface. The act of creating a fist ( 주먹 jumeok ) is known as 'making a fist' or 'clenching a fist'.	Tutorial »
Hand Blade ( 손날 sonnal ) - striking surface extends with the muscle at the side of the hand located between the base of the small finger and the wrist.	손날 sonnal	By tucking the thumb into the palm, a striking surface called the knife hand or hand blade ( 손날 sonnal ) is formed. The striking surface extends with the muscle at the side of the hand located between the base of the small finger and the wrist.	Tutorial »
Ridgehand ( 손날등 sonnal-deung ) - reverse knife-hand is formed, extending a few inches along the inside of the hand below the first knuckle of the index finger.	손날등 sonnal-deung	By tucking the thumb into the palm, a striking surface called the ridgehand ( 손날등 sonnal-deung ), or reverse knife-hand is formed, extending a few inches along the inside of the hand below the first knuckle of the index finger.	Tutorial »

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Hand", "Fist (hand)", "Knife Hand", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Quiz

Question. What is the korean terminology for Attention Stance?

Attention is a stance ( 서기 sogi ) where your body is in an upright standing position with the legs side by side, heels touching, distribute 50/50 weight ratio on the left and right legs, and toes facing straight forward. Your hands should be parallel with your body, to the side as your hands tap the legs.

Question. What year was Taekwondo an official Olympic Demonstration Sport in Seoul, Korea?

Taekwondo made its first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games as a demonstration sport at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The opening ceremony featured a mass demonstration of taekwondo with hundreds of adults and children performing moves in unison. Taekwondo was again a demonstration sport at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There were no demonstration sports at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA.

Question. What is the korean terminology for Low Block?

The Low Block is one of the most basic Taekwondo blocks ( 막기 makgi ) and one of the first things a beginner will learn. The lead forearm is bent and raised to shoulder height, snapping the arm straight down with the palm ( 손바닥 sonbadak ) facing the ground, which blocks any incoming low kicks ( 차기 chagi ) or low strikes.

Question. What is the korean terminology for Walking Stance?

The Walking Stance is a beginner stance ( 서기 sogi ) that is used to approach or retreat in combat and poomse. Feet should be maintained approximately 3 foot-length from origin. To maintain a solid base, the front foot is facing straight forward and the back foot is 30 degrees to aid balance.

There are five tenets defined in the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and several more in World Taekwondo (WT).

Perseverance ( In Nae / 인내 ): "One will persevere time and time again until they have achieved a result which is adequate towards what one was trying to achieve." View Taekwondo Tenets »

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Taekwondo Techniques", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.