“Traditional Taekwondo: Core Techniques, History, and Philosophy”Doug Cook’s book is one that every Taekwondo practitioner will love to have on the bookshelf. This book will also appeal to Korean martial artists, as well as those who aren’t interested in the Korean art but want to learn more. “foot, hand, Way”The land of calm in the morning.
This book can be divided into three sections: History and Culture, Philosophy and Technique. Both the first and second sections of this book were great and will be helpful to all practitioners and students of Taekwondo. These sections will appeal to Korean martial artists as well as other arts. Although Technique did a decent job showing some techniques from Taekwondo, it was less interesting and stronger than the other two.
It’s difficult to summarize a country’s history into only a handful of chapters, particularly if it is a country such as Korea with a rich and varied history. Cook managed to narrow down the history to just a handful of historical references that were most pertinent and important, including the legend about Tan-gun. Cook briefly discusses the Three Kingdoms as well as some key figures in Korea’s past. The Japanese Occupation, 1910-1945 is covered in detail. This information is critical for Taekwodo development. All those interested in the history of Taekwondo will find the next chapter about the Formative Years of Taekwondo very informative.
Chapters on meditation and traditional taekwondo were included in the Philosophy section. They also covered the use and development of combat ki and the importance of poom-se. They were again informative and fascinating. These chapters provide readers with more information about taekwondo that just sparring.
This is the third and most lengthy part. It focuses on techniques. This is because the majority of the pictures are used to illustrate the methods chosen. It’s the longest. After conditioning exercises, there is a section that describes training techniques. Although I generally agree with the content, I have a few points that I disagree with. This includes the descriptions of ho shin ool or self-defense methods. Although ho shin sool methods provide solutions for grabs according to the text, ho shin sool also includes defenses against strikes, kicks and initiating movements.
The guidelines for training were very helpful, particularly the importance of safety and respect. Next, the pictures show 18 Il Su Sik, eight Sam Su Sik, 16 self-defense techniques and 18 Ho Shin Sool. There are two possible ways to look at it. This section can be viewed as an example of the techniques found in the Taekwondo Curriculum. It is what it says. Cook was able to add a few of these techniques. It would not be easy to master the techniques in the book. This is why it’s best to have a trained instructor as well as a partner. The way ho shin sool was demonstrated did not suit me. I have problems with some techniques and my body movements and placement are all wrong. (i.e. Blocking a pipe using your forearm is a good idea. However, this article does not address practicalities and other such issues. That’s enough.
The appendix sections are followed by a brief conclusion. The appendix A is very interesting. The appendix described a Korean training experience with Grandmaster Gyoo Hiun Lee. This was very interesting to me and made it so long for Korea. This made me long for the next time I could go to Korea and train. A few Korean and English terms were included, as well as a handful of martial arts organisations. It was a nice addition to the book. I particularly liked the experience of Grandmaster Lee.
This book is a 5 for History and Philosophy, and a 3 for Techniques. The book overall is a 4. I highly recommend it to all taekwondo instructors. It is also recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the philosophy and traditional techniques of taekwondo.