I want to get stonger in Taekwondo?

Question

I am currently a white belt in Taekwondo. I am testing tomorrow for my Low Yellow belt, I am already doing knuckle push-ups. But I do them on my knees. My instructor says that only females can do the push-ups on their knees. But I want to get stronger. I have checked out a DVD from the library called Fat burning kickboxing workout. Should I be watching the DVD and do you think it will help me with my taekwondo? I weight 167 lbs I am 5 ft 2 inches. And I am 22 years old. I just started taekwondo about 3 months ago. How can i be more cempetitive during my tournaments? I have a tournament coming up on saturday which I am going to attend. I wont be sparring until I am a yellow belt. And I will be doing my form and one steps. I don't want to keep doing push-ups on my knees i want to be able to do them with out being on my knees

Answer 1

Yo. I do not recommend doint some cardio kickboxing. I doubt it will help with TKD as it is meant for only cardio and might screw up with your technique if you do not pay attention. But you can do shadow boxing, which is practicing punching/kicking combos infront of a mirror. With pushups, just practice it. The secret to doing well in martial arts or in anything is repition. The more pushups you do, the better you'll get at it. I recommend doing pushups with a nice number every day before you go to sleep. I have been doing 40 knuckle pushups and then 10 finger pushups everynight for a few months and i can tell the difference. 50 pushups isnt much for me, but I have been doing them everyday including the ones I've done at TKD school, so it adds up. Start with a number you're comfortable with and do both open and knuckle pushups. I would suggest more open pushups than knuckles.
When doing forms, the only competition is yourself. Focus on every technique and do your best for each one.
Good luck.

Answer 2

In taekwondo, you shouldn't have a strong emphasis on your arms, rather your legs and flexibility. If you want to work out your arms, hit the gym and do tricept extensions, centered or widened push ups, or dips.

During Sparring there are a few key factors to keep in mind. Always check the patterns of your enemies. Do they hit you with a single kick and back off, do they use a certain combination on you? Use this information to counter. In countering always keep in mind that avoiding an attack is better than blocking and that countering an attack is even better. Likewise dont leave yourself to become predictible. Change up your attack patterns, Use one kick and then stop, next time use two. Change around your patterns.

Run Run Run. The best way to build muscle is by elevating your heart rate and then lifting weights or doing push ups to strengthen your arms. Run for perhaps half a mile and then start doing push ups or hit the treadmil in a gym and then do arm excercises. this gives you aerobic excercises to give you endurance during sparring and also builds muscle

I really dont see the need for the DVD but I do believe it could be used effectively.

Good Luck on your test

Answer 3

What bloody stupid nonsense to suggest kicking trees, and that is from a 4th Dan? Get out of here!
Use a bag, or even better, a partner with a kicking shield, that is far more realistic, it is also a moving target, let this guy kick trees, I put $1000 on the tree anytime, even so it is not moving, it will break the guys legs.
The best exercises are working on your core strength. Exercise closely to the motions used in TKD. Remember, the force generated behind a punch or kick is not the muscle strength in a particular group of muscles such as the triceps, it is a product of mass and speed. You need to learn to get your body weight behind the punches and kicks, this requires the right stance, lots of hip rotation, tensing and relaxing at the right moments. I have seen 60+ year old at 60kg hitting harder and faster than much younger and heavier counterparts, because of right body alignment, sequential movements, and speed.
Stay flexible, work on strength in your lower back and abdomen, abductors and adductors, and hamstrings and hip flexors.
A strong tricep won't give you a hard punch, rotating your hip into the technique and thus throwing your body weight behind it, that is what makes you a hard puncher.

Answer 4

Every thing the first guy said is good but I'm just writing this because of concern.
DO NOT KICK A TREE.
Haha...
But I'm being serious.
This would just cause an injury.
If you must kick something, kick a heavy bag.

Answer 5

Im a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Doe... My advice for you is to do free weight lifting, stretch oftenly and stay flexible, and practice practice practice!!! I use to to practice with trees... By kicking trees ect...........