RE: Re: Kris OT

[Guest guest]

Tae Chi is the one for balance and tone. Tae Kwon Do will definitely get

your heart rate up, and it will also tone and we do balance stuff once in a

while but it's mostly to build strength in your ankles (at least so far, I'm

only an orange belt). Our classes start off with 20 jumping jacks, then we

run ten laps (around a really small gym). Then we usually do some more

cardio type exercises that also strength train...for instance walking lunges

or things like kicking our legs up as high as our head and clapping our

hands under our leg...and we go down the length of the gym and back. Worse

are the days we do tons of hopping till our calves burn and we want to

collapse. That goes on for about 15 to 20 minutes then once we are good and

warmed up and breathing hard then we start practicing all the different

kicks and punches. Tae Kwon Do is usually taught as a sport (like boxing)

and so there really isn't a lot of self defense involved although you can

certainly use what you learn for self defense. Every three months we have

belt tests to see if we are ready to move up to the next level. The belt

tests involve " forms " which are a series of moves (blocks, kicks, and

punches) done in a very specific order and manner, a self defense technique

(we get a new one at each level), and a " one step sparring move " which is

usually an attack move. We also have to break a board at each level using a

specific kick (or punch at the higher levels) that we have been working on

like axe kick, front kick, side kick, or back kick. Then there is the not so

fun part which reminds me of those stupid physical fitness test from grade

school. See how many sit ups and push ups you can do, see how long you can

balance on one foot with your eyes closed, see how many times you can bring

your knees up waist high in two minutes. In order to pass that part you just

have to do better than you did the last time. Sometimes we get lucky and run

out of time because there are to many people testing so we get to skip that

part.

Anyway, that's probably way more than you wanted to know. I consider our

classes to be aerobic and stamina building, but you will also become very

tone. It may depend on your instructor though because a while back someone

else on this list said they took Tae Kwon Do and didn't find it very

challenging. Our instructor is a Gold Medalist, 3 time world champion, and

at one point was the youngest Grand Master in the history of TKD. Several of

his students compete also, so he's a pretty tough instructor. In a good way

though... he's really very nice, has a great sense of humor, and doesn't

push us older students to hard.

Kris

Re: Kris

>I like Tae Kwon Do.

Kris: I've been thinking about taking some lessons myself. I've always been

interested in martial arts. Would you say these classes get your heart rate

up or is it more for balance/tone? I'm trying to figure out what " type " of

exercise it would be.

Thanks,

April