May 2022 and June 2022 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
First Tae Kwon Do jumping front snap kick, June 2022, Perth

With the gradual lifting of COVID-19 public health restrictions in Western Australia, First Tae Kwon Do training has continued through the autumn and into winter. While ‘Tae Kwon Do’ is nowadays a very broad term, like ‘Karate’ or ‘Kung Fu,’ most people associate this Korean martial art with kicking techniques—particularly the World Taekwondo system seen in the Summer Olympic Games. First Tae Kwon Do is an older system with much more of a focus on hand striking techniques. In the pictures below, we see basic punching exercises using hand-held canvas bags.

First Tae Kwon Do punching, May 2022, Perth
FTKD punching, May 2022
First Tae Kwon Do punching, May 2022, Perth
FTKD punching, May 2022

Taken at recent black belt grading examinations in Perth, we see a Junior Black Belt candidate in flying side kick action to break a pine board. This is a technique that demands total commitment; there is no going back once the candidate nears the three crouched members.

First Tae Kwon Do flying side kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD flying side kick, June 2022

At the same event, a lady instructor being tested for 2nd Dan executed a knife-hand strike through six roof tiles. This technique requires commitment, strength, and precision for the forearm and hand to successfully break the tiles. In the background are Master Vernon Low (the Examiner; seated at the left) and Chief Instructor John O’Brien (standing at the right), who had travelled from South Australia for the gradings.

First Tae Kwon Do knife-hand strike, June 2022, Perth
FTKD knife-hand strike, June 2022

The same instructor also executed a spinning heel kick as part of her kick breaking sequence. I shot this photograph just a fraction of a second before impact.

First Tae Kwon Do spinning heel kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD spinning heel kick, June 2022

Another 2nd Dan candidate executed a high jumping front snap kick as part of his kick breaking sequence. At the right edge of the image, we have one instructor (holding the board) sitting on the shoulders of another instructor, so that the board is higher off the ground than normal. Note the motion blur on the candidate’s right foot, which is moving faster than his left foot.

First Tae Kwon Do jumping front snap kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD jumping front snap kick, June 2022

Coloured belt members also undertook their grading examinations over the same weekend. I captured a range of action, as shown below. While it is well and good to focus on an individual subject, as in the first two photographs, it is also helpful to make images with a bit more context to them, such as the last three photographs.

First Tae Kwon Do front snap kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD front snap kick, June 2022
First Tae Kwon Do hook kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD hook kick, June 2022
First Tae Kwon Do pattern, June 2022, Perth
FTKD pattern, June 2022
First Tae Kwon Do back kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD back kick, June 2022
First Tae Kwon Do jumping side kick, June 2022, Perth
FTKD jumping side kick, June 2022

Overall, it was a very successful grading weekend for First Tae Kwon Do Western Australia. Congratulations to the many members who were promoted.