In November, I delivered a yoga session as part of the Alliance Taekwondo-Do UK day.

What has yoga got in common with TKD? A few things, actually.

Firstly, the dynamic kicks of Taekwon-Do require a good degree of flexibility, so the stretching aspect of yoga can be really beneficial to a Taekwon-Do practitioner. I took the participants through a whole range of hip-opening poses, incorporating some balance poses and talking about drishti, the focused gaze and how we use this to help with balancing. It’s a bit trickier in TKD when you’re aiming at a moving target, but the principle is similar- keep the gaze steady.

Secondly, the breath is really important. Asanas (poses) are just 1 aspect of the 8-fold path of yoga. Another of the 8 limbs is Pranayama, which is the use of breath control to increase your vital energy.

In TKD breath control is one of the 6 elements that make up the theory of power. It is a key component in helping you develop your skills as a TKD practitioner, along with reaction force, equilibrium, concentration, mass, and speed.

Exhaling

When we exhale sharply on striking, the abdomen tenses, augmenting the power of a blow directed against an opponent. This also helps condition the body to receive a blow from an opponent.

Inhaling

A slow inhalation helps the preparation of the next movement.

In TKD, Students should practice disguised breathing to conceal any outward signs of fatigue that might embolden an opponent. A slow and steady inhale rather than short, shallow breaths is required. We can also use a long exhale to calm the nervous system. The exhale is linked to the parasympathetic side of the NS, which is responsible for the rest and digest functions of the body, whereas the inhale is linked to the sympathetic side, that responsible for fight/flight/freeze.

In TKD, one breath is required for one movement with the exception of a continuous motion.

Black belts who have learnt the pattern Po Eun will appreciate that developing the ability to control your breath and deliver seven moves in one breath is important!

In yoga, movement is linked to the breath. We inhale when we expand the body and exhale when we contract.

Next, there’s the moral codes. In Yoga these are the Yamas and Niyamas (2 more of the 8 limbs). In Taekwon-Do there’s the Taekwon-Do oath and the 5 tenets: courtesy, integrity, self control, indomitable spirit, and perseverance. In both systems there’s an expectation that you will develop your character and foster positive interactions with those around you.

Lastly, there’s meditation. I think this one probably comes down to the Instructor and whether this element of training is incorporated into a training programme.

In the ITF instructor handbook (p39) it states that meditation is ‘to look back upon the training for one minute sitting cross legged’. It seems that meditation as it is described here is unlike the meditation that I have encountered in Yoga, rather it is a reflection on what has already happened. However, a quick search online of the words ‘Taekwon-Do and meditation’ reveal that there are instructors out there using a more formal style of meditation to achieve mushin or ‘no mind’.

In Yoga the last 3 limbs of yoga relate to meditation:

Dharana-The practice of developing concentration and mental focus


Dhyana-The practice of cultivating a state of meditation 

Samadhi-The state of bliss or enlightenment 

The 8 limbs are a progressive system of developing the ability to move into a meditative state. Through the Yamas and Niyamas we foster better relationships with ourselves and those around us, through Asanas (poses) and Pranayama we can quieten the mind and work with our Prana, our vital life force energy. Through Pratyahara we withdraw the senses so that there are less distractions and then through Dharana we can develop our single-pointed focus so that we can reach a state of meditation. Arising from a state of mediation we might reach a point of equanimity and contentment, which may be fleeting.

Looking back at my very crude description of the 8 limbs, there appear to be quite a few ways that Taekwondo-Do and Yoga overlap. The concentration and single-pointed focus needed to move through Tuls/ patterns of varying length with good breath control and timing can certainly lead to a flow state, where we are completely absorbed in the moment and the movement. In addition, longer meditations might allow the practitioner to develop a calm mind so that they are able to react to an opponent easily.

So, that’s my brief summary of how Yoga and Taekwondo-Do share some characteristics. Of course, there are many, many ways that they differ too, but I think that to incorporate both into a training routine can benefit both body and mind.