Taekwondo Techniques

Kicks (the core of Taekwondo)

Kick	Korean	Description	Training Focus
Front kick	Ap chagi	Snap the foot forward from a chambered knee. Ball of foot or instep.	First kick learned. Practice the chamber — knee up, then extend.
Roundhouse	Dollyo chagi	Pivot on standing foot, kick in an arc to the body or head. Instep strike.	The most-used kick in competition. Hip turn and pivot are everything.
Side kick	Yeop chagi	Thrust sideways from a chambered position. Heel or blade of foot.	Strongest kick. Requires hip flexibility to get height.
Back kick	Dwi chagi	Turn 180° and thrust straight back with the heel.	Extremely powerful. Timing the turn is the challenge.
Axe kick	Naeryeo chagi	Raise the leg straight up and bring it down on the target.	Requires near-split flexibility. Targets the head and collarbone.
Spinning hook	Dwi hurigi	Spin 360° and hook kick to the head.	The signature high-level Taekwondo kick. Worth 4 points (head + spin).
Tornado kick	Dolge chagi	Jump, spin 360° in the air, roundhouse kick.	The most spectacular kick in martial arts. Requires athleticism and timing.
Push kick	Mireo chagi	Front kick used to create distance, not score.	Tactical — push opponent back, set up follow-up technique.

Hand techniques

Technique	Korean	Notes
Straight punch	Jireugi	Punches only score to the trunk protector (1 point).
Backfist	Deung jumok	Rarely used in competition but taught in poomsae.
Knife hand strike	Sonnal mok chigi	Open-hand strike — primarily in forms, not sparring.

What to focus on at each level

Level	Priority
White–Yellow belt	Front kick, roundhouse kick, basic stances, first poomsae. Daily stretching.
Green–Blue belt	Side kick, back kick, spinning kicks. Increase flexibility to kick above the waist. Sparring basics.
Red–Black belt	Head kicks, spinning hook, tornado kick. Competition strategy. Advanced poomsae.

The jump test: A good benchmark for Taekwondo explosive power — can your kid jump horizontally over 3 folding chairs with knees tucked to chest? If not, box jumps and broad jumps should be part of daily training.