Beginner Taekwondo Techniques That You Can Learn at Home

Taekwondo is the traditional Korean art of self-defense, with philosophical origins in Ancient Korea. Taekwondo was developed into the modern combat sport it is today in the 1940s and 1950s, literally translating into "Way of the Hand and Foot." This meaning makes perfect sense, as taekwondo is a skilled application of kicks, punches, strikes, holds, and throws. If you’re just beginning your taekwondo journey, keep reading to learn how to master the basics, with valuable insights from Taekwondo Expert Julee Peck Jones.

Taekwondo for Beginners

According to Taekwondo Expert Julee Peck Jones, learn the 2 stances: feet together in an attention stance and feet apart with lowered fists in a ready stance. Work on your balance and stability. Practice doing front kicks, roundhouse kicks, punches, and throws.

Section 1 of 5:

Stances and Balance

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Keep your feet together to get into an attention stance. This is the most basic taekwondo stance, but it’s the foundation for every taekwondo move beyond it. Stand tall and upright with your feet together and arms at your sides. While your body should be relatively relaxed, your muscles and mind should be on high alert. In this stance, make sure you distribute your weight evenly between both feet and point your toes forward. ^{[1]
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- This stance is the position from which all bows are performed and is the first thing taught in beginner’s taekwondo classes.
- During children’s classes, it’s not uncommon for the instructor to shout for everyone to get into attention stance, as this builds habits and discipline.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Julee Peck Jones is a Taekwondo Expert with over 35 years of experience. She and teaches self-defense, the benefits of exercise, and leadership development.
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for a ready stance. Starting in the attention stance, you transition into the ready stance by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be slightly bent, and your hands should be balled up in fists just below your waist. This is synonymous with a fighting stance, letting your opponent know that you mean business and are ready to act. ^{[2]
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- This stance is how most demonstrations, spars , and fight patterns begin.
- Practicing this stance over and over again can help you with stamina, strength, and stability.
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Do balancing exercises to improve your stability. Finding your balance and achieving stability are key factors when honing your taekwondo skills. Feeling firm on your feet can help you strike precisely, confidently, and vigorously. Balance involves always keeping your feet grounded, distributing your weight evenly, and avoiding crossing your legs or standing in similarly compromising positions that are not conducive to finding equilibrium. Try these exercises to help with your balance: ^{[3]
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- Balancing on one leg: Try standing on one leg for 30 seconds as firmly as possible with your arms hanging at your sides. Switch to the other leg for another 30 seconds.
  - To make this harder, extend out your arms, reach your arms straight up, or close your eyes.
- Horse Stance Holds: Sit in a wide squat position. Extend your knees outward and keep your back straight. Try to hold this stance for 30-60 seconds and repeat. This position helps to build up your legs, core, and endurance. ^{[4]
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Section 2 of 5:

Kicking

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Front kick (Ap chagi) Begin in a fighting stance and slide your left foot forward. Change your guard so your right foot leads and bring your right knee up. Your leg should form a square. This is called a chamber. Straighten your leg and snap your foot out, aiming higher than your face. Pull the kick back and set your foot down. Peck Jones advises that you should “exhale as you execute the kick, not necessarily vocalize.” ^{[5]
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Julee Peck Jones
Taekwondo Expert

Expert Interview} Other types of kicks include: ^{[6]
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- Crescent Kick (Bandal-chagi): This is accomplished by arching your anchored leg and swinging the other foot from in to out, striking your opponent.
- Back Kick (Dwi-chagi): This technique involves kicking your opponent in the abdomen with the heel of your foot.
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Roundhouse kick (Dollyo chagi) Begin from left fighting stance. Change your guard and bring your right knee up and across your body. Twist on your supporting foot and kick horizontally across the front of your body. Be sure to snap your foot. ^{[7]
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- Peck Jones instructs how to do a different variation of the roundhouse kick called a back roundhouse: “Start with the kicking leg behind you. That leg is going to come forward 180 degrees. Your base foot that you're standing on is going to pivot 180 degrees so that your toes are pointing behind you and your heel is pointing toward the target. And then you execute the kick by pointing your knee at the target and attacking the target with either the top of the foot or the ball of the foot.” ^{[8]
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  Expert Interview}
- Peck Jones encourages you to block a roundhouse kick by “If your left side is being attacked with a right-legged kick, all you have to do is lift your front arm up at a 90-degree angle and that's going to stop the angle of the attack. A roundhouse kick is one of the easier ones to block.” ^{[9]
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  Julee Peck Jones
  Taekwondo Expert
  
  Expert Interview}

Section 3 of 5:

Punching, Throwing, and Striking

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Standard punch (Jireugi) From fighting stance, make a fist and thrust it forward into your opponent's solar plexus, chest, or other target areas. Other types of punches include: ^{[10]
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- Knifehand strike (Sonnal-chigi): This is strike is essentially a “chop” with your pinky finger tucked into the fist.
- Hammerfist strike (Mejumeok-chigi): This strike involves neutralizing your opponent by using the bottom of the fist.
- Spearhand strike (Pyonsonkkeut Tzireugi): Perform this strike by extending your fingers out tightly; most commonly used to hit sensitive target areas
- Back fist (Deungjumeok) : Another backhand strike where the main impact being inflicted by the first 2 knuckles.
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Shoulder throw (Harai-goshi) Keep a firm grip on your opponent's lapel as you step across and begin to wind in. Bend your knees and pull on his lapel as you roll him straight over your back. ^{[11]
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- Peck Jones notes that there are different styles of Taekwondo. Some are more sport-based based while other styles have more elements of actual self-defense and "combat" in them. ^{[12]
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- Peck Jones says, “[Taekwondo] helps you to understand and learn how to handle things coming at you quickly. It teaches you how to react to stressful situations and how to look for open targets and to react when somebody is trying to attack you.” ^{[13]
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Section 4 of 5:

Blocking

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Blocking is an essential part of defense. Blocking your opponent’s strikes is all about protecting your most sensitive body parts by stopping the hit with your hand, arm, leg, or foot. Blocking keeps you safe, and there are levels to it. You either do a “hard” block that involves inflicting damage to your opponent or a “soft” block, which might mean absorbing the blow and ruining your opponent’s equilibrium. Here are some blocks for beginners: ^{[14]
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- Inward Block (An-makgi) : An outside-to-inside blocking technique involving a hand, foot, arm, or leg.
- Outward Block (Bakkat-makgi): Opposite to the inward block, this technique blocks your opponent’s strike from the inside to the outside of your body.
- High Block (Olgul-makgi): By raising your arm above your head with the forearm facing out, this block is meant to keep you safe against attacks to the head.
- Low Block (Arae-makgi) : Similar to the high block, this technique protects you against lower-body attacks when you lower your arm and shield your body.

Section 5 of 5:

FAQ

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What is the most important technique for beginners in Taekwondo? Mastering both balance and stance are key in progressing in taekwondo. Without either of these components, your punches and kicks will be less accurate, powerful, and controlled. Regularly practicing your attention stance and ready stance will ensure that you’re both grounded and nimble on your feet, depending on the situation at hand. ^{[15]
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How is taekwondo different from other martial arts? Peck Jones explains that Taekwondo is very similar to American karate, with one key difference: “Whereas karate tends to do more kicks from the waist down, taekwondo does kicks from the waist up.” She goes on to share that “taekwondo is known for its jump kicks. It is considered one of the more aerial types of martial arts. Taekwondo is known for doing jump spin kicks, 360-degree kicks, sometimes even more than that— 540-degree kicks.” ^{[16]
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Julee Peck Jones
Taekwondo Expert

Expert Interview}
- Statistically speaking, Peck Jones says that “some styles of Taekwondo do about 70% kicks, 30% hands. Other styles are a little bit more balanced.” ^{[17]
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Can I practice Taekwondo at home? Yes, you can practice your balance, stances, kicks, and punches at home— and you should! Once properly learned, constant repetition of these moves is necessary for advancement. No matter what, you should still seek the guidance of an instructor at a school to make sure you have proper form and techniques. ^{[18]
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Can I learn Taekwondo from the internet?

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Yes, there are all kinds of websites, resources, and videos that can help you learn Taekwondo. However, none will be as effective as an in-person trainer who can correct your movements and tailor their training to your needs.

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Do I need to have a flexible body?

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It always helps, but no. You can build up to it as you progress in the classes. You might want to consider daily stretching and possibly a yoga class to improve your flexibility.

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Is taekwondo or karate best?

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It depends on your preference. Taekwondo is known for having the most kicking techniques out of any martial art and it is an Olympic sport.

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Some of these moves require you to be close to, equal to, or stronger than your opponent. If your opponent can easily overpower you, it will be hard to defeat them.

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Always remember to warm up and stretch before attempting a technique. You will perform much better when you do.

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Taekwondo involves many more advanced moves. Generally speaking, these combination moves are just the basics strung together for maximum efficiency.

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It's common to get mad while sparring, but it can cause you to make mistakes. Try to stay calm and treat the session as a game. As long as you learn something from the exchange, it's okay to get hit or scored on.
For the front kick, ask someone to raise and hold your leg straight for 2 minutes. This can help improve your balance and overall strength.
It's always a good idea to have an adult around in case you pull a muscle or hurt yourself during practice.

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Performing any of these techniques without wearing suitable clothing and warming up could result in injury.

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Julee Peck Jones
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Beginner Taekwondo Techniques That You Can Learn at Home

Taekwondo for Beginners

Steps

Stances and Balance

Kicking

Punching, Throwing, and Striking

Blocking

FAQ

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Tips from our Readers

Warnings

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