Universal Taekwondo Federation

'Quantum Fighting: Science and the Martial Arts' by Dave Cook

When people think about martial arts they tend to think of the mystical philosophies and 'secrets' that are often associated with them, little, if any thought is given to the actual scientific underpinning of the arts. The human body is a living organism that functions according to many universal laws and theories and as such any form of human motion can be seen to have its roots embedded in science.

Science can be defined as,

"The systematic study of the nature and behaviour of the material and physical universe, based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe these facts in general terms"

(Collins English Dictionary, 1998)

Whereas martial art is broadly defined as,

"Any of various philosophies of self-defence and techniques of single combat, such as judo or karate ..."

(Collins English Dictionary, 1998)

So where is the link?

The link can be seen very clearly through the medium of Sports/Exercise science. This is a subject grounded in the primary scientific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics and serves to apply these principles to human movement. Specific to Taekwondo, the body is continually manipulated and its capacity maximised in an attempt to achieve the goals of each technique. In performing these techniques the practitioner is at the mercy of their physiological, psychological and biomechanical profile. It can in turn be assumed that an increased knowledge of these areas would serve to facilitate the practitioners potential to develop. In addition, the science of movement is important in that its many branches are able to assist in the identification of potential causes of injury, be they biomechanical, physiological or psychological in nature.

Biomechanics relates to the application of mechanical principles to biological systems. Encompassing an understanding of the mechanical principles that affect motion, human movement patterns in light of the Laws of Physics and possibly most important for performance, how the human body is organised to use physical principles to advantage.

Physiology relates to the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the function of the cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems of the body (Schauf, Moffett & Moffett, 1990). This encompasses the energy systems used when training and competing, the aerobic and anaerobic capacity of the practitioner and more importantly ways and means to optimise these variables.

Psychology relates to the interaction between thought and its processes and human behaviour. It's a multi-faceted discipline in that it encompasses cognition, human development, behaviour, brain function, emotion etc. many of which can be related to the Taekwondo practitioner.

Knowledge of the 'global' demands of Taekwondo will serve to improve the specificity of training such that all the aspects learnt and practised in the Dojang can be effectively transferred to actual performance be it in the competitive arena or in a self-defence situation. In this sense science is not something that is threatening or trying to undermine tradition but is in fact a tool that walks hand-in-hand with both traditional and modern martial arts. As instructors and practitioners become more aware and attune to the principles of basic exercise science, specificity will increase and with it a reduced propensity towards injury.

References

* Collins English Dictionary (1998). HarperCollins
* Schauf, C., Moffett, D. and Moffett, S. (1990). Human Physiology: Foundations & Frontiers. Boston: Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing

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