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There are many misconceptions about Taekwondo. One reason for this is because there are so many sub styles. Taekwondo was created jointly by masters of different Korean styles, and, while it is theoretically a unified system, the training will vary somewhat according to each instructor's background. However, the primary reason for these misconceptions has to do with the South Korean ranking system.

While most Americans tend to think a black belt is the ultimate rank attainable in the martial arts; that is not true for Taekwondo. A first degree black belt in Taekwondo means the holder is accomplished enough in the basics to begin serious training. Even second and third degree black belts only signify levels of skill in advanced training, not mastery of Taekwondo. In South Korea, you must be a fourth degree to be considered an instructor and a fifth degree to be considered a master instructor. Most of the information about Taekwondo comes from people who have studied it; unfortunately, most of them did not achieve the rank of black belt, so most of the information comes from people who have not even received sufficient basic training, much less advanced teachings.

The following are some common misconceptions.

Taekwondo is a safe sport

While it is true that compared to other contact sports, Taekwondo is relatively safe to perform, especially when compared to football or soccer, but it is still a contact sport, and as such, bad thing may happen. There have been serious injuries and deaths over the years. This video clip is of a December 2005 death that occurred during a competition in Poland.

Taekwondo is good for fitness training

To improve your general fitness you need a steady, moderate level of exercise that lasts for at least 30 minutes, such as running, swimming, cycling, etc. While Taekwondo do is an excellent form of exercise, by itself it is not effective in increasing overall fitness. Just look at the many pot gutted black belts who have trained for years and display excellent techniques but are physical slugs. Taekwondo, like most martial arts, consists of moments of intense exertion punctuated by long periods of basically standing around.

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