#38: Taekwondo And Weight Management: A Match Made In Heaven

How does Taekwondo measure up, as far as weight loss goes?

Well, I may be a bit biased on this (it’s not like I’m a 4th Degree black belt or anything). However, most martial arts can play a massive role for health in general. And for the good.

To prove it to you, I decided to hit a Taekwondo session after a hiatus of a few months.

1: I Burned 425 calories/hour

After exercising for 80 minutes, I burned no less than 567 calories. While doing so, I hit heart-rate numbers of up to 172 beats per minute (often-a-time, this was mid-fight).

Round times lasted anywhere from 1 - 2 minutes, with around 30 seconds to 1 minute of rest in between. The nature of the activity was, without a doubt, sprint-based (kind-of like HIIT).

2: I Got To Hang Out With Awesome People

Hanging out with good-hearted folks - friends even - who share a common goal and are willing to work towards that goal, is a healthy thing.

Much like the Okinawan Moai (a small circle of supportive friends), martial artists are famously pro-goal achieving. And not just at individual level. As I engaged in the exercises, I found myself being cheered on by friends who shared a tangible belief in the idea that I can overcome my challenges. I found myself reciprocating when the time came, too. It was a natural reaction (and a logical one too) because when individuals look to better themselves collectively, they have more to gain by spurring each other on.

3: Taekwondo Is Not Just A Martial Art. It’s A Competitive Sport Too

Taekwondo originated from the ancient Korean martial art known as Taekyyeon. Come 1992, it matured into an Olympic Sport.

Today, over 70 million people practice it, while over 4 million individuals are black belts.

Malta aside, the Korean martial art is a big deal in several countries. And believe it or not, Europe happens to be a major hot-spot for Taekwondo (in the context of a sport) because the continent boasts the highest number of ranked competitions per year.

There is a massive following, and this helps because one can continuously follow and learn from his favourite athletes, or perhaps aspire to share the mat with them, one day.

4: Serious Taekwondo Players Are Notoriously Lean

Sprint-based activities that makes frequent use of some of the largest muscles in the body (like those in the legs) are perfect to remain lean and shredded.

You need only look at some of the competitive taekwondo players. Often, they would sport extremely lean physiques as they look to make the most of their height in their respective weight categories.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s fun or even healthy to be that lean. All I’m saying is that if you have a few pounds to burn off, this kind of activity can very well help you do so.

5: You Don’t Need To Kill Yourself In The Dojang (Dojo)

True, taekwondo is a martial art. And that means kicking, punching and all the things that will make you sweat buckets. But kicking and punching is not everything.

Instead, you will find yourself practicing stances, studying correct striking techniques, practicing patterns (these are called poomsae) and applying what you learn in self-defense situations. You will talk, debate and discover new techniques with your master, and practice each move until you can’t get it wrong.

6: You Can Become A Black Belt

Being a black belt is like being the lead guitarist of an epic rock band. I mean, have you even watched Cobra Kai?

I kid. But in actual fact, having an objective goal to work towards (the belts, in this case) standardizes your ‘betterment’ goal. And you will become healthier (both physically and mentally) as a ‘side effect’. As the years roll on, and the colour of your belt darkens, you will learn new techniques, discover new abilities and achieve new heights. You will do all this, because you’d have done the time, sacrificed the hours and journeyed towards mastery of the art. A journey with no end point.

And whose to say that the path would be a mundane one? Along the way, you will be making millions of memories and tonnes of friends, all-the-while broadening your mind and your physical prowess.

I like to think of taekwondo as the perfect example of the activity a human being was destined to perform. Short-duration, sprint-based activity with a need for power (just like what you need to chase-down and kill an animal in the wild).

Structured neatly, and in a graded format, the sport has all the key ingredients you need to draw out some serious health gains that don’t just stop with weight management.