You're no idiot, of course. You've seen tae kwon do centers pop up all over the place and know that the sport is the Korean equivalent of karate. But when it comes to heading to a class, you feel like thenew kid in town facing a room full of school buillies.

Don't hire a bodyguard yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tae Kwon Do provides you with all you need to join in the fun and become a serious student of the art. In this The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tae Kwon Do, you get:

Expert advice from two black blets on practicing with a partner and by yourself.
Invaluable warnings so no one gets hurt.
Practical information on teaching kids and seniors.
Photographs that show you how to do the moves.

Karen Eden is a columnist for Tai Kwon Do Times magazine, as well as a black belt and certified instructor of traditional Korean karate. She is a former National Karate Champion and two-time World Championship competitior. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA.

Keith D. Yates is a ninth-degree black belt and president of the American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization. Mr. Yates, who lives in Garland, TX, writes the monthly Tae Kwon Do column for Inside Karate

Discover quick and easy ways to...

Choose the best tae kwon do center and instructor.
Understand the levels of achievement, from white to black belt.
Practice with a partner and by yourself.
Invaluable warnings so no one gets hurt.
Increase your flexibility, strength, and stamina.
Learn the principles of slef-defense.
Create a personalized training routine.
Train for competitions.
Find a cool martial-arts magazines and web sites.

Contents

Part 1 Your intro to the do
1 Why would you want to do tae kwon do?
2 Digging up the roots of the do
3 The most important muscle: The one between your ears
4 Why tae kwon do beats little league, spas, and bingo
Part 2 Kick-start your training
5 Finding the right school
6 The big welcome mat
7 Fright night: Your first class
8 Looking the part: Your uniform
Part 3 Making the move
9 Black and blue are for belts: Basic safety
10 Getting taken to the principles
11 Laying the foundation
12 Striking out on your own
13 Just for kicks
14 Formulas for perfection
Part 4 Putting it all together
15 One step to practicality: One-step sparring
16 Read, set, free-spar!
17 Defending your territory: Self-defense
Part 5 Climbing the ladder: Testing for promotions
18 Cruising down the beltway
19 Your life as a white belt
20 The truth about black belts
21 Testing...one, two, three
22 Testing for the big one
Part 6 The wide, wide world of competition
23 Be a sport: An intro to the world of competiton
24 Rules of the game
25 T-Day: The day of the tournament
A Associations and federations
B Publications and sources (bibliography)
C Glossary
Index