For students
Broadly speaking, taekwondo falls into four areas. You need to practise all four to be put forward for a grading.
Poom
In basics you learn the strikes, kicks and blocks we use in taekwondo, and you learn to coordinate hands and feet so the techniques come out correctly. This is where you build the foundation for everything else. All the basic techniques have Korean names, which gradually become a natural part of training.
Poomsae
In poomsae you learn set sequences of basic techniques. The word poomsae roughly means "basic techniques put together". It is also called imaginary sparring, because you picture an opponent in front of you. In poomsae the techniques have to be powerful and flowing, so that it resembles a real fight.
Kyorugi
In sparring you learn timing and distance, so you learn to move in relation to your opponent. As in poomsae you move fluidly and strike with power — but this time against a real opponent. In time, as you get more experienced, you develop your own style of fighting, which may well differ from what your instructor taught you as basics.
Hosinsul
In self-defence what matters is techniques that actually work under stress, so you can defend yourself. It does not have to look good. The point is to get out of a dangerous situation.
Ki
Ki is Korean for energy. What all four areas have in common is that ki is a natural part of the training. If your ki is strong, your strikes, kicks and blocks will be strong too. For higher grades it matters especially to show strong ki in training — that is how you set the example for newer students.
On top of that comes strength and cardio work, which is often part of the session. Higher-graded students are expected to do strength and cardio training on their own as well.
