Taekwondo Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – the four basic kicks, the WT scoring system and a standing leg that carries every technique.

Equipment

Item	Priority	Tip
Dobok	High	A simple beginner uniform is enough – check hip freedom, or high kicks fail on the fabric.
Belt (kup/dan)	High	White through the kup grades to black belt – every colour is proven technique.
Protective gear	Medium	Mouthguard and groin guard first, shin and foot guards once contact begins.
Electronic vest	Low	The hogu scores impact force automatically – borrow it as a beginner, don't buy.

Your start

Two-thirds kicks: Taekwondo is kick-dominant – if you enjoy jumping, kicking and playing distance, this is your sport.
WT or ITF: WT is olympic full-contact with head kicks, ITF is traditional forms with light contact.
Mobility is trainable: Even under 60 minutes of stretching a week brings the biggest gains – include hip flexors, not just hamstrings.
Two fixed sessions: Showing up regularly over months matters more for mind and health than any single week's frequency.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Chamber before anything

Concept: Without a raised knee the leg swings powerlessly like a pendulum – the most common error across all four basic kicks. Tip: Always raise the knee first (chamber), only then snap the lower leg out, and re-chamber under control instead of letting it drop.

Factor 2: Your standing leg is the predictor

Concept: The standing leg's knee angle correlates most strongly with scoring (r = 0.573) – more than any detail on the kicking leg. Tip: Pivot the standing foot (heel to target), actively bend the knee – this makes the kick measurably stronger and more stable.

Factor 3: The chain decides the speed

Concept: The foot reaches around 12 m/s (43 km/h) in a dollyo chagi – but only if the hip and knee fire first and the foot whips through last. Tip: Rotate the hip, then let the foot snap through in a semicircle – firing everything at once wastes the speed the chain would add.

Scoring system (WT)

Hit	Points
Punch to the body	1 point
Kick to the body	2 points
Kick to the head	3 points
Spin kick body / head	4 / 5 points

Safety & landing

The ankle is the weak point: Over 80% of cases happen without opponent contact, on landing – ankle circles before every session.
Land soft: Roll with bent knees instead of landing stiff on the heel – most serious injuries are non-contact landings.
A head guard isn't full protection: It doesn't prevent concussions – keeping your guard up and avoiding hard head hits stays mandatory.
Never strike with your toes: Ball of the foot, instep or heel depending on the kick – unprotected toes cost you sore feet.

Pro tip: Film your dollyo chagi once a month from the same angle and check just one thing: does the hip fire before the foot? Taekwondo progress shows up in m/s, not in feel.