Product Description

Packed with over 500 photos and clear, step-by-step instructions, "Practical Taekwondo: Back to the Roots" offers a wealth of interpretations of ITF and WTF taekwondo patterns. Using the techniques that the author has discovered and tested, it shows readers how they can find their own applications. ITF and WTF practitioners alike will find this book to be invaluable. No matter what level you are in your study of taekwondo, this book will help you look at patterns in a completely different way. Whether you are a white belt or a black belt, this book is packed with information that will make your training practical and relevant to the social challenges of the twenty-first century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118324 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
'A true 21st century martial artist. His research into keeping them relevant to the modern world should serve as an inspiration to all' --Iain Abernethy 5th Dan"

About the Author
Matthew Sylvester, 3rd Dan, has been studying taekwondo since 1991. In 1995 he hosted pressure points pioneer Prof. Rick Clark. Since then, Matthew has dedicated his training to making taekwondo as practical as possible, gaining black belts in Jung Shin Mudo (taekwondo) Ao Denkou Jitsu, Jim Wagner's Reality Based Personal Protection, Family Awareness Safety Training, and Aikoushin Kobujutsu.

Customer Reviews

Very impressed
Very impressed with this book. Beautifully laid out and as soon as you open it you are aware of how much work has gone into it. I feel this book will be a big help to all people who want their TKD to be thoughtful and functional - Iain Abernethy

A very instructional and visually informative interpretation of Taekwondo
The contents of this book are concisely written and structured in such a way that the flow of the technique descriptions, when coupled with the high quality 'storyboard' photos, show a very effective and informative interpretation of TKD patterns. The techniques themselves, derived from specific aspects of TKD patterns, are well described, smoothly linked together with the photographs and very intuitive to learn and adopt.

The section on how to rate a technique's effectiveness is also a nice addition, especially with the details included of the use of pressure points in the techniques.

A thoroughly interesting and useful read that I would recommend to anyone who wishes to truly see the effectiveness of Taekwondo patterns.

Encoding & Decoding
If it took a master to encode a kata then it sure takes a master to decode it. Matthew Sylvester in my mind is the man for the job. Not only has he created functional and sensible applications to traditional Taekwondo he has applied his extensive knowledge of classical martial arts and combined them with his no nonsense reality based approach. This book is a must for the TKD'er who wants to delve deeper into the fascinating and historical techniques stored in the patterns of this sport based martial art.

The photographs and detailed explanations build on the readers journey through the book and help instill Matthew's methodology. Knowing how much time and energy he has put into this book I guarantee that you won't be disappointed in what for me has become a reference source for showing the layperson the reasoning behind many movements taught in traditional martial arts.

This book only goes to show that Matthew has surely become a pioneer of TKD and a true master of the arts.

Adam J. Merton