You may be wondering, how does taekwondo translate into real life fights? Taekwondo is a highly physically demanding martial art. By this, we mean that you need immense physical power, flexibility, and stamina to be able to perform it at higher levels. We wanted to look further into how it translates and found that some of the most famous UFC fighters actually have a background in the art of Taekwondo. Here’s a list of some of the top UFC fighters that started out in Taekwondo. Bas Rutten Rutten is a true MMA legend and one of the early pioneers of the sport. Rutten began learning the Korean martial art form, Taekwondo, at 14. After completely dedicating himself to the sport, Bas would receive a 2nd-degree black belt. Bas Rutten then got involved in a street fight, after which his parents banned him from learning any martial arts. At the age of 21, Rutten moved out and started learning other forms of martial arts too. He took up Kyokushin Karate where he holds the 5th-degree black belt as well. Akop Stepanyan Akop began his combat sport training with Taekwondo where he earned his blackbelt and was the 2002 Russian National Champion. Nina Ansarrof Nunes was born Nina Ann Ansaroff. Nunes started taking classes in Taekwondo at the age of 6 she would later earn a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo. Daron Cruickshank Both of his parents are 4th-degree black belts in Taekwondo and have their own schools. His father is also a former MMA fighter and his mother took part in Kickboxing and Boxing matches. Daron became a 2nd-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and he was also competing as an NCAA Division III wrestler. Edson Barboza Barboza brings to the table a variety of brutal Taekwondo and Muay Thai kicking techniques. Barboza started his martial arts journey in Muay Thai and Taekwondo. He has never changed his fighting styles & has remained loyal to his elite standup skills. Valentina Shevchenko Valentina Shevchenko is one of the greatest women fighters to grace the octagon. Valentina began Taekwondo at age 5, under the influence of her older sister Antonina and her mother, who both participated in the sport. At age 12 she branched out into Muay Thai kickboxing and then freestyle Vale Tudo. Rose Namajunas Rose started practicing taekwondo at the age of 5. She earned her poom belt (junior black belt) at age 9. After that, she went on to practice both karate and BJJ. As the former UFC straw-weight champion Rose Namajunas could arguably be considered one of the most well rounded women's MMA fighters on the entire UFC roster. You can still see Taekwondo has a clear influence on the way she fights in the UFC. Yair Rodriguez Yair Rodriguez started his combat sports journey at age 5 when he started learning taekwondo. Yair eventually started training MMA and made his professional debut in 2011. Yair is one of those talented fighters who have the potential to change the face of the game. We can’t recall anybody in MMA history demonstrating that kind of fluidity, dynamic striking and movement.Yair is a taekwondo black belt and one of the purest representations of this martial arts style in modern MMA. Anderson Silva Many fans see Silva as the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and it’s very hard to argue against that. Like many on this list. Silva's first foray in martial arts began as a child training jiu-jitsu with neighborhood kids. As a teen, Silva began training in taekwondo, capoeira and muay thai.To this day, Silva stayed loyal to his martial arts base. With the 5th dan black belt around his waist, he is perhaps the highest-ranking taekwondo practitioner on this list. Anthony Pettis Pettis started training in taekwondo and boxing at the age of 5. In college he also started wrestling. When he went to train mixed martial arts at Roufusport at the age of 18, he already had a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo. He would then go on to achieve the same in BJJ as well and have a very good MMA career. As an honorable Mention, Stephen Thompson. He bases his method on a US kickboxing style, although he calls it karate we believe. American kickboxing is a combination of boxing and Korean kicks. Although these fighters started at a young age, Taekwondo circles around intelligence and the right attitude. For this reason, you're never too old to begin with Taekwondo. With dedication and determination, you can make the cut even after 60 let alone 30 or 40 years of age. Be sure to stop in and visit with us about how to start your taekwondo journey at W1.
Master Adrian is a fantastic teacher and is always willing to help his students become better martial artists. He puts in the work to give his students the best opportunity to succeed, and I think anybody who commits themselves to W1 and Master Adrian will reap the benefits.
My daughter started W1 Taekwondo with a trial class offered for a month. She liked it very much and wanted to go back to the regular class. And yes she never stopped herself from attending W1 Taekwondo class. She gained lots of skills in a very short time. I can see how much confidence she is now! Master Adrian is a very respected person and we can rely on him to build my daughter's Taekwondo skills. Master Adrian focuses not only on Taekwondo skills but also on behavioral skills that are required for a student. All the teachers are wonderful and very friendly. If you are looking for a Taekwondo class for your child this is the place that I can strongly recommend without any hesitation. Thanks and best wishes!
Master Adrian is a dedicated and skilled martial artist, leader, and coach. We enrolled our three kids, ages 5, 6, and 7 this past April and they have come such a long way in skill and in discipline. Master Adrian is both gentle with the kids and tough on them at the same time- the perfect combination for our family. Our kids have learned so much from him, on and off the mat. Master Adrian's whole team is fantastic. Highly recommend!