Is taekwondo a yin focused martial art or yang focused martial art?

Answer 1

Neither. It is a balance of both. The Chinese philosophy of the Tai Chi Tu (black and white circle of Yin and Yang) is taught in Korea as the Taegeuk (blue and red circle of Um and Yang). This symbol is pictured on the Republic of Korea (ROK - South Korea) national flag along with four of the eight trigrams as part of the I Ching - Book of Changes. The Taegeuk symbol is the basis for the philosophy of Taekwondo, and the eight trigrams are used as the diagrams for the solo practice known as Poomsae, or the series of prearranged patterns that are often referred to as "forms."

The nature of Taekwondo application is to understand both aspects of the um and yang, and encorporate it into your philosophy of life, training, and self defense. Taekwondo is known for its powerful kicks (sometimes known more for the "flashy" jumping, spinning, and flying kicks), yet there is the more passive side that was a part of Taekwondo from its creation when the techniques of Hapkido (adapted from Japanese Aikido of harmony or coordinated energy) were included as part of the complete art of Taekwondo.

Some schools of Taekwondo fail to encompass both aspects and focus mostly on kicks, hand strikes and demolishing bricks and boards. This is due to neglect on the part of the instructor, either intentionally because of personal preference, or through improper instruction of the Black Belts who become teachers, yet were never taught the importance of this balanced and complete training of the Taekwondo curriculum.