Typical Curriculum

While organizations such as ITF or Kukkiwon define the general style of taekwondo, individual clubs and schools tend to tailor their taekwondo practices. Although each taekwondo club or school is different, a student typically takes part in most or all of the following:

Forms (called poomsae 품새/品勢 he-yung or hyung also teul 틀 toul by ITF, poom'-sy or simply the English translations "pattern" or "form" by the WTF) - these serve the same function as kata in the study of karate,
Sparring (called gyeorugi 겨루기 gyee-oh-roo'-gee, or matseogi 맞서기 mat-see-oh'-gee in the ITF) - sparring includes variations such as free-style sparring (in which competitors spar without interruption for several minutes); 7, 3, 2, and 1-step sparring (in which students practise pre-arranged sparring combinations); and point sparring (in which sparring is interrupted and then resumed after each point is scored)
Breaking (gyeokpa 격파 gyee-ohk'-pah or weerok) - the breaking of boards is used for testing, training, and martial arts demonstrations. Demonstrations often also incorporate bricks, tiles, and blocks of ice or other materials. These techniques can be separated into three types:
Power breaking – using straightforward techniques to break as many boards as possible
Speed breaking – boards are held loosely by one edge, putting special focus on the speed required to perform the break
Special techniques – breaking fewer boards but using jumping or flying techniques to attain greater height, distance, or to clear obstacles
Self-defense techniques (hosinsool 호신술, hoh'-sin-sool)
Learning the fundamental techniques of taekwondo; these generally include kicks, blocks, punches, and strikes, with somewhat less emphasis on grappling and holds
Throwing and/or falling techniques (deonjigi 던지기 dee-on-jee'-gee and ddeoreojigi 떨어지기 dee-oh-ree-oh-jee'-gee)
Both anaerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
Relaxation and meditation exercises, as well as breathing control
A focus on mental and ethical discipline, etiquette, justice, respect, and self-confidence
Examinations to progress to the next rank
Development of personal success and leadership skills
Though weapons training is not a formal part of most taekwondo federation curriculums, individual schools will often incorporate additional training with staffs, knives, sticks, etc.