Taekwondo Battle

While people of all ages in Battle can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. However those who take up Taekwondo in Battle at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Tai Chi or something similarly softer might be more suitab le for the less agile of you.

With its origins in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and consists of mostly high-kicking moves such as head kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and rapid kicking techniques. It started when schools called "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to be extremely popular in Battle and around the globe, with over sixty million participants worldwide. Joining a local Battle Taekwondo class or club is a good way to become involved with this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not have any aspirations to take part in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you should not become a master of this thrilling martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally is the most interesting to people in Battle. This is no great surprise when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in city and town centres nowadays. Being capable of defending yourself is a key factor of Taekwondo, but this is balanced by learning self-restraint and a respect for others.

While it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have these self-defence skills in your locker, the likelihood is that you will never need to use them outside the regulated environment of an organised Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you've ever had a go at previously, you'll doubtless be curious about what you should be expecting from your first lesson should you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Battle have varying thoughts on this but roughly; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you'll learn some forms, you will practice sparring tactics and lastly you will warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation once more.

The UK regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to join a Taekwondo club in Battle, you'll also be required to become a member of this respected organization. By heading to the British Taekwondo website you can read information about coaching courses, coaches and referees, launching a new Taekwondo club, news, health and safety, equality and safeguarding, first aid, members and clubs, events, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Battle had to start as novices, so there is no disgrace in being a complete beginner at Tae kwon do, or any other activity for that matter. The goal of a Taekwondo beginner class is to teach a few of the basics, boost confidence and develop a firm foundation for the future. Most important of all is that it should be enjoyable, trainees having a great time will learn faster and be better engaged.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Mastering Tae kwon do calls for learning a number of techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as patterns or Poomse). These are sequences of direction, stance and technique which must be mastered in order for students to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The ranking and belt structure can get somewhat confusing in Taekwondo since there is no uniform system across the various Taekwondo styles. Likenesses can be found though, and typically there are 2 distinct belt groupings, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior groupings varies through the disciplines but is commonly somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior's groupings typically has nine belts or dans.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a number of colours, so the ranks are easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, namely - white with a yellow stripe, yellow with a green stripe, green with a blue stripe, blue with a red stripe and red with a black stripe. Beginners of Taekwondo in Battle will start out with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and proceed through the different coloured belts until they earn the First Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe)

Once this training has been completed, Battle Taekwondo trainees advance to "black belt candidates", and they then have to earn a further 9 Dans (ranks) if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the ultimate distinction in this sport. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three divisions; Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division comprise; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior division are; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a qualification process that will take a number of years. (Tags: Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Battle, Taekwondo Ranks Battle).