Taekwondo Carrickfergus

While not wanting to deter any particular age group, it should be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Carrickfergus, being rather physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. Seniors could find it somewhat too tough unless they are particularly active and fit. However people that take up Taekwondo in Carrickfergus when they are younger will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you might like to consider something less strenuous like Tai Chi.

With its origins in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently established of the martial arts and entails mainly kicking moves such as jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking techniques and head-height kicks. It began when schools called "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Nowadays an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million practitioners worldwide, and although you may not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you're still able to sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to master what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and fulfilling pastime.

It is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that generally is the most interesting to people in Carrickfergus. And when you consider the increased levels of violence in city and town centres nowadays, this is hardly surprising. Being able to defend yourself is a key principle of Taekwondo, but this is balanced by respecting others and exercising self-restraint.

These self-defence techniques may in due course prove useful in your everyday life, though it is more likely that you'll solely be putting them to the test within a monitored class setting. Yet it is a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you can always successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't something that you have ever tried before, you will doubtless be wondering what you should be expecting from your first lesson should you decide to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Carrickfergus area have varying thoughts on this but in brief; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring techniques and last but not least you'll do a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once more.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Carrickfergus must also become a member of British Taekwondo. By checking out British Taekwondo's website you will be able to discover details of news, events, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, starting a new club, coaches and competition referees, clubs and members, coaching courses, first aid, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, a number of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and the following are just a selection of the ones which may be tempting for you: Beef up confidence by encouraging you to seize control of your life and succeed, Supercharge agility, stamina and flexibility by way of intense cardiovascular effort, Increase your self-esteem by raising both mental and physical powers, Better discipline by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body by increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Lower stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Learn self-defence by helping you to recognise instances in which self-defence may be necessary, and empowering you to turn these kinds of scenarios to your advantage.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different types of Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the various kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse selection of "blocks" (Makgi). Held in various positions, they employ the hand and sections of the arm. Certain attacks require specified blocks, but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking movements by linking reciprocal kicks or punches. The most used "blocks" include: Upper Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

With there being various types of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform arrangement for assigning belts (grades). What does exist however is fairly similar and comprises two belt groups "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each of these groups is divided into grades, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and nine "blacks" for the seniors.

Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments and competitions are a significant element of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all the different styles across the globe stage competitions where Taekwondo masters come together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these contests which mostly comprise breaking, sparring and patterns. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Safety Equipment

Matches controlled by British Taekwondo rules require various items of protective equipment to be worn, these include: a gum shield, a groin protector, a blue/red head protector, hand guards, shin protectors, forearm protectors and blue/red trunk armour. This is crucial owing to the forceful kicking actions being employed.