Taekwondo Corfe Mullen

Since Taekwondo has quite high physical requirements, it's perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Corfe Mullen. That isn't to say that the older generation can't take part in this particular activity, but simply that there could be alternative martial arts which are more appropriate for the less agile of us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some schools called "kwans", blending various martial arts techniques. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it ultimately became known, is on kicking movements, in particular head-height kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and rapid kicking strategies. Today Corfe Mullen Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Corfe Mullen and with over 60 million others all over the world. Ever since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining your local Corfe Mullen Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot be a master of this exciting martial art and have an amazing time in the process.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and naturally this is one of the main reasons that individuals in Corfe Mullen join classes and get involved in the sport. There has been a worrying escalation of violent behaviour in recent years and this is particularly rampant in town and city centres throughout Dorset and the UK in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such widespread attributes in Corfe Mullen nowadays.

These self-defence techniques may in due course prove useful in your day to day life, although it is more likely you will solely be putting them to the test within a regulated class setting. Yet it is a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

Different Taekwondo schools in the Corfe Mullen area will have different thoughts on what learners should be covering on their first lesson, however to give you a perception of what you can expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will incorporate a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning basic Poomse (forms), an introduction to kicks, hand attacks, blocks and stances (technical training) and a final warm-down to relax tired muscles and return the body to a state of relaxation.

The governing body for Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and any person wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Corfe Mullen must also register with British Taekwondo. By exploring the British Taekwondo website you'll be able to read information regarding news, events, safe practices, clubs and members, referees and coaching, first aid, safeguarding and equality, launching a new Taekwondo club, coaching courses, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps most recognized for its acrobatic kicks, here are a handful of the fundamental kicks that you will learn as a novice: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against the various hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse selection of "blocks" (Makgi). They're held in various positions and use the hand with different areas of the arm. Each block can be merged with a punch or kick to produce a counter-attack, and each block is meant for a certain type of attack. The most important "blocks" include: Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Beginners in Taekwondo do not need to worry too much about forms (Poomse, patterns) initially, but they'll have to learn some important ones for starters and move on to more complex forms as they progress up the belts (dans/grades). A "form" is denoted by specific areas of Taekwondo including technique, stance and direction. Learning these techniques is a crucial part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts

In Tae kwon do there is really no uniformity in relation to belts and grades. It all depends on what style you're considering, as there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles. They are however, typically split into 2 groups "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The junior/colour rankings range from white to red, with from 8 to 12 levels, while the senior/black belts usually have nine grades.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are known as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest (beginners) is Tenth Kup. If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is indicated by a number of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate belts with stripes, 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. Beginner students of Taekwondo in Corfe Mullen will start out with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the colours until they reach the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Corfe Mullen are considered to be "black belt candidates" after they've successfully completed this process, and they'll then need to proceed through an additional nine ranks (Dans) if they aspire to achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, putting it simply, there are 3 main groups in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Junior Taekwondo Belts are; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts comprise; Green (6th), Green With Blue Stripe (5th), Blue (4th), Blue With Red Stripe (3rd), Red (2nd) and Red With Black Stripe (1st). The Black Taekwondo Belts go from 1st to 9th Dan which will take a number of years to progress through.