Taekwondo Dorking

As Taekwondo has pretty high physical demands, it's possibly more suited to the younger people of Dorking. That's not to say that older individuals cannot be involved in this popular activity, but merely that there may be alternative martial arts which are more suited to the less agile among us. Tai Chi would be a perfect example.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts lovers set up some new schools which they called "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. The focus of the discipline was on kicking movements, in particular fast kicking styles, spinning/jumping kicks and head kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, roughly meaning "the way of the foot and fist". These days Dorking Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be extremely popular in Dorking and all across the globe, with more than 60 million practitioners worldwide. Registering with a local Dorking Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to become involved in this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Though you might not have any aspirations to take part in Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you should not become a maestro of this remarkable martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

The thing about Taekwondo that appears to most interest people in Dorking is the self-defence element of it. And in these times of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it is no great surprise that this sits at the top of people's list of priorities. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key principle of Taekwondo.

Such self-defence techniques may in due course come in handy in your day to day life, though it's much more likely that you'll only be putting them to the test within a monitored class setting. Yet it is a nice feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Lesson

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. This may vary depending on which Dorking school you go to, but will usually involve the following. An initial warm up lasting fifteen to twenty minutes, some technical training which will involve learning some kicks, hand attacks, blocking techniques and stances, an introduction to forms or patterns, a look at sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

If you want to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Dorking, you will also have to become a member of the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You can find lots of info on first aid, events, safeguarding and equality, health and safety, news, coaching courses, members and clubs, coaches and competition referees, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more, by heading to the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In terms of belts, promotion and ranking there's not actually any standardisation in Taekwondo, since there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own specific system. There are however likenesses and they normally consist of a couple of groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior ranks generally have 9 tiers and the junior, 8 to 12 levels.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to most of the martial arts is portrayed by a number of colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate belts with stripes, specifically 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. The 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo beginners in Dorking will start out with, they'll then proceed through the colours, eventually achieving the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which will take about three to four years of training and lessons.

Taekwondo trainees in Dorking are considered to be "black belt candidates" after they have successfully completed this process, and they'll then be faced with moving through a further nine ranks (or Dans) if they want to achieve the supreme distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. So, to put it simply, there are three main groups in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belts, Senior Belts 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 are; 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 can take a considerable number of years to progress through.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits which can be acquired by participating in Taekwondo training in Dorking are countless, amongst the most significant are: Lessen stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Beef up your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to take control of your life, Teach you self-defence by coaching you to understand instances where self-defence may be needed, and empowering you to control such scenarios to your advantage, More discipline by comprehensively training your body and mind in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Increase self-esteem and concentration by sharpening both mental and physical fitness, Increase stamina, flexibility and agility by means of strenuous cardiovascular exertion.

Taekwondo Forms

Beginners in Taekwondo don't have to fret too much about forms (Poomse, patterns) in the early days, however they'll get to grips with some standard ones to start with and move on to more elaborate forms as they progress up the belts (dans/grades). A form is signified by specific elements of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Getting to grips with these techniques is a key part of mastering Taekwondo.

Safety Gear

Safety gear like a mouth protector, a red/blue head protector, hand protectors, forearm guards, a blue or red trunk guard (hogu), a groin guard and shin protectors are worn in all contests regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is paramount on account of the forceful kicks which are an integral element of this activity.

Conclusion

We can more or less guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you'll gain self-confidence, make new friends and improve your fitness. If that is all you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it a success! We're not all striving to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, have to start with that first step. Good luck on your adventure!