Taekwondo Edenbridge

Because Taekwondo has quite high physical requirements, it is perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Edenbridge. That's not to say that older individuals cannot participate in this particular activity, but just that there could be other martial arts that are more suitable for the less agile among us. Tai Chi would be a perfect example.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts devotees in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. This later became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, in particular head-height kicks, rapid kicking styles and turning/jumping kicks. Today Edenbridge Taekwondo classes adhere to this tradition.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular all over the world with some sixty million people or more routinely attending classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo class or club that you can begin your quest of learning this fascinating martial art.

For the men, women and children of Edenbridge who would like to learn a martial art, a major priority is the element of self-defence. As this is an important concept of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to see the attraction of this specific sport. With the added benefit of learning self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for those around you, enrolling in a local Edenbridge Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

These self-defence techniques may at some point come in handy in your everyday life, though it's far more likely that you'll solely be testing them within a monitored class setting. However it's a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you'll always be in a position to defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you decide to register for a Taekwondo class in Edenbridge, the very first thing you will be wondering is what is going to transpire on the very first class and what will the teacher be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in Edenbridge will compile diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can count on performing a 20 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood flowing, learn several forms (Poomse), go through some practical training (blocking techniques, kicks, stances and hand attacks), do some sparring, and last of all, a warm-down.

If you wish to join a Taekwondo class in Edenbridge, you will also have to become a member of the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You will be able to find a lot of facts about coaching courses, establishing a new Taekwondo club, equality and safeguarding, safe practices, first aid, news, coaches and tournament referees, clubs and members, events, and more, by popping along to British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Belts

The belt and ranking system can get rather bewildering in Taekwondo since there isn't any recognised system across the various Taekwondo styles. Parallels do exist though, and normally there are 2 distinct belt groupings, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of ranks in the junior group varies across the disciplines but is generally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's groupings normally has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a set of ranks that are generally known as "Kup", these ranks go from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). The Taekwondo belt order, similar to most of the martial arts is indicated by a number of different 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Edenbridge will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they accomplish the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Edenbridge are known as "black belt candidates" which entails them proceeding through a further 9 ranks (Dans) up until they eventually achieve the distinction of "Black Belt" status. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 principal divisions in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group 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 process which takes many years.

Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo contests call for certain safety equipment to be worn to safeguard contenders from personal injury due to the potent kicking that takes place. This safety equipment includes: hand guards, a gum shield, a groin protector, forearm protectors, a blue or red head protector, blue or red body armour and shin guards.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments are staged all over the world in all the different styles. There's usually not a whole lot of hard contact but breaking, patterns and sparring. Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) competitions consist only of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions specified hand attacks are permitted to the head. Some other organisations stage multi-discipline events.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Kicking moves serve a leading role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a list of the more simple ones: Hook or Whip Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and avert an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are implemented. Held in specific positions, they use the hands and areas of the arm. Each and every block can be combined with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking movement, and each one is meant for a specific attack. The most used "blocks" (makgi) include: Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Double Forearm Block.