Taekwondo Hadfield

While people of all ages in Hadfield 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 trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too taxing, unless they have kept themselves active. Carrying their Taekwondo experience through into older adulthood should not however be a problem for those who start when they are younger. Tai Chi or something similarly softer might be more suitab le for the less agile of you.

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

Taekwondo has grown to be really popular in Hadfield and all around the world, with more than sixty million participants worldwide. Getting started with a local Hadfield Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to get involved with this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not have any ambitions to get involved in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a maestro of this thrilling martial art and have some fun in the process.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Hadfield is the self-defence aspect of it. And in these days of increased violence, especially in city and town centres, it is not surprising that this features high on people's priority list. Learning to properly defend yourself while at the same time exercising self-restraint and respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

These self-defence techniques may at some point come in useful in the outside world, though it's more likely you will only be putting them to the test within a monitored class setting. Nevertheless it is an amazing feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself when you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

Different Taekwondo clubs in and around Hadfield will have different thoughts on what students should be covering on their initial lesson, however to give you a perception of what to expect most initial Taekwondo classes will involve a warm-up, some sparring, learning simple forms (Poomse), a brief introduction to blocks, stances, hand attacks and kicks (practical training) and a warm-down to stretch weary muscles and get the body back to a state of relaxation.

If you want to join a Taekwondo class in Hadfield, you'll also have to register with the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about members and clubs, first aid, events, establishing a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, safe practices, news, coaches and tournament referees, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and find out the latest news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In the art of taekwondo there's really no form of standardisation with regards to ranking and belts. It's all determined by which style you are looking at, as there are such a diversity of Taekwondo rules and styles. However, they're generally divided into a couple of groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks consist of white to red, with from 8 to 12 levels, while the black/senior belts normally have nine rankings.

In the UK there are a set of ranks in Taekwondo which are referred to as "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest rank is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, just like most of the martial arts is denoted by a range 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. Students in Hadfield getting started in Taekwondo will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they achieve the 1st Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe).

When this training regime has been completed, Hadfield Taekwondo trainees are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they then need to progress through a further nine Dans or ranks if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate accolade. Therefore, putting it simply, there are 3 primary groups in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group are; 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 go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which takes a considerable number of years. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Hadfield, Taekwondo Promotion Hadfield, Taekwondo Black Belts).

Safety Gear

In all events, competitions and matches being staged under the control of British Taekwondo, safety gear like forearm protectors, a red/blue head guard, hand guards, a mouth guard, a groin guard, blue or red body armour and shin protectors is mandatory. The fast kicking tactics which are part of Taekwondo could potentially cause injuries and this all helps to make the sport less dangerous for its competitors.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits that may be acquired by participating in Taekwondo training in Hadfield are countless, among the most advantageous are: Turbocharge stamina, flexibility and agility by means of intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Toughen up your mind and body by way of enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Learn self-defence by training you to recognize scenarios in which self-defence might be required, and allowing you to manipulate such situations in your favour, Beef up confidence by helping you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Develop self-discipline by comprehensively educating your body and mind in the concepts and strategies of Taekwondo, Increase self-esteem by intensifying your mental and physical fitness, Lessen anxiety and stress with controlled breathing.

To Summarize

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't purely about National Championships and Olympic medals. Most of us are content to make new friends, meet different people and improve our levels of fitness, and that is how it should be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get out of it will hinge on what you put into it. Enjoy!