Taekwondo Houghton-le-Spring

Images of young children doing rapid punches and energetic kicking manoeuvres, are what come to mind at the mere mention of Taekwondo. There's no doubt that the younger and fitter generation are more equipped to contend with the physical demands of this high energy sport, but this isn't to say that people of any age can't participate. You will however get much more enjoyment out of Taekwondo if you are relatively agile.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking techniques, head kicks and jumping/turning kicks are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known.

With over 60 million enthusiasts globally and a fair few in Houghton-le-Spring, Taekwondo has become extremely popular. If you would like to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, signing up for a Taekwondo club or class in Houghton-le-Spring is a good place to start. While the likelihood of you getting to Olympic standard are rather slim, there's no reason at all why you cannot master this thrilling martial art.

In these times of increasing violence, it is no surprise that folks in places like Houghton-le-Spring are taking up self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a respect for others around us, which are traits that are often missing in 21st century living.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be proven outside of an organised Taekwondo class, however knowing that you have them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Class

If Taekwondo is not a sport that you have ever had a go at before, you will most likely be wondering what to expect from your initial lesson should you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Houghton-le-Spring area have different ideas about this but roughly; you'll participate in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms (patterns), you will practice sparring strategies and finally you'll perform a warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation once more.

The official body governing Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and anybody wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Houghton-le-Spring must also register with British Taekwondo. By exploring British Taekwondo's website you will be able to obtain info regarding clubs and members, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, news, health and safety, beginning a new club, events, first aid, coaches and competition referees, and a lot more Taekwondo related issues.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are numerous different Taekwondo kicks, listed here are just a few of them: Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against and stop an inbound Taekwondo attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are implemented. They are held in specific positions and enlist the hand with different parts of the arm. Certain attacks require particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking manoeuvres by linking retaliatory kicks or punches. The primary "blocks" (makgi) include: Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In the art of taekwondo there's really no standardization in regards to ranking and belts. It's all dependent on which style you're considering, since there are so many different Taekwondo styles. They are however, generally split into 2 groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour rankings range from white to red, with from eight to twelve grades, while the black/senior belts usually have 9 levels.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are an array of tournaments and competitions in Taekwondo associated with all the various styles. They primarily include breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring with not much hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation tournaments do not allow substantial contact but may allow hand attacks aimed at the head. WT and Olympic contests allow only sparring. Multi-style contests are also held.