Taekwondo Leigh-on-Sea

Because Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it's perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Leigh-on-Sea. That isn't to say that older people cannot take part in this kind of activity, but simply that there may be alternative martial arts that are more suitable for the less nimble among us. Tai Chi would be the perfect illustration.

The sport was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not named Taekwondo until the 1950's. This blend of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. In Taekwondo the focus is on kicking, especially rapid kicking styles, spinning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks. Today Leigh-on-Sea Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

With more than sixty million individuals engaged in Taekwondo classes all around the globe, this has unquestionably become an extremely popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master the sport you may even one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and undoubtedly this is one of the principal reasons that individuals in Leigh-on-Sea join classes and engage with the sport. There's been a disturbing escalation of violent behaviour in recent years and this is particularly prevalent in town and city centres around Essex and the country as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and respect for others, not such common attributes in Leigh-on-Sea these days.

Although it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have those self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the odds are that you'll never have to use them outside the monitored environment of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever done previously, you'll doubtless be wondering what you should be expecting from your very first lesson if you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Leigh-on-Sea area have different ideas about this but roughly; you will participate in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a certain amount of technical training, you will learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring strategies and lastly you'll warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state again.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own regulating body, and in the UK it is British Taekwondo. Everybody wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Leigh-on-Sea have to become members of this organisation. By visiting British Taekwondo's official website you can read information on safeguarding and equality, health and safety, first aid, clubs and members, beginning a new Taekwondo club, coaching courses, referees and coaching, news, events, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicks you'll learn initially include: Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Front Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and defend against an inbound Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are implemented. Held in specific positions, they engage the hands and parts of the arm. Each form of attack calls for a specific kind of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with another punch or kick. The key blocks (makgi) include: Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The belt and ranking system can get somewhat confusing in Taekwondo as there isn't any uniform system throughout the diverse Taekwondo styles. Similarities can be found though, and commonly there are two distinct belt groups, represented as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior group varies over the disciplines but is usually somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior group commonly has nine dans or belts.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks go from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). As with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is portrayed by a range of different colours, so the ranks are easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo rookies in Leigh-on-Sea will begin with, they'll then advance through the coloured belts, finally earning the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which will take approximately 3-4 years.

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo students in Leigh-on-Sea are known as "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through an additional 9 ranks (Dans) right up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt" status. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group of Taekwondo Belts are; Green (Sixth), Green With a Blue Stripe (Fifth), Blue (Fourth), Blue With a Red Stripe (Third), Red (Second), and Red With a Black Stripe (First). The Black group of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and demands many years of training and dedication.