Taekwondo Polesworth

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Polesworth, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. However those in Polesworth who take up Taekwondo at a young age, will find that carrying it on into older adulthood is not a problem. If you consider yourself among the less agile, you could try something like Tai Chi which is much softer.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. Some schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts lovers, combining a number of various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it later became known as, mostly entails kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, fast kicking strategies and jumping/turning kicks. These days Polesworth Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be extremely popular in Polesworth and all across the globe, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Enrolling in a local Polesworth Taekwondo club or class is a great way to get involved with this sport which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst you might not have any dreams to get involved in Olympic competition, there's certainly no reason why you cannot become a master of this intriguing martial art and have some fun along the way.

For many people in Polesworth, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And in these times of increased violence, particularly in city and town centres, it is no surprise that this aspect sits high on people's list of priorities. It is a key element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

Although it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have these self-defence skills in your locker, the odds are you will never have to use them outside of an organised Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in the Polesworth area will have different viewpoints on what learners should be covering on their very first lesson, however to give you a concept of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will include things like a warm-up, some sparring, learning basic Poomse (forms), an overview of blocking techniques, kicks, stances and hand attacks (practical training) and a final warm-down to relax weary muscles and return the body to a state of relaxation.

Taekwondo also of course has its own official regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Every person wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Polesworth have to become members of this organisation. You will be able to find plenty of info on launching a new Taekwondo club, news, coaches and referees, first aid, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, health and safety, clubs and members, events, and more, by viewing the British Taekwondo website.

Safety Equipment

Competitions governed by British Taekwondo guidelines require various items of protective gear to be worn, these include: shin protectors, a mouth protector, red or blue trunk armour (hogu), a groin guard, forearm guards, hand protectors and a red or blue head protector. This is important due to the formidable kicking moves being practiced.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt structure can get very complicated in Taekwondo because there isn't any uniform structure throughout the different Taekwondo disciplines. Analogies do exist however, and usually there are two distinct belt groupings, signified as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (colours). The number of rankings in the junior section varies across the styles but is normally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, while the senior groupings usually has nine belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are known as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). If you are interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is indicated by a number of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" belts with stripes, namely 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 Polesworth getting started in Taekwondo will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and progress through the coloured belts until they accomplish the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After this training regime has been accomplished, Polesworth Taekwondo students are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they must then earn an additional 9 Dans or ranks if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the ultimate accolade in this sport. Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into 3 classifications; 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 will take a considerable number of years to successfully progress through.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are important if you're to master this exciting martial art. A few basic "forms" have to be learned at the beginning and more advanced forms will have to be mastered in order to advance through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is categorized by a number of factors such as stance, technique and direction.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits which can be acquired by participating in Taekwondo instruction in Polesworth are numerous, among the most noteworthy are: Greater discipline and willpower by methodically training your body and mind in the concepts and strategies of Taekwondo, Build up your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental fitness, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility through intense cardiovascular effort, Teach you self-defence by helping you understand scenarios in which self-defence may be needed, and allowing you to manipulate these types of scenarios to your advantage, Lower stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Strengthen your mind and body thru enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline.

The Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps best known for its fast-moving kicks, here are a handful of the standard kicks that you'll learn as a novice: Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the different attacks, are called Makgi. Held in particular positions, they engage the hand and different areas of the arm. Each and every "block" can be merged with a kick or punch to create a counter-attacking movement, and each is appropriate for a particular attack. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Palm Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Tournaments

A regular Taekwondo tournament features breaking, patterns and sparring, in the Olympics only sparring is included. That said there may also be some special categories in specific tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT contests are solely soft-contact events, whilst ITF contests allow some hand attacks to the head. There are also some multi-discipline competitions.

Conclusion

Precisely what you acquire from Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you invest in it (as is the case with life in general). Many of you will only want to meet different people, make new friends and improve your fitness, some may want to take part in competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympics. But bear in mind, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.