Taekwondo Ringmer

It must be asserted that Taekwondo can be very physically demanding, which might unnerve the older and less agile people in Ringmer from taking this up. To be truthful, the most frequent people participating in Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but unquestionably older people who're in great physical condition can easily get involved and benefit considerably from this sport.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its origins in Korea in 1945. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics founded some schools which they called "kwans", practicing a mix of martial arts techniques. In Taekwondo the emphasis is on kicking, especially jumping/spinning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head-height kicks. Nowadays Ringmer Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

With over sixty million people participating in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has definitely become a popular activity, and if you become really good at the martial art you might even one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For a lot of people in Ringmer, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it really is no surprise that this aspect sits high up on people's list of priorities. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you're able to gain more confidence in your capacity to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and practice self-restraint.

There's a very good likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be proved in your day to day life, but it will undoubtedly give you reassurance knowing that they're there should you ever be in need of them.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you'll be wondering what to expect. There might be variations to the following, depending on which Ringmer Taekwondo school you go to, but you can more or less expect; A warm up of 15 to 20 minutes to increase heart rate and loosen stiff muscles, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, blocks, hand attacks and stances, a look at some forms, a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and last but not least a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping,

If you would like to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Ringmer, you will also have to register with the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. You'll be able to read about equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, members and clubs, news, health and safety, events, first aid, starting a new club, referees and coaching, and more on the British Taekwondo website, or get the latest news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

In all contests, competitions and events being staged under the patronage of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as a red or blue body guard (hogu), hand protectors, shin protectors, forearm protectors, a gum shield, a groin guard and a red or blue head guard is compulsory. The fast kicking techniques employed in Taekwondo can cause injuries and these preventative measures help make the activity less hazardous for its competitors.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a significant role in Taekwondo, here are a small selection of the best known ones ones: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to repulse the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Held in diverse positions, they engage the hands and areas of the arm. Every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attack, and each is meant for a particular attack. The principal "blocks" include: Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Knife Hand Block.

Tournaments and Competitions

Contests are a significant part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the different styles across the globe hold tournaments where Taekwondo masters gather together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these tournaments which mainly incorporate sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo tournaments, whilst certain hand attacks are permitted in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are important if you are going to master this thrilling activity. Several basic Taekwondo forms should be grasped at the start and more advanced forms must be mastered in order to progress through the various belts. A Taekwondo form is distinguished by various factors such as stance, direction and technique.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that can be achieved by participating in Taekwondo training in Ringmer are numerous, amongst the most significant are: Increase your self-esteem by elevating both physical and mental fitness, Better discipline and willpower by methodically training your body and mind in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Help with self-defence tactics by helping you identify occasions where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to turn these types of scenarios in your favour, Beef up confidence by motivating you to seize control of your life and succeed, Turbocharge flexibility, agility and stamina by means of extreme cardiovascular effort, Reduce stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Toughen up your mind and body thru accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Belts

With there being various different disciplines of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform system for allocating belts (grades). What exists is however quite similar and comprises two belt groupings "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each one of these groupings is split into ranks, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and nine "blacks" for seniors.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). The Taekwondo belt order, similar to the vast majority of the martial arts is indicated by a number of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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 Ringmer will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the various coloured belts until they reach the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Ringmer become "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through another nine ranks (Dans) right up until they achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt" status. Therefore, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the three main groupings in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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. (Tags: Taekwondo Promotion Ringmer, Taekwondo Belt Order, Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Ringmer).

Final Thoughts

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't purely about Olympic medals and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to meet different people, make new friends and improve our levels of fitness, and that's how it ought to be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get from it will hinge on what you put into it. Good luck! 👊