Taekwondo Snodland

Taekwondo is typically much more demanding physically than for example Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty agile and fit you may prefer to find something a little bit gentler to boost your fitness in Snodland. Children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Snodland, with lots of fast movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in about 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts lovers in Seoul established some schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. The main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, in particular rapid kicking strategies, head kicks and jumping/spinning kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Today Snodland Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Snodland and all around the world, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Registering with a local Snodland Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved with this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst you might not have any dreams to take part in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become an expert at this challenging martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

For the men, women and children of Snodland who would like to learn a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. Considering that this is an important principle of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to appreciate the appeal of this unique sport. With the added reward of developing self-restraint and having a deep respect for those around you, registering for a local Snodland Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

While it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have such self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the odds are that you will never be required to test them outside the monitored setting of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

Your First Snodland Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you've ever had a go at previously, you will doubtless be wondering what you should be expecting from your first lesson if you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Snodland have varying ideas about this but roughly; you'll participate in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring methods and last but not least you'll perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once again.

Anyone who joins a Taekwondo club in Snodland has to also register with British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the British Isles. You will be able to get a lot of info on first aid, clubs and members, coaching courses, health and safety, news, referees and coaching, events, safeguarding and equality, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more, by visiting British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt structure can get rather confusing in Taekwondo because there is no uniform structure throughout the various Taekwondo styles. Likenesses do exist however, and typically there are two separate belt groups, represented as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of grades in the junior group varies over the disciplines but is typically between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior section generally has 9 dans or belts.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest (beginners) is Tenth Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to the vast majority of the martial arts is portrayed by a range of different 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. Beginners in Snodland getting started in Taekwondo will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and progress through the coloured belts until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Snodland are considered as "black belt candidates" once they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then be faced with proceeding through yet another nine ranks (called Dans) if they plan to achieve the supreme accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, Junior, Senior and Black Belt are the three primary groups in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior division Taekwondo Belts are; 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and demands many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Ranks Snodland, Taekwondo Belts Snodland).

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are categorized by certain elements such as direction, technique and stance. From the start of your Taekwondo experience you are going to be taught a few of the important forms, and in order to advance through the various levels (belts) you'll have to learn some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Matches regulated by British Taekwondo policies require various pieces of protective equipment to be worn, these include things like: hand protectors, shin pads, a groin guard, forearm protectors, a gum shield, a blue or red trunk protector (hogu) and a blue or red head guard. This is a must due to the potent kicking attacks being employed.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll probably be interested to learn about precisely what sort of benefits may be obtained by attending Snodland Taekwondo classes and partaking fully in its activities. You could expect that you will: Toughen up your mind and body thru improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Lessen stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Improve flexibility, stamina and agility through extreme cardiovascular exertion, Teach self-defence by helping you identify scenarios where self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to control these situations to your advantage, Improve self-esteem by sharpening your physical and mental powers, Develop discipline by extensively schooling your mind and body in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Beef up your confidence by pushing you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a key role in Taekwondo, here are a small selection of the best known ones ones: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Using the hands and parts of the arm, they're held in specific positions. Certain attacks call for particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacking moves by combining retaliatory punches or kicks. The principal Taekwondo blocks include: Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block and Palm Block.