Taekwondo Swanage

Images of young children doing energetic kicks and rapid punching manoeuvres, are what come to mind at the mere mention of Taekwondo. While the younger and fitter generation may find it easier to cope with the physical demands of Taekwondo, people of every age group can and do practice the sport. You will however get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo if you are fairly agile and fit.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. Some innovative new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts devotees, incorporating a number of various martial arts techniques. The focus of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially spinning/jumping kicks, head kicks and rapid kicking methods. Today Swanage Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular all over the world with some sixty million people or more actively participating in classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo class or club that you can start your journey of mastering this exciting art.

For the men, women and children of Swanage who wish to learn a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. Since this is a central concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to see the appeal of this particular sport. With the extra bonus of developing self-restraint and having a deep respect for other people, signing up for a local Swanage Taekwondo class would seem to be a no brainer.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be tried and tested outside of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Lesson

If you have never tried Taekwondo before, you could be a little concerned as to what can be expected on your first lesson. This may vary from club to club but will normally involve all or some of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little technical training involving learning some stances, kicks, blocking techniques and hand attacks, learning some forms, an introduction to sparring which will include timing, the timing of attacks and movement, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch weary muscles.

Taekwondo of course also has its own governing body, and in the British Isles it is British Taekwondo. Anybody wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Swanage must become a registered member of this organisation. You can read about first aid, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, clubs and members, news, events, coaches and referees, launching a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and find out the latest Taekwondo news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Beginners Classes

It doesn't matter what you're standing is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one time you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started out at that point and can only learn and develop through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Swanage are the place to start that learning journey and to acquire the basics so you can build self-confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo adventure. Almost all beginner classes are set up to be friendly and fun, providing a gradual introduction to the basic Taekwondo principles and building a firm foundation for the future.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as patterns or Poomse) are identified by specified facets such as stance, direction and technique. From the start you'll learn a few of the important forms, and so as to progress through the various rankings (belts) you will need to learn some more advanced ones.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits which can be gained by taking part in Taekwondo lessons in Swanage are numerous, among the most advantageous are: Teach self-defence by helping you to identify situations in which self-defence might be required, and enabling you to control these types of scenarios in your favour, Better self-discipline by exhaustively training your mind and body in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body by means of improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Reduce stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Augment agility, flexibility and stamina through intense cardiovascular effort, Enhance feelings of self-esteem by maximizing your mental and physical health.

Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments and competitions are a significant element of the Taekwondo legacy, and all of the different styles all over the world stage tournaments where Taekwondo masters gather together to compete. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these competitive events which primarily comprise patterns, sparring and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

Because there are various different styles of Taekwondo there has never been any standard arrangement for allocating belts (levels). What does exist however is pretty similar and comprises two belt groups "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each of these groupings is divided into levels, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and 9 "blacks" for seniors.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks which are known as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). The Taekwondo belt order, much like most of the martial arts is indicated by a number of 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. The 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo rookies in Swanage will start off with, they will then proceed through the different coloured belts, finally reaching the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), after about 3-4 years.

Taekwondo students in Swanage are considered as "black belt candidates" once they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then have to move through another nine ranks (called Dans) if they plan to achieve the consummate accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Therefore, Junior, Senior and Black Belt are the 3 main groups in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group comprise; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a qualification process that will take a number of years.

Final Thoughts

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you put into it (as is true of life on the whole). Most of you will only want to meet different people, improve your fitness and make new friends, some may want to take part in competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.