Taekwondo Walton-on-the-Naze

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suitable for the younger generation in Walton-on-the-Naze and is particularly suited to kids as it is fantastic for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly people might find it a bit too challenging unless they're particularly active and fit. However, those who persue Taekwondo in Walton-on-the-Naze at a young age will find that they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you might think about something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. Kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/spinning kicks, head-height kicks and fast kicking methods are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known.Today Walton-on-the-Naze Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, and while you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games medalist, you're still able to register for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will undoubtedly turn out to be a fascinating and fulfilling activity.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Walton-on-the-Naze. This is not surprising when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. In fact one of the key principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst exercising self-restraint and a respect for others.

Whilst it will instill you with confidence knowing that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the odds are that you'll never need to use them outside the controlled setting of an organized Taekwondo class.

Your First Walton-on-the-Naze Taekwondo Class

Different Taekwondo schools in the Walton-on-the-Naze area will have different thoughts on what pupils should be covering on their very first class, but to give you a perception of what you can expect most initial Taekwondo classes will include a warm-up, some sparring, learning simple patterns (Poomse), an introduction to stances, blocking techniques, kicks and hand attacks (practical training) and a final warm-down to stretch tired muscles and return the body to a state of relaxation.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Walton-on-the-Naze has to also register with British Taekwondo. You will be able to learn about safeguarding and equality, members and clubs, first aid, events, coaching courses, news, establishing a new club, safe practices, coaches and competition referees, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or find the latest news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Beginners Classes

It matters not who you are or what you're standing is in Taekwondo, at some point you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started at that point and can only learn and improve through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Walton-on-the-Naze are the place to begin that learning journey and to acquire the fundamentals so that you can gain self-confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo experience. Most beginner classes are geared up to be friendly and fun, offering a slow introduction to the basic Taekwondo values and building a solid base moving forward.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt structure can get pretty confusing in Taekwondo because there's no standardized structure across the different Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found however, and generally there are two separate belt groups, represented as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of ranks in the junior section varies through the styles but is typically somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's group generally has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) that are referred to as "Kup", these ranks range from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is denoted by a number of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Walton-on-the-Naze will begin with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and move up through the various coloured belts until they attain the First Kup (Red Belt With Black Stripe)

After this has been completed, Taekwondo students in Walton-on-the-Naze are considered as "black belt candidates" which entails them progressing through yet another nine ranks (Dans) until they achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt". Therefore, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 principal divisions 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 comprise; 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 progress through.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits that may be gained by participating in Taekwondo classes in Walton-on-the-Naze are many and varied, amongst the most advantageous are: Turbocharge flexibility, stamina and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Increase concentration and self-esteem by raising both physical and mental fitness, Strengthen your body and mind via enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, More discipline and willpower by methodically training your mind and body in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Teach you self-defence strategies by helping you realize situations where self-defence may be required, and allowing you to control these kinds of scenarios to your advantage, Build your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Reduces stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises.

The Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo has more or less the largest range of kicking moves in all of the martial arts. Here are some: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the many hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse selection of blocks. They are held in specific positions and employ the hands with areas of the arm. Each type of attack calls for a specific type of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The primary blocks include: Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block and Double Forearm Block.

In Conclusion

We can pretty much guarantee that if you take up Taekwondo you will make more friends, improve your levels of fitness and gain more confidence. If that is all you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it a success! We're not all vying to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you that are, still need to start with that initial step. Good luck on your journey!