Taekwondo Westham

Due to its more physical aspects, Taekwondo is maybe more suited to the younger person in Westham and is especially suited to kids because it is excellent for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults may find it a bit too challenging unless they're especially active and fit. However, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Westham at a young age will discover they can easily continue with it when they are older. The less nimble of you could think about something gentler like Tai Chi.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and involves primarily high-kicking moves such as spinning/jumping kicks, fast kicking strategies and head-height kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were founded by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to become really popular in Westham and all across the globe, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Enrolling in a local Westham Taekwondo club or class is a good way to become involved with this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games of 2000. Although you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you shouldn't become a master of this exhilarating martial art and have some fun in the process.

It seems that the most appealing aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence. This is not surprising when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

There is a very good likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be proven in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they're there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in and around Westham will have different guidelines for what enrollees should cover on their very first lesson, but to give you an understanding of what you can expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will include a warm-up, some sparring, learning Poomse (forms), an overview of kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocks (technical training) and a final warm-down to stretch weary muscles and get the body back to a state of relaxation.

Taekwondo also of course has got its own official governing body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Westham has to become a member of this organisation. You will be able to find a lot of info on coaching courses, beginning a new Taekwondo club, news, events, referees and coaching, health and safety, first aid, clubs and members, equality and safeguarding, and more, by heading to British Taekwondo's official website.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

When you are getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Westham you will be expecting to get a few benefits to make the entire undertaking worthwhile. Therefore let us look at some of the many benefits that you could get through learning and doing Taekwondo. Augment stamina, flexibility and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular exertion, Better discipline by methodically educating your body and mind in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Reduce anxiety with controlled breathing, Empower your body and mind by accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Grow in your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Teach self-defence by helping you to realize occasions where self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these scenarios in your favour, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by maximizing your mental and physical fitness.

Safety Gear

British Taekwondo tournaments require specific safety equipment to be worn to safeguard competitors from getting injured due to the potent kicking that occurs. This safety equipment includes: a red or blue body protector (hogu), a red or blue head protector, shin protectors, hand guards, a mouth protector, a groin protector and forearm protectors.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The belt and ranking structure can get very complicated in Taekwondo since there is no standard arrangement throughout the various Taekwondo styles. Analogies can be found however, and generally there are two distinct belt groupings, denoted as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of levels in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is commonly somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior groupings commonly has 9 dans or belts.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). If you are curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is indicated by a range of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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 Westham will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and proceed through the various coloured belts until they achieve the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Westham become "black belt candidates" once they've worked their way through these rankings, and they will then need to proceed through an additional nine ranks (Dans) if they aspire to achieve the greatest accolade Taekwondo Black Belt. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 sections; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior division Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior division 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 involves many years of dedication. (Tags: Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Rankings Westham, Taekwondo Belts Westham, Taekwondo Belt Order).

Taekwondo Competitions

Tournaments are a significant part of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all of the diverse styles around the world hold contests where Taekwondo exponents come together to battle it out. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these tournaments which primarily incorporate patterns, sparring and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and WT tournaments, while some hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is widely recognized for its powerful kicks, here are the standard ones: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an inbound attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. Using the hands and different sections of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Each form of attack necessitates a specific kind of block, counter-attacking movements can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The most used blocks (makgi) include: Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Nine Block and Rising Block.