Taekwondo Adlington

Because Taekwondo has quite high physical requirements, it's perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Adlington. That's not to say that the older generation can't be involved in this popular activity, but merely that there may be alternative martial arts that are more suited to the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily features kicking manoeuvres and moves, in particular head kicks, jumping/turning kicks and rapid kicking styles. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools known as "kwans", which merged a number of martial arts techniques.

Nowadays an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million enthusiasts all over the world, and whilst you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you are still able to sign up for a Taekwondo club or class to learn what will undoubtedly prove to be a fascinating and worthwhile activity.

In these days of increasing violence, it is no surprise that people in areas like Adlington are attending self-defence techniques such as Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for others around us, which are disciplines that are frequently absent in this modern age.

These self-defence techniques may in due course prove to be useful in your everyday life, though it's far more likely you will only be using them within a regulated class environment. However it is a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to defend yourself if you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo before, you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your very first class. This may vary from school to school but will normally comprise all or some of these. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little practical training involving learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, stances and kicks, discovering some forms (or Poomse), a quick introduction to sparring which will include attack timing, movement and timing, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch weary muscles.

Any person wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Adlington must also register with British Taekwondo which is the official governing body of the sport in Great Britain. By exploring the official British Taekwondo website you'll be able to find information about safeguarding and equality, events, coaching courses, first aid, safe practices, news, members and clubs, coaches and referees, launching a new Taekwondo club, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Novices just starting out Taekwondo do not need to stress excessively about forms (Poomse, patterns) initially, but they'll have to learn some standard ones to begin with and progress to more complex forms as they progress through the belts (grades/dans). A "form" is signified by specific elements of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Getting to grips with these techniques is a crucial part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo has just about the biggest assortment of kicking movements in all of the martial arts. Here are some: Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi). Blocks: To repulse the various kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse selection of blocks. Held in particular positions, they involve the hand and parts of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate particular blocks, but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacks by the combination of reciprocal kicks or punches. The main blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts

The ranking and belt structure can get rather bewildering in Taekwondo because there's no standardized arrangement throughout the diverse Taekwondo styles. Analogies can be found however, and commonly there are 2 distinct belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior section varies over the styles but is commonly between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior's section commonly has 9 dans or belts.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks in Taekwondo that are generally known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of different colours, so that the ranks can be easily recognised. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo novices in Adlington will start out with, they can then proceed through the different colours, finally attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), after approximately three to four years of training and lessons.

Taekwondo trainees in Adlington become "black belt candidates" once they've successfully completed this process, and they will then have to move through an additional nine ranks (called Dans) if they plan to achieve the greatest accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Therefore, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order. 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 group of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of dedicated training.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear like a gum shield, shin guards, a groin guard, forearm protectors, a red or blue head guard, hand protectors and a blue or red trunk guard (hogu) must be used in all contests controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is crucial because of the vigorous kicking that's an integral element of this sport.