Taekwondo Annitsford

Taekwondo is generally a lot more demanding physically than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty agile and fit you might prefer to find something a little gentler to improve your fitness in Annitsford. Younger children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Annitsford, with lots of fast paced movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo came from Korea in 1945. This mix of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some exciting new schools in Seoul called "kwans", established by a group of Korean martial artists. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mainly entails kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking methods and turning/jumping kicks. Nowadays Annitsford Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million enthusiasts all around the world, and even though you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games athlete, you are still able to sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to master what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and rewarding pastime.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and not surprisingly this is one of the principal reasons that individuals in Annitsford join classes and engage with the sport. There's been a disconcerting increase in violent conduct in recent years and this is particularly common in town and city centres around Tyne and Wear and the United Kingdom in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such familiar qualities in Annitsford nowadays.

There is a fairly decent likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be proven in the outside world, but it will undoubtedly give you peace of mind knowing that they are there should you need them.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you've never attempted Taekwondo before, you will be interested to find out just what is going to happen on your first lesson. The following will give you a good idea, but this will vary from school to school. An initial warm up lasting 15 to 20 minutes, a little technical training which will involve learning some kicks, blocks, hand attacks and stances, learning some forms (or Poomse), a few ideas on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and last but not least a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

If you would like to join a Taekwondo club in Annitsford, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By checking out British Taekwondo's website you can discover information on clubs and members, coaches and competition referees, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, first aid, news, events, launching a new club, health and safety, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The Eight Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are lots of different Taekwondo kicking moves, here are just a selection of them: Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the different attacking movements, are called Makgi. Employing the hand and areas of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Certain attacks require particular blocks, but blocks can also be changed into counter-attacks by combining reciprocal kicks or punches. The primary Taekwondo blocks include: Upper Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block and Low Block.

Safety Gear

Safety gear such as a blue or red trunk protector (hogu), shin protectors, forearm protectors, hand protectors, a groin protector, a red/blue head protector and a gum shield must be used in all competitions supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is needed on account of the forceful kicking which is an integral part of this sport.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In terms of promotion, ranking and belts there is not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific arrangement. There are however similarities and they typically consist of two groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior rankings usually have nine tiers and the junior, 8 to 12 levels.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are referred to as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a range of different colours, so that the ranks are easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo newbies in Annitsford will commence with, they can then advance through the different coloured belts, finally attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which will take about three to four years of training and lessons.

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo students in Annitsford become "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt". So, Junior, Senior and Black Belt are the three primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior group of 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 training and dedication. (Tags: Taekwondo Belts Annitsford, Taekwondo Rankings Annitsford, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Black Belts).

Beginners Classes

Students setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Annitsford will at first register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are awesome, as there are no serious demands and everything's carried out at a casual, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the key objectives at the start and students who are having fun are inclined to learn a lot quicker and digest considerably more of what they're being taught. Even Taekwondo masters began as naive newbies, so take that first step and who knows where you will wind up!