Taekwondo Askern

While people of all ages in Askern can obviously participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation because it can be rather physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. Seniors trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too tough, unless they have kept themselves active. Continuing their Taekwondo adventure through into older adulthood should not however be an issue for those who start when they are younger. The less agile of you may find that Tai Chi which is a bit softer, is more suitable.

Based mostly around high-kicking manoeuvres and moves like head kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and fast kicking methods, Taekwondo was devised from the practices of various martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts specialists in new schools called "Kwans" in the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" had the names Changmu Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Songmu Kwan and Chungdo Kwan.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Askern and all across the globe, with more than 60 million practitioners worldwide. Signing up for a local Askern Taekwondo class or club is a great way to get involved with this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games of 2000. Though you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this enjoyable martial art and have some fun along the way.

In these modern times of increasing violence, it is hardly surprising that folks in places like Askern are taking up self-defence training like Taekwondo to help them feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also promotes self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are characteristics that are frequently lacking in this modern age.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be tried and tested outside of an actual Taekwondo class, however knowing that you have them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you have booked your first lesson but have never done Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Askern follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of technical training comprising some hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), some tips on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

The official body governing Taekwondo in the UK is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Askern has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. You'll be able to find out about coaching courses, starting a new club, referees and coaching, clubs and members, events, safe practices, news, first aid, equality and safeguarding, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or get the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Competitions

There are a wide variety of competitions in Taekwondo involving all the diverse styles. They largely include sparring, breaking and patterns with very little "hard contact". International Taekwon-Do Federation tournaments don't permit disproportionate contact but do permit hand attacks aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions are also held.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Matches controlled by British Taekwondo rules demand that specific pieces of protective gear be used, these include: a blue/red head protector, forearm protectors, shin guards, red/blue trunk armour (hogu), hand guards, a gum shield and a groin protector. This is a must on account of the forceful kicking moves being practiced.

Taekwondo Belts

When it comes to belts, ranking and promotion there isn't actually any uniformity in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique system. There are however parallels and they usually comprise 2 groupings of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior grades generally have nine levels and the junior, eight to twelve grades.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are known as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is indicated by a number of colours i.e. 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. Beginner students of Taekwondo in Askern will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and move up through the different colours until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

After this has been completed, Taekwondo trainees in Askern are known as "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt" status. So, the bottom line is, there are three principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts are; 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 many years to successfully progress through. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Askern, Taekwondo Ranks Askern, Taekwondo Black Belts).

In Conclusion

Precisely what you acquire from Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you invest in it (as is the case with life in general). Many of you will merely wish to make new friends, improve your fitness and meet different people, some might aspire to move on to competitions or tournaments or maybe even the Olympic Games. But bear in mind, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊