Taekwondo Bagshot

Taekwondo is generally much more demanding physically than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty fit and nimble you might prefer to partake in something a bit gentler to improve your fitness in Bagshot. Children and younger people are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Bagshot, with lots of fast paced movements going on and a great deal of high kicking.

The discipline was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and rapid kicking styles.

Taekwondo now has over 60 million enthusiasts worldwide and has become extremely popular in Bagshot and throughout the UK. Joining your local Bagshot Taekwondo class or club is the best way to get involved in this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. There's no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art, even if you don't aspire to Olympic competition.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and undoubtedly this is one of the principal reasons that people in Bagshot sign up to classes and get involved in the sport. There has been a disturbing increase in violent conduct in recent years and this is especially rife in town and city centres around Surrey and the country as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also teaches self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such familiar attributes in Bagshot these days.

Although it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have those self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the chances are that you will never be required to use them outside of an organized Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your first class. This will vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training which will involve learning some blocking techniques, stances, hand attacks and kicks, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), a few ideas on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

Everyone who is a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Bagshot or anywhere else in Great Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the regulating body of the sport. By visiting British Taekwondo's official website you can obtain details on starting a new club, referees and coaching, events, clubs and members, coaching courses, health and safety, news, first aid, equality and safeguarding, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are lots of different Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick. Blocks: To fend off the various hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse array of blocks (Makgi). Employing the hands and areas of the arm, they're held in various positions. Every block can be coordinated with a punch or kick to produce a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each one is suitable for a certain type of attack. The main blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt system can get rather complicated in Taekwondo as there's no uniform arrangement across the various Taekwondo styles. Parallels do exist though, and usually there are two distinct belt groupings, represented as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of rankings in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is typically somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's groupings usually has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are referred to as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of colours, so 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 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo beginners in Bagshot will begin with, they'll then proceed through the coloured belts, eventually earning the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which can take approximately 3-4 years of lessons and training.

Taekwondo students in Bagshot are considered as "black belt candidates" once they have successfully completed this process, and they will then need to move through a further nine ranks (or Dans) if they wish to achieve the greatest accolade Taekwondo Black Belt. Therefore, Junior, Senior and Black Belt are the 3 main sections 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 dedication.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

When you're registering for Taekwondo classes in Bagshot you will be looking to get some benefits to make the whole project worth the effort. And so let's examine a few of the many benefits that you may get from doing and learning Taekwondo. Lower anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Build confidence by inspiring you to seize control of your life and succeed, Teach you self-defence by helping you identify occasions where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to turn these types of scenarios to your advantage, Supercharge agility, stamina and flexibility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Increase concentration and self-esteem by heightening your physical and mental health, Strengthen your mind and body via improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, More discipline and willpower by comprehensively educating your mind and body in the principles and techniques of Taekwondo.

Safety Gear

Safety equipment like a mouth protector, hand protectors, a groin protector, shin pads, blue/red body armour, forearm guards and a blue/red head guard are worn in all matches overseen by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is needed thanks to the potent kicks which are an integral part of this sport.