Taekwondo Bearsted

While people of all ages in Bearsted can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. People in Bearsted who take up Taekwondo when they are young find it easy to continue when they get older. Tai Chi or something similarly softer might be more suitab le for the less agile of you.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts and entails primarily high-kicking moves such as head kicks, jumping/turning kicks and fast kicking strategies. It started when schools known as "kwans" were set up by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Ever since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular throughout the world with some sixty million people or more actively participating in classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo club or class that you are able to start your journey of learning this fascinating art.

For many people in Bearsted, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. This is not a surprise when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in city and town centres these days. Learning to properly defend yourself whilst applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

While its good to know they're there when you need them, with any luck you will not ever be required to use your newly perfected Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club surroundings.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Bearsted follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up, a bit of technical training covering some kicks, blocking techniques, stances and hand attacks, an introduction to some forms, a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own official governing body, and in the UK it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Bearsted must become a member of this organisation. You can get lots of information about events, members and clubs, launching a new club, first aid, health and safety, news, safeguarding and equality, coaches and competition referees, coaching courses, and more, by viewing British Taekwondo's website.

Beginners Taekwondo Bearsted

Learners setting out on their Taekwondo experience in Bearsted will initially enroll in a beginners class. Beginners classes are terrific, since there are no strict demands and everything is carried out at a relaxed, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the primary goals initially and trainees who are having a good time are inclined to learn a lot quicker and absorb more of what they're being shown. Even Taekwondo masters started out as inexperienced novices, so take that first step and you never know where you will end up!

Safety Equipment

Competitions regulated by British Taekwondo policies require various pieces of protective equipment to be used, these include: shin pads, blue/red body armour (hogu), forearm guards, a blue or red head protector, a mouth protector, hand guards and a groin guard. This is a must owing to the formidable kicking attacks being practiced.

Competitions and Tournaments

There are an array of competitions and tournaments in Taekwondo involving all the diverse styles. They largely include sparring, patterns and breaking with very little hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation competitions do not permit substantial contact but may allow hand attacks to be aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions are also held.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

Since there are various different types of Taekwondo there's never been any recognised arrangement for allocating belts (ranks). What does exist is however relatively similar and is made up of two belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is split into ranks, eight to twelve colours for juniors and 9 "blacks" for seniors.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what are known as "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest (beginners) is Tenth Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, just like most of the martial arts is portrayed by a number of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate 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. The 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo novices in Bearsted will start out with, they'll then advance through the colours, finally attaining the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which can take around three to four years.

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo students in Bearsted become "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through a further 9 ranks (Dans) up until they achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt". Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into 3 groupings; Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Junior Taekwondo Belts are; 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 a considerable number of years to progress through.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When you're getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Bearsted you will be wanting to get a few benefits to make the whole adventure worthwhile. And so let us consider a few of the many positive benefits that you could get by doing and learning Taekwondo. Reduced stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Greater discipline by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the principles and tactics of Taekwondo, Help with self-defence by showing you how to recognize instances where self-defence could be needed, and allowing you to turn these situations to your advantage, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by heightening your mental and physical fitness, Build up confidence by motivating you to seize control of your life and succeed, Empower your body and mind by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Supercharge agility, stamina and flexibility through extreme cardiovascular effort.

Final Thoughts

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you'll improve your fitness, gain self-confidence and make more friends. If that's all you take away from it, then that is amazing, you can call it an achievement! We aren't all striving to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, still need to start with the first step. Good luck on your adventure!