Taekwondo Blackheath

It should be said that Taekwondo can be fairly physically demanding, which could intimidate the less agile and more elderly folks in Blackheath from getting involved. To be completely honest, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are children and younger people, but certainly older people who are in good physical health can easily take part and benefit considerably from this sport.

The sport was formulated in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't named Taekwondo until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts devotees set up some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it later became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, in particular jumping/spinning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head kicks. Now Blackheath Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

With over 60 million enthusiasts across the world and quite a few in Blackheath, Taekwondo has become extremely popular. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everybody, and joining a local Blackheath Taekwondo class or club is the most effective way to get yourself involved. Whilst the odds of you reaching Olympic standard are fairly slim, there's no reason at all why you can't master this thrilling martial art.

In these times of ever-increasing violence, it's hardly surprising that folks in places like Blackheath are attending self-defence techniques such as Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the primary factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for other folks, which are qualities that are frequently missing in modern day life.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be put to the test outside the controlled setting of an actual Taekwondo class, however being aware that you have them will give you peace of mind.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never dome Taekwondo before, you may be interested to know exactly what is likely to happen on your first lesson. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which Blackheath school you attend. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of technical training comprising some blocks, stances, kicks and hand attacks, an introduction to forms or patterns, a few ideas on sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

Everybody who is a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Blackheath or any place else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the regulating body of the sport. By viewing British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to read information on news, coaches and tournament referees, clubs and members, coaching courses, first aid, safe practices, launching a new club, safeguarding and equality, events, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a significant role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a list of the more basic ones: Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick, Front Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: To repulse the many kicks and hand attacks there are an equally diverse array of "blocks" (Makgi). Held in specific positions, they engage the hand and parts of the arm. Each kind of attack calls for a specific type of block, counter-attacks can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The primary blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Low Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Tournaments and Competitions

There are a multitude of tournaments in Taekwondo associated with all the various styles. They primarily consist of sparring, breaking and patterns (forms) with almost no hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation competitions don't allow excessive contact but sometimes allow hand attacks to be aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style contests also take place.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You will doubtless be intrigued to discover precisely what sort of benefits could be achieved by attending Blackheath Taekwondo instruction and engaging fully in its activities. You can expect that you will: Grow in your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to take control of your life, Improve concentration and self-esteem by intensifying both physical and mental powers, Better self-discipline by methodically training your body and mind in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Reduces anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Learn self-defence by showing you how to recognize situations where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to control these types of scenarios in your favour, Improve stamina, flexibility and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular effort, Toughen up your body and mind via improved physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In the art of taekwondo there is really no uniformity with regards to grades and belts. It is all dependent on what style you're reviewing, as there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles and rules. However, they are commonly separated into two groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior rankings consist of white to red, with anything from 8 to 12 ranks, while the black/senior belts normally have 9 levels.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are referred to as "Kup". The highest rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of different colours, so the ranks are easily identified. 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Blackheath will commence with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and advance through the colours until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (First Kup)

Taekwondo trainees in Blackheath are called "black belt candidates" after they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then be faced with proceeding through an additional nine ranks (or Dans) if they wish to achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main classifications in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior division Taekwondo Belts are; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group 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 involves many years of training and dedication.

Safety Equipment

In all events, matches and tournaments being staged under the patronage of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as hand protectors, a red or blue head guard, shin pads, a mouth guard, forearm guards, a red or blue trunk protector (hogu) and a groin guard is mandatory. The kicking techniques which are part of Taekwondo can easily cause harm and these measures help to make this activity safer for its competitors.

Summary

So, what are you hoping to get from Taekwondo? Well, that is a great question, and the answer to that will vary for different people. Most participants will simply look to gain more self-confidence, improve their fitness and meet new people. We are not all going to scale the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although perhaps you will, who knows? 👊