Taekwondo Boroughbridge

Whilst not wanting to discourage any specific age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Boroughbridge, being quite physically demanding. Its encouragement of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. Older adults might find it somewhat too taxing unless they are particularly active and fit. However those in Boroughbridge who get involved in Taekwondo at a young age, will find that continuing into older adulthood is not an issue. Something a bit less demanding like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less nimble of you.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and involves mostly kicking movements such as fast kicking techniques, head-height kicks and spinning/jumping kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were set up by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Boroughbridge and with over 60 million others worldwide. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Boroughbridge Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Boroughbridge.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Boroughbridge is the self-defence aspect of it. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. The ability to defend yourself and at the same time exercising self-restraint and a respect for others is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be tested outside the monitored environment of an organized Taekwondo class, however knowing that you have them will give you peace of mind.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you make your mind up to register for a Taekwondo class in Boroughbridge, the first thing you will be thinking about is what is going to happen on the first lesson and what will the trainer be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Boroughbridge area will devise diverse routines for this first introductory lesson but you can expect to do a 15-20 minute warm-up to get the blood circulating and loosen your muscles, learn a couple of Poomse (forms, go through some technical training (kicks, hand attacks, blocking techniques and stances), do a certain amount of sparring, and last but not least, a warm-down.

The UK's official regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to join a Taekwondo class in Boroughbridge, you will also be required to become a member of this respected organization. You will be able to learn about health and safety, first aid, coaching courses, news, clubs and members, coaches and competition referees, launching a new club, equality and safeguarding, events, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that can be gained by participating in Taekwondo sessions in Boroughbridge are many and varied, amongst the most noteworthy are: Greater self-discipline by exhaustively educating your body and mind in the techniques and principles of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body thru accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Reduces anxiety using advanced breath control, Increase concentration and self-esteem by maximizing your physical and mental powers, Grow in confidence by pushing you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Turbocharge flexibility, agility and stamina through intense cardiovascular exertion, Help with self-defence by helping you identify circumstances where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to turn these kinds of circumstances to your advantage.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are distinguished by specified facets such as stance, technique and direction. From the start you will learn some of the important forms, and so as to move through the various levels (belts) you will need to master some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

Since there are a number of kinds of Taekwondo there's never really been any standardized arrangement for assigning belts (grades). What does exist however is fairly similar and is made up of a couple of belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groupings is divided into ranks, eight to twelve colours for juniors and 9 for seniors.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what generally known as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, just like many of the martial arts is denoted by a number of colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Boroughbridge will start out with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the various coloured belts until they reach the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Boroughbridge are considered as "black belt candidates" which involves them proceeding through another nine ranks (Dans) until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt". Therefore, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main sections in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group comprise; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a qualification process which takes a considerable number of years.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a small selection of the essential kicks: Front Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Hook or Whip Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse selection of "blocks". Held in particular positions, they engage the hand and areas of the arm. Certain attacks call for particular blocks, but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking moves by the combination of retaliatory kicks or punches. The most important blocks include: Upper Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block and Palm Block.