Taekwondo Dawlish

It should be asserted that Taekwondo can be fairly challenging physically, which may put off the less nimble and more elderly folks in Dawlish from becoming involved. To be fair, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but unquestionably older individuals who're in great physical condition can easily take part and benefit considerably from this activity.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. This combination of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. In Taekwondo the emphasis is on kicking, especially jumping/spinning kicks, fast kicking styles and head-height kicks.

Taekwondo has grown to become really popular in Dawlish and all over the world, with more than sixty million participants worldwide. Enrolling in a local Dawlish Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to get involved with this sporting activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Whilst you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you shouldn't become a maestro of this exhilarating martial art and have some fun in the process.

For many people in Dawlish, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these times of increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it really is no surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you're able to gain more confidence in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect other people and learn self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point come in useful in the outside world, though it's much more likely you'll only be using them within a supervised class environment. Yet it is a nice feeling knowing the fact that you can always defend yourself if you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you'll be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Dawlish follow a similar structure, but there could be some variation to the following. A warm up of 15-20 minutes to increase your heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training which will involve learning some blocks, hand attacks, stances and kicks, learning your first 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 stretch muscles and relax.

Anyone who joins a Taekwondo club in Dawlish must also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in Great Britain. You can get plenty of details on referees and coaching, starting a new Taekwondo club, first aid, clubs and members, events, safe practices, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, news, and more, by visiting British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Tournaments governed by British Taekwondo policies demand that various pieces of protective equipment be worn, these include: a mouth guard, hand protectors, shin pads, forearm guards, a groin protector, a red/blue head guard and a red/blue body guard (hogu). This is necessary owing to the vigorous kicking movements being practiced.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

There are many different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a selection of them: Axe Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are known as Makgi. They're held in particular positions and use the hands with different parts of the arm. Each and every block can be coupled with a punch or kick to create a counter-attack, and each block is meant for a specific attack. The principal "blocks" include: Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Rising Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Belts

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit complicated in Taekwondo as there is no standard system across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found though, and commonly there are two distinct belt groupings, represented as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of levels in the junior group varies across the disciplines but is usually somewhere between eight and twelve belts, while the senior groupings typically has 9 belts or dans.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what are referred to as "Kup". The top rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is denoted by a range of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" 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 beginners in Dawlish will start out with, they will then proceed through the colours, eventually achieving the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which can take approximately three to four years of dedication.

Taekwondo trainees in Dawlish become known as "black belt candidates" after they have worked their way through these rankings, and they will then have to move through an additional 9 ranks (called Dans) if they want to achieve the supreme accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 principal divisions in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 can take many years to progress through.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

The benefits that can be gained by taking part in Taekwondo classes in Dawlish are numerous, amongst the most advantageous are: Improve concentration and self-esteem by heightening both mental and physical powers, Toughen up your mind and body through accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Supercharge flexibility, stamina and agility by way of intense cardiovascular work-outs, Greater discipline by exhaustively educating your mind and body in the doctrines and strategies of Taekwondo, Boost your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Lessen anxiety with controlled breathing, Teach self-defence techniques by helping you realize circumstances where self-defence might be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these situations in your favour.

Final Thoughts

So, what are you hoping to get from Taekwondo? Well, that's a good question, and the answer to that will be different for individual people. Most participants will purely look to gain more confidence, improve their fitness levels and meet new people. We're certainly not all going to scale the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though perhaps you will, you never know? 👊