Taekwondo Faversham

Taekwondo is generally a lot more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and nimble you might prefer to find something a bit gentler to boost your fitness levels in Faversham. Children and younger people are certainly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Faversham, with a lot of fast movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

With its root beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts and entails mainly high-kicking movements such as turning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking styles and head kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were established by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Faversham and all over the world, with over 60 million students worldwide. If you want to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, signing up for a Taekwondo class or club in Faversham is a good place to start. There is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art, even if you do not aspire to Olympic competition.

Of all the many benefits of learning this sport, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that the people of Faversham find most appealing. And in these times of ever increasing violence, particularly in town centres, it's not a surprise that this features at the top of people's priority list. The ability to defend yourself while still exercising self-restraint and a respect for others is one of the main benefits of Taekwondo.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be proven outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Faversham Taekwondo Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your first class. This may vary depending on which Faversham school you go to, but will usually involve the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, some technical training comprising some stances, blocking techniques, hand attacks and kicks, some work on forms or patterns, some tips on sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

The United Kingdom's regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you would like to join a Taekwondo class in Faversham, you will also be required to register with this organization. You'll be able to read about health and safety, launching a new Taekwondo club, clubs and members, coaches and referees, first aid, safeguarding and equality, news, coaching courses, events, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

When you're registering for Taekwondo classes in Faversham you'll be wanting to get a few benefits to make the whole project worth the effort. So let us examine some of the positive benefits that you may gain through doing and learning Taekwondo. Teach self-defence by training you to identify occasions where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to manipulate these situations to your advantage, Improve agility, stamina and flexibility by way of extreme cardiovascular exertion, Build your confidence by helping you to seize control of your life and succeed, Better discipline by thoroughly schooling your body and mind in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Reduced stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Toughen up your mind and body through enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Increase self-esteem and concentration by maximizing your mental and physical powers.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are loads of different kicking moves which are used when practicing Taekwondo. The following are a sample of the most widely used: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Blocks: To stop and defend against an incoming attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are implemented. Employing the hand and sections of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Specific attacks require specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking movements by the combination of retaliatory punches or kicks. The principal "blocks" (makgi) in Taekwondo include: Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block and Palm Block.

Beginners Taekwondo Faversham

It does not matter who you are or what you're ranking is in the world of Taekwondo, at one time you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started out like this and can only improve and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Faversham are the place to start that learning journey and to acquire the basic principles so you can build confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo experience. Most beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, providing a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and developing a firm base moving forward.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Competitions are an important aspect of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the various styles around the world stage competitions where Taekwondo masters get together to battle it out. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these contests which mainly incorporate breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are tolerated in ITF events.

Taekwondo Belts

With there being many different kinds of Taekwondo there's never really been any recognised arrangement for assigning belts (promotion). What does exist is however relatively similar and is made up of 2 belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groupings is divided into grades, eight to twelve colours for juniors and 9 for seniors.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are called "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 denoted by a number of different colours, so that the ranks are easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo rookies in Faversham will start off with, they'll then proceed through the different coloured belts, finally earning the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which will take approximately 3-4 years of dedication.

After successfully completing this challenge, Taekwondo students in Faversham are considered to be "black belt candidates" which entails them proceeding through yet another nine ranks (Dans) right up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" status. So, Junior, Senior and Black Belts are the three main groupings in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division comprise; 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 go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which will take a considerable number of years.