Taekwondo Filton

It must be asserted that Taekwondo can be quite demanding physically, which may unnerve the older and less agile folks in Filton from becoming involved. To be honest, the most common participants of Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but certainly older people who're in excellent physical condition can easily take part and benefit from this sport.

Based largely around high-kicking manoeuvres like head-height kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and fast kicking methods, Taekwondo was formulated from the practices of various martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools called "Kwans" during the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" had the names Songmu Kwan, Jido Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Mooduk Kwan and Changmu Kwan.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million followers worldwide, and although you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games athlete, you're still able to enroll in a Taekwondo club or class to master what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and worthwhile pastime.

For many people in Filton, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. This is not hard to believe when you take into account the high levels of violence experienced in town and city centres on a daily basis. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

There's a very good chance that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your everyday life, but it will undoubtedly give you reassurance knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever need them.

Your First Lesson

If you've never had a go at Taekwondo previously, you might be a bit apprehensive as to what should be expected on your very first lesson. This will vary from school to school but will typically involve all or some of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, some practical training involving learning some blocks, kicks, stances and hand attacks, learning a few forms, an introduction to sparring which will include timing, attack timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax weary muscles.

If you wish to sign up to a Taekwondo club in Filton, you'll also have to register with the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. By checking out the British Taekwondo website you will be able to find info regarding events, news, coaches and referees, members and clubs, establishing a new club, equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, first aid, safe practices, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Forms

Mastering Tae kwon do calls for learning a number of disciplines and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also called patterns or Poomse). These are types of technique, direction and stance which need to be memorized in order for pupils to move through the various dans (belts/grades).

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

When you're signing up for Taekwondo classes in Filton you will be hoping to get a few benefits to make the entire undertaking worth the effort. Therefore let us take a look at some of the many positive benefits that you might acquire through learning and practicing Taekwondo. Reduce anxiety and stress using advanced breath control, Toughen up your body and mind via increased mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility by means of intense cardiovascular work-outs, Boost confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed, Help with self-defence by helping you to recognize instances in which self-defence may be necessary, and empowering you to control these types of scenarios to your advantage, Enhance feelings of self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental powers, Greater discipline and willpower by extensively schooling your mind and body in the techniques and doctrines of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments are a significant part of the Taekwondo experience, and all the various styles across the world hold competitions where Taekwondo masters come together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever permitted in any of these competitive events which mainly comprise sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst certain hand attacks are permitted in ITF events.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Students setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Filton will initially register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are fabulous, since there is not any pressure and everything's carried out at a slow, relaxed pace. Having fun while learning is the main aim at first and students who are having fun are inclined to learn much faster and digest considerably more of what they're being shown. Even Taekwondo masters started out as inexperienced newbies, so take that initial step and you never know where you will finish up!

Taekwondo Belts

The belt and ranking system can get pretty complicated in Taekwondo since there isn't any standard system across the different Taekwondo styles. Similarities can be found though, and usually there are two separate belt groups, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of ranks in the junior group varies over the disciplines but is normally between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's section generally has nine belts or dans.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what are known as "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a range 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. Beginner students of Taekwondo in Filton will begin with the Tenth Kup (White Belt), and advance through the various coloured belts until they achieve the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (First Kup)

When this training regime has been accomplished, Filton Taekwondo trainees are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through an additional nine ranks or Dans if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the consummate accolade in this sport. Therefore, to put it simply, there are 3 main sections in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior and Black Belt. 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 division 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 qualification process which takes a number of years. (Tags: Taekwondo Promotion Filton, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Belts Filton).

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo has virtually the largest variety of kicks in all of the martial arts. Listed here are just a few: Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the various attacking moves, are called Makgi. They are held in particular positions and use the hands with parts of the arm. Each kind of attack necessitates a particular style of block, counter-attacking movements can be created by combining a block with another kick or punch. The principal Taekwondo "blocks" (makgi) include: Low Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

To Summarize

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't just about National Championships and Olympic medals. Most of us are happy to improve our fitness, make new friends and meet different people, and that's exactly how it ought to be. However, as with many things in life, what you get from it will hinge on what you put into it. Good luck!