Taekwondo Fordingbridge

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger person in Fordingbridge and is particularly suitable for children as it is great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. It can sometimes be too taxing for older adults unless they are exceptionally fit and active. However those who take up Taekwondo in Fordingbridge at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul founded some new schools which they called "kwans", merging a number of martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, primarily consists of kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, rapid kicking styles and spinning/jumping kicks.

Taekwondo now has more than sixty million enthusiasts worldwide and has become very popular in Fordingbridge and throughout the United Kingdom. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a bash, heading along to your local Fordingbridge Taekwondo club or class is an easy way to get involved. There's no reason why you cannot become a master of this fascinating martial art, even if you do not aspire to Olympic competition.

For the people of Fordingbridge who wish to learn a martial art, a major priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is an important concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to appreciate the attraction of this unique sport. With the extra reward of developing self-restraint and having a degree of respect for other people, getting involved in a local Fordingbridge Taekwondo class would seem to be a no brainer.

There is a fairly good chance that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your everyday life, but it will certainly give you peace of mind knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If Taekwondo is not a sport that you've ever had a go at before, you will most likely be curious about what you should be expecting from your very first lesson should you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Fordingbridge have different thoughts on this but roughly; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you will learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring techniques and finally you'll warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the British Isles is British Taekwondo and anybody wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Fordingbridge must also become a member of British Taekwondo. By going to the official British Taekwondo website you'll be able to discover information regarding equality and safeguarding, beginning a new Taekwondo club, coaches and competition referees, events, coaching courses, safe practices, news, first aid, clubs and members, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all competitions, events and matches being held under the auspices of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as forearm protectors, red or blue body armour (hogu), a gum shield, hand protectors, shin guards, a groin protector and a blue/red head protector is compulsory. The kicking tactics used in Taekwondo could potentially cause serious injuries and this precaution helps make this activity less risky for its competitors.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Perfecting Taekwondo necessitates getting to grips with many disciplines and one of the key parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are types of direction, technique and stance which have to be mastered in order for students to move through the different dans (grades/belts).

Tournaments and Competitions

Taekwondo competitions and tournaments are staged across the globe in all of the various styles. There is usually not much hard contact but breaking, sparring and patterns (forms). Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) contests consist only of sparring, in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) competitions specified hand attacks are permitted to the head. Various other associations hold multi-discipline events.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

Since there are various different kinds of Taekwondo there has never been any standard system for assigning belts (promotion). What exists is however quite similar and consists of 2 belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groupings is split into ranks, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and 9 for the seniors.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are called "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a number of different colours, so the ranks are easily recognised. 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. Students in Fordingbridge getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the coloured belts until they earn the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After successfully completing this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Fordingbridge are considered to be "black belt candidates" which entails them proceeding through a further nine ranks (Dans) until they eventually achieve the distinction of "Black Belt". Therefore, to put it simply, there are three main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior group of 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 dedication.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits which can be acquired by participating in Taekwondo lessons in Fordingbridge are countless, among the most advantageous are: More discipline by methodically educating your mind and body in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Teach self-defence techniques by helping you realize scenarios in which self-defence might be required, and empowering you to turn these situations in your favour, Turbocharge stamina, flexibility and agility by means of intensive cardiovascular exertion, Reduced stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Strengthen your body and mind by means of accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Grow in your confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed, Increase feelings of self-esteem by heightening your mental and physical fitness.