Taekwondo Gerrards Cross

Whilst people of every age group in Gerrards Cross can obviously participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation because it can be rather physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. It could prove too challenging for some older adults, but should not be a problem for those who are already active and fit. However people that take up Taekwondo in Gerrards Cross when they are younger will find they can comfortably carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you might find that Tai Chi which is a bit softer, is more suitable.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). Some new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts, blending a number of various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, mostly entails kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and rapid kicking strategies. Nowadays Gerrards Cross Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

With over 60 million practitioners worldwide and quite a few in Gerrards Cross, Taekwondo has become very popular. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local Gerrards Cross Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. There is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art, even if you do not aspire to Olympic competition.

It would seem that the most alluring aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence. And if you consider the increased levels of violence in town and city centres nowadays, this is hardly surprising. However, respecting others and having a good deal of self-restraint goes hand in hand with Taekwondo's self-defence principles.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be tried and tested outside the regulated setting of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you've got them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in Gerrards Cross will have different ideas about what pupils should be covering on their initial lesson, however to give you a concept of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo classes will include things like a warm-up, some sparring, learning basic patterns (Poomse), an introduction to kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocking techniques (practical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and return the body to a state of equilibrium.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any individual wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Gerrards Cross has to also register with British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about referees and coaching, members and clubs, news, events, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, first aid, health and safety, establishing a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find out the latest news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

There are needless to say, plenty of benefits to be gained from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few that may be appealing to you: Learn self-defence by helping you identify circumstances in which self-defence could be required, and enabling you to manipulate these kinds of circumstances to your advantage, Supercharge flexibility, agility and stamina through intense cardiovascular work-outs, Reduce stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, Build up confidence by inspiring you to seize control of your life and succeed, Empower your mind and body through accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Develop discipline and willpower by extensively training your body and mind in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Enhance feelings of self-esteem by raising both physical and mental health.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

When it comes to ranking, belts and promotion there's not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, because there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique system. There are however similarities and they typically comprise a couple of groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior levels normally have 9 grades and the junior, between 8 and 12 tiers.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are referred to as "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. If you're curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is indicated by a number of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" 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 Gerrards Cross will start out with the White Belt (10th Kup), and advance through the various colours until they achieve the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo students in Gerrards Cross become "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through an additional 9 ranks (Dans) until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt". Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior Belt, Senior Belt 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 are; 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 process which takes a considerable number of years.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

Competitions are a significant part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all of the diverse styles all over the world hold contests where Taekwondo masters gather together to compete. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these contests which primarily comprise breaking, sparring and patterns. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, while some hand attacks are permitted in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

There are lots of different types of Taekwondo kicks, listed here are just a few of them: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Blocks: To defend against the many kicks and hand attacks there are an equally diverse array of "blocks". They are held in particular positions and employ the hands with different parts of the arm. Certain attacks necessitate specified "blocks", but blocks can also be changed into counter-attacks by linking reciprocal kicks or punches. The most important "blocks" (makgi) in Taekwondo include: Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block and Nine Block.