Taekwondo Great Torrington

Because Taekwondo has pretty high physical demands, it's perhaps more suited to the younger people of Great Torrington. That is not to say that elderly people can't take part in this popular activity, but merely that there might be other martial arts that are more suitable for the less nimble among us. Tai Chi would be the perfect example.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul established some new schools which they called "kwans", incorporating many different martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, largely consists of kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/spinning kicks, head kicks and fast kicking techniques.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Great Torrington and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Joining a local Great Torrington Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Great Torrington.

For a lot of people in Great Torrington, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, especially in town and city centres, it's little surprise that this aspect features high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect others and learn self-restraint.

Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never need to be tested outside the regulated atmosphere of an organized Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will give you peace of mind.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. The following will give you an example, but this will vary subject to which Great Torrington school you have signed up for. An initial warm up lasting fifteen to twenty minutes, a bit of technical training covering some kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocks, a look at patterns or forms, a few tips on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

Anyone who joins a Taekwondo club in Great Torrington has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in the British Isles. By checking out British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to read information regarding news, safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, starting a new Taekwondo club, events, safe practices, clubs and members, first aid, coaching courses, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Beginners Classes

It does not matter who you are or what you're standing is in the world of Taekwondo, at one time you were a total novice, fearing failure and knowing absolutely nothing. We've all started out at that point and are only able to improve and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Great Torrington are the place get started on that learning process and to pick up the basic principles so you can build confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo adventure. Almost all beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, providing a slow introduction to the basic Taekwondo principles and building a solid base moving forward.

The Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicks that you will learn to begin with include: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Blocks: To stop and defend against an inbound attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are employed. They are held in particular positions and enlist the hands with parts of the arm. Certain attacks necessitate particular blocks, but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by combining retaliatory punches or kicks. The key "blocks" include: Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In relation to promotion, ranking and belts there is not actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, as there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique system. There are however similarities and they normally consist of a couple of groupings of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior grades usually have nine ranks and the junior, eight to twelve ranks.

In the UK Taekwondo has a sequence of ranks (belts) which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks go from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is denoted by a number of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo rookies in Great Torrington will start off with, they can then advance through the different colours, finally earning the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), after about 3-4 years of lessons and training.

As soon as this training regime has been accomplished, Great Torrington Taekwondo students become "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through a further 9 Dans if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the supreme distinction in this sport. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into 3 groupings; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. 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 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 go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process that will take many years. (Tags: Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Great Torrington, Taekwondo Ranks Great Torrington).

In Conclusion

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you will improve your levels of fitness, make new friends and gain self-confidence. If that is all that you take away from it, then all well and good, and you can call it an achievement! We aren't all aiming to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, still need to start with the initial step. Good luck with your journey!