Taekwondo Great Wakering

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Great Wakering, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. If you are less agile you could always try something a bit softer such as Tai Chi or Yoga.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly consists of kicking manoeuvres and moves, in particular head kicks, fast kicking strategies and jumping/spinning kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools known as "kwans", which merged a variety of martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has grown to become very popular in Great Wakering and around the globe, with more than 60 million practitioners worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Great Wakering Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to get involved in this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Though you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you should not become a maestro of this exhilarating martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

For a lot of people in Great Wakering, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it is no surprise that this features high up on people's priority lists. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you're able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

These self-defence techniques may sooner or later prove to be useful in the outside world, though it is much more likely that you'll solely be using them within a regulated class setting. However it is an amazing feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Class

If you have never tried Taekwondo previously, you might be somewhat apprehensive as to what should be expected on your first class. This will be different from club to club but will normally involve all or some of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a little practical training involving learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, kicks and stances, learning some forms, an overview of sparring which will include timing, attack timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

Everyone who is a registered member of a Taekwondo class in Great Wakering or anywhere else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. By going to British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to obtain information about coaching courses, safe practices, first aid, starting a new Taekwondo club, news, members and clubs, coaches and referees, safeguarding and equality, events, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main features of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a small selection of the essential kicks: Push Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Employing the hands and different areas of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Specific attacks call for specified "blocks", but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacks by combining retaliatory punches or kicks. The most important Taekwondo blocks include: Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Low Block and Double Forearm Block.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll probably be fascinated to discover exactly what sort of benefits might be gained by taking part in Great Wakering Taekwondo instruction and participating fully in its activities. You could expect to: Reduces anxiety with controlled breathing, Strengthen your mind and body through enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Greater discipline by extensively schooling your mind and body in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Boost confidence by pushing you to succeed and to take control of your life, Help with self-defence strategies by training you to realize circumstances in which self-defence could be necessary, and empowering you to turn such situations in your favour, Turbocharge flexibility, agility and stamina by means of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Enhance self-esteem by sharpening your physical and mental health.

Great Wakering Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the very best exponents of Taekwondo in Great Wakering began their journey as rookies, so it is no disgrace to be a total beginner at this sport, or for that matter any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginner class is to teach a few of the basics, boost self-confidence and develop a firm foundation moving forward. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be fun, trainees having fun are going to learn quicker and be better engaged.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The belt and ranking structure can get somewhat confusing in Taekwondo as there is no standard arrangement across the various Taekwondo styles. Analogies can be found however, and normally there are 2 distinct belt groups, signified as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of rankings in the junior section varies over the disciplines but is typically somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior's group commonly has nine belts or dans.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are known as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. As with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is portrayed by a range of different colours, so that the ranks are easily recognised. 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. Students in Great Wakering starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the colours until they earn the 1st Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe).

After this training regime has been successfully completed, Great Wakering Taekwondo students become known as "black belt candidates", and they then need to progress through an additional 9 ranks or Dans if they're to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction in this sport. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three divisions; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of dedication.