Taekwondo Hethersett

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Hethersett, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. However those who take up Taekwondo in Hethersett at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Tai Chi or something similarly softer might be more suitab le for the less agile of you.

The discipline was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking strategies, head-height kicks and spinning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist".Today Hethersett Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million practitioners worldwide, and while you might not have any ambitions to be an Olympic Games medalist, you're still able to enroll in a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will undoubtedly prove to be a worthwhile and intriguing pastime.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and undoubtedly this is one of the principal reasons that folks in Hethersett join classes and take up the sport. There has been a disconcerting escalation of violent conduct in recent years and this is especially rife in town and city centres throughout Norfolk and the nation as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such common attributes in Hethersett nowadays.

There is a very good chance that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your day to day life, but it will unquestionably give you self-confidence knowing that they are there should you need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you've made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you will be curious about what will happen. This could vary subject to which Hethersett school you go to, but will generally include the following. A 15 to 20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training including learning some hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances, a look at forms or patterns, a few tips on sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

Everyone who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Hethersett or any place else in Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official regulating body of the sport. By exploring the official British Taekwondo website you'll be able to discover details about coaching courses, health and safety, news, members and clubs, equality and safeguarding, coaches and competition referees, first aid, events, starting a new club, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Competitions

A standard Taekwondo tournament incorporates patterns (forms), breaking and sparring, in the Olympics only sparring is included. That being said there are also some extraordinary events in certain tournaments such as team demonstrations and self-defence. World Taekwondo competitions are strictly soft-contact events, whilst International Taekwon-Do Federation contests permit some hand attacks towards the head. There are also a few multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety equipment like a gum shield, forearm guards, a groin guard, shin guards, a blue/red head protector, hand guards and blue or red body armour are used in all competitions supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is crucial because of the powerful kicks that are an integral element of this sport.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

With regards to belts, ranking and promotion there is not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, since there are various styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique arrangement. There are however parallels and they generally comprise two groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior ranks usually have 9 levels and the junior, between 8 and 12 levels.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are known as "Kup", these ranks go from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). As is the case with many 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo newbies in Hethersett will start out with, they'll then move up through the different colours, finally attaining the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which will probably take approximately three to four years of dedication.

Taekwondo trainees in Hethersett are considered as "black belt candidates" after they've successfully completed this process, and they'll then be faced with moving through a further 9 ranks (Dans) if they wish to achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, the bottom line is, there are three primary sections in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Junior division 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and demands many years of training and dedication.

Beginners Classes

Students starting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Hethersett will first of all register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are excellent, since there are no serious demands and everything is carried out at a relaxed, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the primary aims at first and students who are having a good time are inclined to learn a lot quicker and absorb more of what they are being taught. Even Taekwondo masters started out as inexperienced newbies, so take that first step and who knows where you'll wind up!

Summary

We can more or less guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you are going to make new friends, improve your levels of fitness and gain more confidence. If that is all you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it a success! We're not all striving to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you that are, need to start with that very first step. Good luck with your journey!