Taekwondo High Lane

Taekwondo is quite physically demanding, which means it may be considered more suitable for the younger rather than the older generation in High Lane. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it particularly good for children. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. Carrying their Taekwondo experience through into older adulthood should not however be a problem for those who start when they are younger. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts lovers founded some exciting new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking movements, especially head kicks, rapid kicking techniques and jumping/turning kicks. Now High Lane Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners worldwide, now exceeds 60 million. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local High Lane Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. While reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there is no reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

For many people in High Lane, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. This is not surprising when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

There's a very good chance that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be tested in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Class

If you have never dome Taekwondo before, you may be interested to know exactly what is likely to happen on your first class. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which High Lane school you attend. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up, some technical training which will involve learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, kicks and stances, learning some forms (or Poomse), a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

Any person who joins a Taekwondo class in High Lane must also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in Great Britain. You will be able to get loads of information regarding events, equality and safeguarding, news, members and clubs, coaching courses, first aid, beginning a new Taekwondo club, coaches and referees, health and safety, and more, by heading to British Taekwondo's website.

Competitions and Tournaments

There are a wide variety of contests in Taekwondo involving all the various styles. They mainly involve sparring, breaking and patterns (forms) with very little "hard contact". ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions don't allow excessive contact but sometimes allow hand attacks to the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic tournaments allow only sparring. Multi-style competitions are also held.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In Taekwondo there is really no form of standardization when it comes to belts and grades. It all depends upon what style you happen to be considering, as there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles. They are however, normally split into 2 groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks consist of white to red, with anything from eight to twelve ranks, while the black/senior belts typically have 9 grades.

In the UK Taekwondo has a sequence of ranks (belts) that are referred to as "Kup", these ranks go from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you're curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is indicated by a range of 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. Students in High Lane getting started in Taekwondo will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the coloured belts until they earn the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in High Lane are called "black belt candidates" once they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then have to move through an additional 9 ranks (Dans) if they aim to achieve the supreme distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. So, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 principal sections in the Taekwondo belt order. 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 division 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 demands many years of dedication. (Tags: Taekwondo Belts High Lane, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Rankings High Lane, Taekwondo Belt Order).

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all events, contests and tournaments taking place under the authority of British Taekwondo, safety equipment such as a red/blue head protector, hand guards, forearm protectors, a blue/red body protector (hogu), a groin guard, a gum shield and shin pads is compulsory. The kicking techniques used in Taekwondo could cause injuries and this preventative measure helps make the sport less risky for its competitors.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is renowned for its wide range of kicking manoeuvres, more than any other recognized martial art. The following are just a selection: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. Held in diverse positions, they involve the hands and parts of the arm. Certain attacks necessitate particular blocks, but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacks by the combination of reciprocal punches or kicks. The most used "blocks" include: Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Rising Block and Knife Hand Block.

Conclusion

The benefits that you acquire from Taekwondo are going to be proportional to what you put into it (as is true of life on the whole). Many of you will simply wish to improve your fitness, make new friends and meet different people, some may aspire to take part in tournaments and competitions or perhaps even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.