Taekwondo Kippax

Images of young children doing energetic kicks and rapid punching manoeuvres, are what come to mind at the mere mention of Taekwondo. Keeping up with the physical demands of the sport may be easier for the younger generation, but this does not mean that people of every age group can participate in, and enjoy the many benefits of this activity. It should however be said that if you're relatively agile you'll definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

Based mainly around high-kicking manoeuvres and moves like fast kicking methods, head-height kicks and jumping/spinning kicks, Taekwondo was created from the practices of different martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts specialists in new schools known as "Kwans" during the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" had the names Jido Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Changmu Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

With over 60 million fitness enthusiasts engaged in Taekwondo sessions all over the world, this has unquestionably become an extremely popular and beneficial activity, and if you really master this sport you might possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For a lot of people in Kippax, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these times of increased violence, particularly in city and town centres, it really is little 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 ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.

There is a very good likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will undoubtedly give you a secure feeling knowing that they're there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever done before, you'll most likely be wondering what you should expect from your very first class should you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Kippax area have varying ideas about this but roughly; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you will do some technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you'll practice sparring strategies and lastly you'll warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation once again.

Everyone who is a registered member of a Taekwondo class in Kippax or any place else in Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You will be able to get loads of information on coaching courses, referees and coaching, events, safeguarding and equality, health and safety, establishing a new club, news, first aid, members and clubs, and more, by heading to the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are quite a few different types of Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and deflect an inbound Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are employed. They are held in various positions and enlist the hands with different sections of the arm. Specific attacks call for specified blocks, but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by combining retaliatory kicks or punches. The principal blocks (makgi) include: Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Kippax began their journey as newbies, so it's no shame to be a beginner at this sport, or in fact any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach a few of the basics, boost confidence and develop a solid foundation moving forward. Most important of all is that it should be fun, trainees having a great time are going to learn quicker and be more invested.

Taekwondo Belts

In relation to ranking, belts and promotion there is not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific arrangement. There are however parallels and they generally consist of 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior ranks normally have 9 grades and the junior, eight to twelve tiers.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are referred to 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 indicated by a range of different colours, so that the ranks can be 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 Kippax getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the colours until they earn the 1st Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe).

When this training has been completed, Kippax Taekwondo trainees advance to "black belt candidates", and they must then earn a further 9 ranks or Dans if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the supreme accolade. Therefore, the bottom line is, there are 3 principal divisions in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts comprise; Green (6th), Green With Blue Stripe (5th), Blue (4th), Blue With Red Stripe (3rd), Red (2nd) and Red With Black Stripe (1st). The Black Taekwondo Belts go from 1st to 9th Dan which takes many years to progress through. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Promotion Kippax, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Kippax).

Safety Equipment

In all competitions, matches and events taking place under the control of British Taekwondo, safety equipment such as hand guards, shin protectors, a groin protector, a red/blue head guard, forearm guards, red or blue trunk armour and a gum shield is obligatory. The kicking tactics employed in Taekwondo could cause injuries and this helps make the sport less hazardous for its competitors.