Taekwondo Old Catton

Owing to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is possibly more appropriate for the younger generation in Old Catton and is especially suited to kids as it is fantastic for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults might find it a bit too demanding unless they are particularly active and fit. However, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Old Catton at a young age will find that they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less nimble of you might think about something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. This combination of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and fast kicking styles, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist".

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million followers worldwide, and although you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games medalist, you are still able to join a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt turn out to be a fascinating and rewarding pastime.

In these days of ever-increasing violence, it is little surprise that folks in areas like Old Catton are getting involved in self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to help them feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are traits that are frequently lacking in this modern age.

Though you'll spend a lot of time mastering these essential self-defence skills, with luck you will never need to apply them apart from within your local Taekwondo club environment.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If Taekwondo is not a sport that you have ever tried previously, you'll probably be wondering what to expect from your very first lesson should you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Old Catton area have different thoughts on this but roughly; you will take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a certain amount of technical training, you'll learn some forms (patterns), you will practice sparring techniques and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state again.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the British Isles is British Taekwondo and anyone wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Old Catton has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. By going to British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to discover details of first aid, clubs and members, coaching courses, safe practices, events, equality and safeguarding, news, starting a new Taekwondo club, referees and coaching, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In the art of taekwondo there's really no standardisation when it comes to ranking and belts. It's all dependent on what style you are considering, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles and rules. However, they are normally separated into two groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks consist of white to red, with anything from eight to twelve grades, while the senior/black belts generally have 9 levels.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are called "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest rank is First Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a range of different colours, so the ranks are easily identified. 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 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo beginners in Old Catton will start out with, they can then advance through the coloured belts, eventually earning the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), after approximately three to four years of lessons and training.

After successfully completing this challenge, Taekwondo students in Old Catton become "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through yet another 9 ranks (Dans) right up until they eventually achieve the distinction of "Black Belt" status. So, putting it simply, there are three primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior and Black Belt. 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 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Ranks Old Catton, Taekwondo Belts Old Catton, Taekwondo Belt Order).

Taekwondo Competitions

Competitions are an important part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the various styles across the globe hold competitions and tournaments where Taekwondo exponents band together to compete. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these competitions which mostly comprise patterns, breaking and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, whilst certain hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a number of benefits to be gained from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a hint of the ones that could be interesting for you: More self-discipline by comprehensively schooling your mind and body in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Empower your body and mind by accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Reduce anxiety with controlled breathing, Build up your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Turbocharge flexibility, stamina and agility by means of intensive cardiovascular exertion, Improve self-esteem and concentration by intensifying both mental and physical powers, Help with self-defence tactics by helping you to recognise situations where self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to turn these circumstances in your favour.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also known as patterns or Poomse) are categorized by specific aspects like stance, technique and direction. From the start you are going to be taught some of the basic forms, and so as to progress through the rankings (belts) you'll have to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It matters not who you are or what you're standing is in Taekwondo, at some time you were a total novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started out at that point and are only able to learn and improve with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Old Catton are the right place to begin that learning journey and to acquire the basic principles so that you can build self-confidence and proceed with your exciting Taekwondo experience. The majority of beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, providing a gradual introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo principles and developing a firm foundation moving forward.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is well known for its vast array of kicking moves, over and above any other martial art. Here are just a selection: Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: To defend against the many kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse array of blocks. Employing the hand and different areas of the arm, they are held in specific positions. Specific attacks require specified "blocks", but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacking moves by the combination of retaliatory kicks or punches. The most used Taekwondo blocks include: Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Nine Block.