Taekwondo Portchester

Taekwondo is quite physically demanding, which means it may be considered more suitable for the younger rather than the older generation in Portchester. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it particularly good for children. 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. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

The discipline was formulated in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't named Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some innovative new schools called "kwans", blending various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts. In Taekwondo the main focus is on kicking, in particular jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking techniques and head-height kicks. Today Portchester Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

Ever since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has added to its popularity worldwide with some 60 million people or more actively attending classes. And it's by joining a Taekwondo class or club that you can start your journey of mastering this remarkable art.

For the people of Portchester who would like to learn a martial art, a major priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to see the appeal of this unique sport. With the added benefit of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for those around you, registering for a local Portchester Taekwondo class would seem to be a no brainer.

While it will instill you with self-confidence knowing that you have these self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are that you'll never be required to test them outside of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in the Portchester area will have different guidelines for what enrollees should be covering on their very first lesson, however to give you an idea of what you can expect most first Taekwondo lessons will involve a warm-up, some sparring, learning forms (Poomse), an overview of kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocks (practical training) and a warm-down to relax weary muscles and return the body to a state of equilibrium.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own regulating body, and in the British Isles it is British Taekwondo. Everyone wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Portchester have to become registered members of this organisation. You can get loads of info on launching a new Taekwondo club, coaches and referees, events, equality and safeguarding, news, clubs and members, health and safety, coaching courses, first aid, and more, by viewing British Taekwondo's website.

Safety Equipment

Safety equipment such as shin pads, a red/blue head guard, a groin guard, a gum shield, hand guards, forearm guards and blue/red body armour (hogu) are used in all tournaments regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is important thanks to the powerful kicking that is an integral part of this sport.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In Taekwondo there's really no standardisation in regards to belts and ranking. It all hinges on what style you are considering, since there are such a lot of Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, usually split into two groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks range from white to red, with from eight to twelve ranks, while the black/senior belts typically have 9 ranks.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are known as "Kup". The top rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a number of different colours, so the ranks can be 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Portchester will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and advance through the different coloured belts until they accomplish the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Portchester are considered to be "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through yet another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt" status. So, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 principal sections in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. 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 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 involves many years of dedicated training.

Taekwondo Competitions

A typical Taekwondo tournament includes patterns (forms), breaking and sparring, in the Olympics only sparring is involved. Having said that there can also be some special events in particular competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. World Taekwondo contests are strictly soft-contact affairs, whilst International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) contests allow some hand attacks to the head. There are also some multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Forms

Perfecting Tae kwon do calls for getting to grips with a number of disciplines and techniques and one of the pivotal parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are types of stance, direction and technique which have to be memorized in order for students to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

You will probably be intrigued to discover precisely what kind of benefits may be gained by taking part in Portchester Taekwondo instruction and participating 100% in its activities. You could expect that you will: Better discipline by extensively training your mind and body in the doctrines and strategies of Taekwondo, Reduce anxiety and stress using advanced breath control, Empower your mind and body via improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Beef up confidence by inspiring you to take control of your life and succeed, Increase stamina, flexibility and agility through extreme cardiovascular effort, Improve your self-esteem by raising your physical and mental health, Help with self-defence by coaching you to understand situations where self-defence could be needed, and empowering you to manipulate these types of situations to your advantage.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Learners starting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Portchester will first of all register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are fabulous, since there are no stringent demands and everything is done at a slow and casual pace. Learning and having fun are the main aims at the start and students who are having fun tend to learn a lot quicker and digest considerably more of what they're being told. Even Taekwondo masters started out as clueless newbies, so take that initial step and who knows where you will finish up!