Taekwondo Silsden

Taekwondo is a perfect sport for children in Silsden, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical elements make it more appropriate for younger people. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but should not be a problem for those who are already active and fit. However people in Silsden who get involved in Taekwondo at a young age, will find that continuing into older adulthood isn't an issue. If you are less nimble you could always try something a bit softer such as Tai Chi or Yoga.

Taekwondo originated in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts devotees in Seoul founded some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking methods, head kicks and turning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist". These days Silsden Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Silsden and all around the world, with more than sixty million practitioners worldwide. Enrolling in a local Silsden Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to become involved in this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games of 2000. Although you might not have any goals to take part in Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become a master of this thrilling martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

While there is much to be gained by doing Taekwondo, it is the self-defence aspect that most Silsden people are interested in. This is not surprising when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.

Whilst it will instill you with confidence being aware that you have such self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is you will never be required to use them outside of an actual Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you have never dome Taekwondo before, you may be interested to know exactly what is likely to happen on your first lesson. Most Taekwondo schools in Silsden follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to loosen your muscles and increase your heart rate, some technical training covering some blocks, hand attacks, kicks and stances, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), a few ideas on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

Any person wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Silsden has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in Britain. You'll be able to read about establishing a new club, members and clubs, events, first aid, coaches and tournament referees, health and safety, news, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or get the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

There are an array of competitions in Taekwondo associated with all the diverse styles. They primarily include sparring, patterns and breaking with hardly any hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation tournaments don't permit disproportionate contact but sometimes permit hand attacks to the head. World Taekwondo and Olympic contests only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions also take place.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

Because there are many different disciplines of Taekwondo there has never been any recognised arrangement for assigning belts (promotion). What exists is however fairly similar and involves 2 belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groupings is split into levels, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and nine for seniors.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. If you're eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is portrayed by a range of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo newbies in Silsden will start out with, they'll then proceed through the coloured belts, finally reaching the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which can take around three to four years of lessons and training.

After this has been completed, Taekwondo trainees in Silsden become "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through a further 9 ranks (Dans) right up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" status. Therefore, Junior, Senior and Black Belts are the 3 primary classifications 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 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 group of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and involves many years of dedication.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

People just starting out Taekwondo do not need to worry excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, however they will have to acquaint themselves with some standard ones to begin with and advance to more difficult "forms" as they progress up the belts (dans/grades). A "form" is indicated by specific aspects of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Getting to grips with these sequences is a vital part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo for Beginners

As with any activity or sport we've got to begin someplace, and Taekwondo is exactly the same. Even the finest Silsden Taekwondo masters were total novices at one point. So, what can you expect as a total beginner at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their pupils sufficient training to give them the fundamentals and allow them to gain self-confidence as they progress. An ideal beginners class should be fun as well as educational, when students are enjoying themselves they're a lot more engrossed and are going to learn quicker.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Matches controlled by British Taekwondo rules demand that various pieces of protective equipment be worn, these include: a blue/red head guard, shin pads, a gum shield, hand guards, a blue/red body guard (hogu), forearm protectors and a groin protector. This is necessary due to the potent kicking actions being employed.