Taekwondo Soham

Because of its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is possibly more appropriate for the younger generation in Soham and is particularly suitable for children as it's fantastic for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults might find it somewhat too strenuous unless they're particularly fit and active. However, those who take up Taekwondo in Soham at a young age will discover that they can easily carry it on when they're older. The less agile of you could think about something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly comprises high-kicking manoeuvres and moves, in particular fast kicking styles, jumping/turning kicks and head-height kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools called "kwans", which merged a variety of martial arts practices.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. Joining a local Soham Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there is no reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

In these times of increasing violence, it's little surprise that people in places like Soham are attending self-defence classes like Taekwondo to help them feel safer in their everyday life. The self-defence element is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for those around us, which are traits that are often absent in this modern age.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be put to the test outside the controlled atmosphere of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will instill you with confidence.

What to Expect From 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 lesson. Most Taekwondo schools in Soham follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. An initial warm up lasting fifteen to twenty minutes, a little technical training such as learning some hand attacks, kicks, stances and blocks, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), a look at sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

If you would like to sign up to a Taekwondo club in Soham, you will also have to become a member of the sport's governing body, namely British Taekwondo. By checking out British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to discover details on coaching courses, news, health and safety, events, beginning a new club, coaches and tournament referees, clubs and members, first aid, safeguarding and equality, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In Taekwondo there's not really any kind of uniformity in regards to belts and grades. It's all dependent upon what style you happen to be looking at, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles and rules. However, they are usually divided into a couple of groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior rankings consist of white to red, with anything from 8 to 12 grades, whilst the senior/black belts typically have nine grades.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, much like most of the martial arts is portrayed by a number of different colours, these colours are 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 Soham getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and advance through the coloured belts until they reach the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

After this training regime has been accomplished, Soham Taekwondo students are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they then need to earn an additional nine ranks or Dans if they're to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the ultimate distinction. So, to put it simply, there are 3 main sections in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. 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 demands many years of training and dedication.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a selection of the most widely used kicks: Axe Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: To defend against the many kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse range of "blocks" (Makgi). Using the hand and parts of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Specific attacks call for particular "blocks", but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacks by linking retaliatory kicks or punches. The principal blocks (makgi) include: Rising Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Low Block and Upper Block.

Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments are a significant element of the Taekwondo experience, and all the diverse styles across the globe hold contests where Taekwondo masters come together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these tournaments which mainly comprise patterns, sparring and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When you are getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Soham you will be expecting to get some benefits to make the entire venture worth the effort. And so let us look into a few of the positive benefits that you might gain through learning and practicing Taekwondo. Greater self-discipline by extensively educating your body and mind in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Supercharge flexibility, agility and stamina through intense cardiovascular work-outs, Reduced anxiety using advanced breath control, Grow in your confidence by inspiring you to seize control of your life and succeed, Toughen up your mind and body by means of increased mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Learn self-defence strategies by coaching you to recognise scenarios in which self-defence could be needed, and enabling you to turn these types of situations to your advantage, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by raising both physical and mental health.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

British Taekwondo matches call for certain safety equipment to be worn to safeguard competitors from personal injury due to the formidable kicks being used. This safety gear includes: hand protectors, shin protectors, a mouth guard, forearm guards, a blue/red trunk protector (hogu), a groin protector and a red/blue head guard.

Conclusion

So, what are you hoping to get from doing Taekwondo? Well, that is an excellent question, and the answer will be different for individual people. Most participants will just look to gain more confidence, meet new people and improve their levels of fitness. We are certainly not all going to reach the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although perhaps you will, who knows? 👊