Taekwondo Sompting

Since Taekwondo has quite high physical demands, it's possibly more suitable for the younger generation in Sompting. That isn't to say that older individuals can't be involved in this particular activity, but just that there could be other martial arts which are more suitable for the less nimble among us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly features high-kicking moves and manoeuvres, in particular jumping/spinning kicks, head kicks and rapid kicking methods. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools called "kwans", which mixed together a variety of martial arts techniques.

With over 60 million individuals taking part in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has unquestionably become a popular and worthwhile activity, and if you really master this sport you may even one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

Of all the many benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that the people of Sompting consider most alluring. And in these times of increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it's not a surprise that this features at the top of people's list of priorities. Being capable of defending yourself is a key factor of Taekwondo, but this is balanced by respecting others and exercising self-restraint.

While it will instill you with confidence knowing that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is you'll never be required to test them outside the monitored environment of an organized Taekwondo class.

Your First Sompting Taekwondo Lesson

For those of you who have never attempted Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be intrigued to know just what to expect from your first lesson. The following will give you an illustration, but this can vary depending on which Sompting school you attend. An initial warm up lasting 15-20 minutes, a bit of technical training which will involve learning some stances, hand attacks, kicks and blocking techniques, learning the basic forms or patterns, some ideas on sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to finish off a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

The United Kingdom official governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up to Taekwondo class in Sompting, you'll also be required to register with this respected organization. By heading to British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to find information about establishing a new Taekwondo club, equality and safeguarding, events, first aid, health and safety, referees and coaching, clubs and members, coaching courses, news, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear such as a mouth guard, a red or blue head guard, shin protectors, a groin protector, hand guards, forearm guards and red/blue trunk armour (hogu) have to be used in all contests supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is vital because of the powerful kicking that's part and parcel of this activity.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as patterns or Poomse) are identified by particular activities such as stance, technique and direction. From the outset you'll be taught some of the important forms, and in order to advance through the grades (belts) you'll need to master some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

With regards to belts, ranking and promotion there's not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, as there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique system. There are however parallels and they usually comprise 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior levels typically have 9 ranks and the junior, eight to twelve ranks.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are referred to as "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to most of the martial arts is indicated by a range of colours, these colours are 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 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo novices in Sompting will start out with, they'll then proceed through the coloured belts, finally attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which can take around three to four years.

After this has been completed, Taekwondo students in Sompting are considered as "black belt candidates" which involves them moving through another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt". Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into 3 groupings; Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Junior Taekwondo Belts are; 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 will take many years to progress through.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You'll undoubtedly be interested to discover exactly what kind of benefits could be obtained by taking part in Sompting Taekwondo training and engaging 100% in its practices. You may expect to: Strengthen your body and mind by accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility by means of intense cardiovascular exertion, Greater self-discipline by exhaustively educating your body and mind in the strategies and principles of Taekwondo, Increase self-esteem by maximizing both mental and physical powers, Lower stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Teach self-defence by training you to recognize situations where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to turn such circumstances to your advantage, Grow in confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

As martial arts go, Taekwondo sticks out as the one with the most kicking manoeuvres. The following are just some fundamental ones: Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an inbound attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are employed. They are held in various positions and engage the hand with different sections of the arm. Each form of attack calls for a specific sort of block, counter-attacking movements can be produced by combining a block with another punch or kick. The primary blocks (makgi) include: Low Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block and Upper Block.