Taekwondo Throckley

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Throckley, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. People in Throckley who take up Taekwondo when they are young find it easy to continue when they get older. The less agile of you might find that Tai Chi which is a bit softer is more suitable.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently created of the martial arts and involves primarily high-kicking movements such as head-height kicks, fast kicking strategies and turning/jumping kicks. It started when schools called "kwans" were established by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Throckley and all around the world, with more than 60 million practitioners worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Throckley Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved with this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there's no reason why you shouldn't become a master of this exhilarating martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

For the people of Throckley who like the idea of learning a martial art, a major priority is the aspect of self-defence. Since this is a key concept of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the attraction of this particular sport. With the extra benefit of developing self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for others, enrolling in a local Throckley Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

These self-defence techniques may at some point prove useful in your everyday life, though it's far more likely that you will only be testing them within a regulated class environment. Yet it is a reassuring feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to defend yourself if you have to.

Your First Class

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you will be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Throckley 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 comprising some hand attacks, kicks, stances and blocks, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), some tips on sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch muscles.

The official body governing Taekwondo in the British Isles is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Throckley has to also register with British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about first aid, equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, coaches and referees, events, coaching courses, news, safe practices, starting a new club, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest Taekwondo news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the most widely used Taekwondo kicking movements that you'll learn initially include: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and avert an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are used. They are held in various positions and engage the hands with different areas of the arm. Certain attacks require specified blocks, but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacks by combining retaliatory kicks or punches. The most used blocks include: Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Tournaments

A typical Taekwondo tournament includes sparring, patterns and breaking, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is included. That being said there may also be some special categories in certain tournaments such as team demonstrations and self-defence. World Taekwondo competitions are strictly soft-contact affairs, while International Taekwon-Do Federation contests allow some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition a number of multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In the art of taekwondo there is really no form of standardization when it comes to belts and ranking. It all depends on which style you are considering, since there are so many different Taekwondo styles and rules. They are however, commonly separated into 2 groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with anything from eight to twelve rankings, whilst the senior/black belts normally have nine ranks.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is denoted by a number of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary belts with stripes, namely 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 Throckley will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the various colours until they achieve the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Throckley are known as "black belt candidates" once they've successfully completed this process, and they will then be faced with proceeding through another 9 ranks (or Dans) if they plan to achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. 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 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of dedication.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

When getting started with Taekwondo classes in Throckley you'll be aiming to get a few benefits to make the entire project worthwhile. So we should look into some of the many positive benefits that you might get from learning and doing Taekwondo. Lessen anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Develop discipline and willpower by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Build confidence by pushing you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Turbocharge agility, stamina and flexibility by means of extreme cardiovascular exertion, Empower your mind and body through enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Enhance self-esteem by intensifying both mental and physical powers, Help with self-defence by helping you realize occasions in which self-defence might be required, and allowing you to manipulate these circumstances to your advantage.