Taekwondo Tiptree

Since Taekwondo has pretty high physical requirements, it's perhaps more suited to the younger people of Tiptree. That isn't to say that elderly people can't be involved in this particular activity, but just that there might be other martial arts that are more suited to the less nimble of us. Tai Chi would be the perfect example.

The name Taekwondo was only coined in the 1950's, although the sport started life in Korea in 1945. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts founded some schools which they called "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. In Taekwondo the main focus is on kicking, in particular rapid kicking techniques, head kicks and spinning/jumping kicks. These days Tiptree Taekwondo classes follow 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 regularly participating in classes. And it's by enrolling in a Taekwondo class or club that you can commence your journey of learning this exciting activity.

For a lot of people in Tiptree, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these days of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it is little surprise that this aspect features high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect other people and learn self-restraint.

While it is good to know that you can defend yourself whenever you need to, you should be hoping that you never need to test this outside of your local Taekwondo club environment.

Your First Class

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you will be wondering what will happen. This will vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce stiffness in the muscles, a little technical training involving learning some stances, blocking techniques, kicks and hand attacks, learning some Poomse (or forms), some ideas on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

Taekwondo also of course has its own regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Anybody wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Tiptree has to become a registered member of this organisation. You will be able to find plenty of details on coaches and tournament referees, safe practices, events, starting a new Taekwondo club, news, first aid, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, clubs and members, and more, by visiting the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In terms of ranking, promotion and belts there is not actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, since there are various different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique arrangement. There are however similarities and they usually comprise a couple of groupings of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior rankings generally have nine levels and the junior, 8 to 12 levels.

In the UK there are a series of ranks in Taekwondo that are generally known as "Kup". The lowest rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is indicated by a range of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" 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 beginners in Tiptree will begin with, they'll then move up through the colours, finally attaining the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which can take around 3-4 years.

After successfully completing this challenge, Taekwondo students in Tiptree are considered as "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through yet another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt". Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division comprise; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior division are; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which will take many years. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Ranks Tiptree, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Belts Tiptree).

Taekwondo Kicks

Of all the martial arts, Taekwondo has the widest variety of kicking techniques. Amongst them are: Push Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick. Blocks: To repulse the various hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse array of blocks (Makgi). Held in specific positions, they employ the hand and different sections of the arm. Each kind of attack necessitates a particular style of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with another punch or kick. The primary "blocks" (makgi) include: Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

When you are registering for Taekwondo classes in Tiptree you'll be aiming to get a few benefits to make the entire venture worth the effort. Therefore let us take a look at a few of the positive benefits that you may gain from learning and practicing Taekwondo. Reduces anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Toughen up your mind and body by means of accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Build your confidence by helping you to seize control of your life and succeed, More discipline and willpower by extensively educating your mind and body in the strategies and doctrines of Taekwondo, Increase flexibility, agility and stamina by way of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by heightening both mental and physical health, Learn self-defence techniques by training you to identify circumstances where self-defence might be needed, and empowering you to control such scenarios to your advantage.