Taekwondo Wadebridge

Taekwondo is typically a lot more demanding physically than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and agile you might prefer to find something a little gentler to improve your fitness in Wadebridge. Children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Wadebridge, with lots of fast paced movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently established of the martial arts and consists of mostly kicking moves such as head kicks, turning/jumping kicks and fast kicking methods. It started when schools known as "kwans" were established by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to become extremely popular in Wadebridge and all around the world, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Wadebridge Taekwondo class or club is a good way to become involved in this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you may not have any ambitions to take part in Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you shouldn't become an expert at this intriguing martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

Of all the numerous benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that the people of Wadebridge consider most alluring. You should not be surprised by this, when you bear in mind the high incidence of violence seen in today's city centres. Being capable of defending yourself is a key principle of Taekwondo, but this is tempered by exercising self-restraint and respecting others.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time prove to be useful in the outside world, although it's much more likely that you will only be using them within a supervised class setting. Yet it is an amazing feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself if you have to.

Your First Class

If you come to a decision to register for a Taekwondo class in Wadebridge, the first thing you'll be wondering is what will occur on the initial lesson and just what will the tutor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Wadebridge area will put together diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can expect to do a 15-20 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood flowing, learn some basic Poomse (forms, go through some technical training (kicks, stances, blocks and hand attacks), do a small amount of sparring, and to finish, warm-down.

Taekwondo of course also has its own regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Anybody wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Wadebridge has to become a member of this organisation. You can find lots of details on beginning a new club, health and safety, referees and coaching, events, first aid, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, news, and more, by going to British Taekwondo's website.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps most recognized for its acrobatic kicking manoeuvres, here are a handful of the fundamental kicks that you will learn as a beginner: Whip or Hook Kick, Push Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Engaging the hand and parts of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Each kind of attack necessitates a specific style of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The most important blocks used in Taekwondo include: Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Nine Block, Upper Block, Palm Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts

The ranking and belt system can get pretty complicated in Taekwondo because there's no uniform structure across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found though, and usually there are 2 separate belt groups, represented as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of grades in the junior section varies through the styles but is commonly somewhere between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's group typically has nine belts or dans.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are called "Kup". The lowest rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to many of the martial arts is portrayed by a number 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 White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo beginners in Wadebridge will begin with, they will then proceed through the coloured belts, finally earning the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which can take approximately 3-4 years.

When this training has been successfully completed, Wadebridge Taekwondo trainees become known as "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through an additional nine Dans if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the supreme accolade. Therefore, putting it simply, there are three principal sections in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior 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 takes a number of years to progress through. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Wadebridge, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Ranks Wadebridge).

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Safety gear such as forearm protectors, shin pads, a blue/red head protector, a groin protector, a gum shield, blue/red trunk armour (hogu) and hand guards are worn in all competitions controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is paramount owing to the forceful kicks which are an integral part of this activity.