Taekwondo Winshill

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Winshill, 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. Quite a few of the older adults who do Taekwondo in Winshill, started when they were younger. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking methods, turning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks.Today Winshill Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Winshill and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local Winshill Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Winshill.

In these days of ever-increasing violence, it's hardly surprising that individuals in locations like Winshill are signing up for self-defence classes such as Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are traits that are frequently missing in modern day life.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove to be useful in the outside world, though it is more likely that you'll solely be testing them within a monitored class setting. Nevertheless it's a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you can always successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you have booked your first class but have not done Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to prepare for. This could vary subject to which Winshill school you go to, but will usually include the following. An initial warm up lasting 15-20 minutes, a little technical training including learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, stances and kicks, learning your first patterns or forms, a few ideas on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own regulating body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Every person wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Winshill have to become members of this organisation. You'll be able to find out about starting a new Taekwondo club, safe practices, coaches and referees, equality and safeguarding, events, first aid, news, coaching courses, members and clubs, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and get the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicking manoeuvres serve a major role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a selection of the more basic ones: Axe Kick, Push Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Back Kick, Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse selection of blocks. Employing the hand and areas of the arm, they're held in specific positions. Each kind of attack calls for a specific type of block, counter-attacks can be created by combining a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The key "blocks" include: Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Palm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

There are a wide variety of tournaments and competitions in Taekwondo associated with all the different styles. They mainly include sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking with very little "hard contact". International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) competitions do not allow substantial contact but may allow hand attacks towards the head. World Taekwondo and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style tournaments are also held.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Newcomers just starting out Taekwondo don't have to fret too much about forms (Poomse, patterns) at the outset, however they will have to learn some important ones for starters and advance to more difficult "forms" as they progress through the belts (dans/grades). A form is indicated by specific elements of Taekwondo including direction, technique and stance. Getting to grips with these sequences is an important part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Competitions regulated by British Taekwondo policies require various items of protective equipment to be worn, these include things like: a blue/red head protector, hand guards, shin protectors, a gum shield, a blue or red body protector (hogu), a groin protector and forearm guards. This is vital due to the potent kicking attacks being practiced.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

Because there are various different types of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform system for assigning belts (ranks). What does exist however is quite similar and is made up of two belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groupings is split into ranks, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and 9 for seniors.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are called "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of colours, so that the ranks can be easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 Winshill will start out with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and proceed through the coloured belts until they achieve the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (First Kup)

Once this training has been completed, Winshill Taekwondo students become known as "black belt candidates", and they then need to progress through an additional 9 Dans if they're to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the ultimate accolade. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three divisions; 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 involves many years of dedication and training.

In Summary

So, what do you want from doing Taekwondo? Well, that's a great question, and the answer will be different for individual people. Most participants will simply wish to improve their fitness levels, meet new people and gain more confidence. We are not all going to scale the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although perhaps you will, you never know?