Taekwondo Yatton

The mere mention of Taekwondo, brings to mind images of sprightly young children doing punching and kicking exercises. Whilst the physical demands of Taekwondo may make it more suitable for the younger and fitter generation, it can certainly be practiced by people of every age. Being fairly fit and agile does however help you to enjoy all the intricacies of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some new schools known as "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking techniques and spinning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist".

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Yatton and with more than sixty million others all over the world. This sport has even been included in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you want to get involved, heading along to your local Yatton Taekwondo class or club is a great starting point. While the odds of you getting to Olympic standard are rather slim, there isn't any reason at all why you cannot master this thrilling martial art.

For many people in Yatton, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it really is little surprise that this aspect sits high on people's priority lists. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capacity to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect other people and practice self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may sooner or later come in handy in your everyday life, although it is more likely you will solely be testing them within a controlled class setting. However it is a reassuring feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself if you have to.

Your First Lesson

For those of you who have never done Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first class. There may be variations to the following, depending on which Yatton Taekwondo school you attend, but you can roughly expect; A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to loosen your muscles and increase your heart rate, some technical training comprising some hand attacks, stances, kicks and blocks, an introduction to forms or patterns, a look at sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

The UK governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you want to sign up to Taekwondo class in Yatton, you will also be required to register with this respected organization. By viewing British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to find information about first aid, events, members and clubs, coaches and competition referees, coaching courses, launching a new club, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, news, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Beginners Classes

It matters not what you're standing is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one stage you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started out like this and are only able to learn and improve through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Yatton are the place get started on that learning process and to acquire the fundamentals so that you can build confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo experience. Nearly all beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, providing a gradual introduction to the basic Taekwondo values and developing a solid base for the future.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

Taekwondo contests are staged all over the world in all of the various styles. There is generally not a whole lot of hard contact but patterns (forms), breaking and sparring. Olympic and WT contests consist only of sparring, in ITF contests specified hand attacks are permitted to the head. Other organizations hold multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is famous for its powerful kicking moves, listed here are the important ones: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the various hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse assortment of blocks. Held in specific positions, they engage the hands and sections of the arm. Certain attacks call for specified "blocks", but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The main "blocks" include: Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Nine Block, Low Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt structure can get somewhat bewildering in Taekwondo as there isn't any standard system across the different Taekwondo styles. Analogies can be found though, and commonly there are two distinct belt groupings, represented as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of grades in the junior section varies across the disciplines but is normally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's section normally has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks in Taekwondo that are called "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of different colours, so 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo newbies in Yatton will begin with, they can then progress through the colours, finally attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which can take about 3-4 years of dedication.

When this training has been successfully completed, Yatton Taekwondo students become "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through an additional nine Dans or ranks if they are to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the ultimate distinction. So, putting it simply, there are three principal groupings in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group comprise; 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 qualification process which takes many years.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also called patterns or Poomse) are distinguished by particular aspects such as stance, direction and technique. From the beginning you are going to be taught a few of the standard forms, and so as to advance through the rankings (belts) you'll have to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Competitions governed by British Taekwondo guidelines require various pieces of protective equipment to be worn, these include: a blue/red body guard (hogu), hand guards, forearm protectors, a blue or red head protector, shin protectors, a groin protector and a mouth guard. This is vital due to the formidable kicking movements being practiced.