Taekwondo Anstey

When speaking about Taekwondo, the majority of people in Anstey consider that this is an activity for young kids. While the younger generation might find the physical demands of Taekwondo easier to cope with, there's nothing to stop people of all ages taking part. It should however be said that if you are fairly agile and fit you will definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily comprises kicking manoeuvres, in particular spinning/jumping kicks, head kicks and fast kicking styles. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools called "kwans", which blended a variety of martial arts techniques.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts all over the world, and while you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you can still join a Taekwondo class or club to master what will no doubt turn out to be a fascinating and worthwhile pastime.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and doubtless this is one of the main reasons that folks in Anstey get involved in classes and take up the sport. There's been a troubling increase in violent practices in recent years and this is especially rife in town and city centres throughout Leicestershire and the United Kingdom in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and respect for others, not such widespread characteristics in Anstey these days.

Although it will instill you with confidence being aware that you have those self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is you will never need to test them outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you'll be wondering what to expect. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which Anstey school you have signed up for. A warm up of 15-20 minutes to loosen the muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training comprising some blocking techniques, hand attacks, kicks and stances, a look at some forms (Poomse), a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and last but not least a warm down to loosen up and stretch muscles.

Anybody who joins a Taekwondo club in Anstey must also register with British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in Great Britain. You'll be able to read about events, first aid, coaching courses, coaches and referees, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, members and clubs, news, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find the latest Taekwondo news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Anstey set out as rookies, so there is no shame in being a complete beginner at this sport, or any other activity for that matter. The aim of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach a few of the basics, boost self-confidence and develop a solid foundation for the future. Most important of all is that it needs to be enjoyable, students having a good time are going to learn quicker and be better invested.

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is probably most recognized for its acrobatic kicking manoeuvres, here are a few of the basic kicks you'll be taught as a beginner: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. Held in diverse positions, they employ the hand and parts of the arm. Certain attacks require specified blocks, but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking manoeuvres by combining retaliatory kicks or punches. The most important blocks include: Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Low Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In terms of promotion, ranking and belts there is not actually any uniformity in Taekwondo, as there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific system. There are however parallels and they usually consist of a couple of groupings of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior ranks typically have nine levels and the junior, between 8 and 12 levels.

In the UK there are a set of ranks in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a number of colours, so that the ranks are easily recognised. 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. Students in Anstey getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and move up through the colours until they attain the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Anstey are known as "black belt candidates" after they've succeeded with this challenge, and they'll then need to proceed through an additional nine ranks (Dans) if they want to achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three sections; 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 are; 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, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Anstey, Taekwondo Rankings Anstey).

Taekwondo - The Benefits

There are needless to say, a number of benefits to be gained from practicing Taekwondo, and here are just some which could be interesting for you: Beef up your confidence by pushing you to seize control of your life and succeed, Help with self-defence by helping you to identify occasions in which self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to control these types of scenarios to your advantage, More discipline by extensively training your body and mind in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body by means of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Improve flexibility, stamina and agility by means of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Lessen anxiety with controlled breathing, Increase your self-esteem by elevating your physical and mental powers.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments and competitions are an important element of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the different styles across the globe hold tournaments and competitions where Taekwondo masters band together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever permitted in any of these contests which mainly comprise patterns (forms), sparring and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't purely about Olympic medals and National Championships. Most of us are content to make new friends, meet different people and improve our levels of fitness, and that is how it ought to be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get from it will depend on what you put into it. Good luck and enjoy! 👊