Taekwondo Shoreham-by-Sea

It has to be said that Taekwondo can be very physically challenging, which could put off the older and less nimble people in Shoreham-by-Sea from taking this up. To be completely fair, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but obviously older individuals who're in great physical condition can easily participate and benefit considerably from this sport.

The discipline was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics established some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. This eventually became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking styles, jumping/turning kicks and head kicks.Today Shoreham-by-Sea Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than sixty million practitioners all around the world, and though you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games athlete, you can still register for a Taekwondo class or club to master what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and worthwhile activity.

For the people of Shoreham-by-Sea who want to learn a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. As this is a central concept of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the attraction of this particular sport. With the additional bonus of developing self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for those around you, enrolling in a local Shoreham-by-Sea Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove to be useful in your day to day life, though it's much more likely that you will only be testing them within a regulated class setting. Nevertheless it is an amazing feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

Different Taekwondo schools in the Shoreham-by-Sea area will have different ideas about what enrollees should be covering on their very first class, but to give you a concept of what you should expect most first Taekwondo lessons will involve a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning simple Poomse (forms), an introduction to blocking techniques, hand attacks, stances and kicks (practical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and get the body back to a state of relaxation.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo class in Shoreham-by-Sea has to also register with British Taekwondo which is the regulating body of the sport in the British Isles. You can get loads of facts about coaches and referees, clubs and members, news, safeguarding and equality, first aid, beginning a new Taekwondo club, events, safe practices, coaching courses, and more, by popping along to the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is famous for its formidable kicks, here are the basic ones: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are implemented. They are held in various positions and engage the hands with parts of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacking moves by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The key "blocks" include: Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Rising Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt system can get a bit complicated in Taekwondo since there is no standard system throughout the various Taekwondo styles. Analogies can be found however, and usually there are two separate belt groupings, signified as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of rankings in the junior section varies over the styles but is normally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's group normally has nine belts or dans.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments are held across the globe in all of the diverse styles. There's usually not a whole lot of hard contact but patterns (forms), breaking and sparring. Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments only consist of sparring, in International Taekwon-Do Federation contests specified hand attacks are allowed to the head. Various other organisations hold multi-discipline tournaments.

Safety Gear

In all competitions, events and contests taking place under the patronage of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as shin protectors, forearm protectors, a gum shield, a red/blue body guard (hogu), a red or blue head guard, a groin guard and hand guards is compulsory. The kicking techniques employed in Taekwondo could cause injuries and these preventative measures help make this activity less risky for its competitors.