Taekwondo Basildon

Since Taekwondo has pretty high physical demands, it is possibly more suited to the younger people of Basildon. That isn't to say that older people can't participate in this popular activity, but merely that there could be alternative martial arts which are more suited to the less nimble of us. Tai Chi would be the perfect example.

Based mainly around kicking manoeuvres and moves like turning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking methods and head kicks, Taekwondo was formulated from the practices of various martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts specialists in new schools called "Kwans" in the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" were given the names Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Songmu Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners worldwide, now exceeds 60 million. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local Basildon Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. There is no reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you have no desire to compete in the Olympics.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and obviously this is one of the primary reasons that people in Basildon sign up to classes and take up the sport. There has been a worrying increase in violent conduct in recent times and this is especially rife in city and town centres around Essex and Britain as a whole. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also teaches self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such widespread attributes in Basildon nowadays.

Hopefully, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you will not ever need to apply your newly learned techniques to defend yourself.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in and around Basildon will have different thoughts on what pupils should be covering on their very first class, but to give you a perception of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will involve a warm-up, some sparring, learning basic forms (Poomse), an overview of hand attacks, kicks, blocking techniques and stances (technical training) and a warm-down to stretch weary muscles and get the body back to a state of equilibrium.

If you want to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Basildon, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By viewing the official British Taekwondo website you can obtain information regarding coaches and tournament referees, members and clubs, news, coaching courses, beginning a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, events, first aid, equality and safeguarding, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

The Taekwondo Kicks

There are loads of different Taekwondo kicking moves, here are just a handful of them: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the various attacks, are called Makgi. Held in specific positions, they use the hand and parts of the arm. Specific attacks require particular "blocks", but blocks can also be changed into counter-attacks by linking reciprocal punches or kicks. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Palm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering the art of Taekwondo will involve getting to grips with many disciplines and techniques and one of the key aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of technique, direction and stance which need to be mastered in order for participants to move through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts

In Tae kwon do there's not really any kind of standardization in relation to belts and grades. It is all determined by which style you happen to be reviewing, as there are such a lot of Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, generally split into two groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks consist of white to red, with from 8 to 12 ranks, while the senior/black belts usually have nine grades.

Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo competitions call for certain safety gear to be worn to protect contenders from personal injury due to the potent kicks that are used. This safety gear includes: a red or blue head guard, a gum shield, a groin guard, shin pads, a red/blue trunk protector (hogu), hand protectors and forearm guards.

Conclusion

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not purely about Olympic medals and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to meet different people, improve our levels of fitness and make new friends, and that's precisely how it should be. Yet, as with most things in life, what you get from it will be determined by what you put into it. Enjoy!