Taekwondo Birtley

On account of its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is maybe more suitable for the younger person in Birtley and is especially suitable for children because it's great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults may find it a bit too demanding unless they are especially fit and active. However, those who take up Taekwondo in Birtley from a young age will find that they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less nimble of you could think about something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). This combination of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking strategies, jumping/turning kicks and head-height kicks.Today Birtley Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

With over sixty million fitness enthusiasts taking part in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has unquestionably become a popular and beneficial activity, and if you really master the sport you may possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For the people of Birtley who like the idea of learning a martial art, a major priority is the element of self-defence. Since this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to see the attraction of this unique sport. With the added benefit of developing self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for those around you, enrolling in a local Birtley Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

Whilst it will give you peace of mind being aware that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are you'll never need to test them outside the regulated setting of an actual Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you have ever had a go at previously, you will doubtless be wondering what you should expect from your initial lesson if you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Birtley area have varying ideas about this but roughly; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a certain amount of technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you'll practice sparring strategies and finally you'll perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once again.

Everybody who is a registered member of a Taekwondo class in Birtley or anywhere else in Great Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You can get a lot of facts about starting a new Taekwondo club, news, coaching courses, safe practices, members and clubs, events, safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, first aid, and more, by checking out British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering Taekwondo necessitates learning many disciplines and techniques and one of the pivotal parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called patterns or Poomse). These are types of technique, stance and direction which must be memorized in order for participants to move through the different dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

With regards to promotion, ranking and belts there is not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, since there are a number of styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique system. There are however likenesses and they usually consist of a couple of groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior levels normally have nine tiers and the junior, eight to twelve grades.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. If you're eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is denoted by a number of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary belts with stripes, specifically 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 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo beginners in Birtley will commence with, they'll then move up through the colours, eventually achieving the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which will probably take approximately 3-4 years.

As soon as this training has been accomplished, Birtley Taekwondo students become known as "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through an additional 9 Dans (ranks) if they are to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the supreme distinction. So, putting it simply, there are 3 primary divisions in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 can take a considerable number of years to progress through.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

There are needless to say, lots of benefits to be gained from participating in Taekwondo, and listed here are just a hint of the ones which could be appealing to you: Lessen stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Empower your mind and body via accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Build confidence by pushing you to succeed and to take control of your life, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by heightening your physical and mental fitness, Help with self-defence strategies by coaching you to understand instances where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to control these kinds of circumstances to your advantage, Greater discipline by methodically training your mind and body in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Turbocharge agility, stamina and flexibility through intensive cardiovascular effort.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo matches call for specific safety gear to be worn to protect contenders from injury as a result of the vigorous kicks that occur. These safety solutions include: shin protectors, a blue/red head guard, a gum shield, forearm guards, a groin guard, a red or blue trunk protector (hogu) and hand protectors.