Taekwondo Buckhurst Hill

Images of young children doing rapid punches and energetic kicking manoeuvres, are what spring to mind at the mere mention of Taekwondo. Keeping up with the physical demands of the sport might be easier for the younger and fitter generation, but this doesn't mean that people of all ages can participate in, and enjoy the many benefits of this activity. It should however be said that if you're fairly fit and agile you will definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly features high-kicking manoeuvres, in particular fast kicking styles, jumping/spinning kicks and head kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a group of martial arts enthusiasts established schools called "kwans", which mixed together various martial arts techniques.

The total number of Taekwondo enthusiasts globally, now exceeds 60 million. If you would like to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, joining a Taekwondo club or class in Buckhurst Hill is a good place to start. There isn't any reason why you can't reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you have no desire to compete in the Olympics.

For the men, women and children of Buckhurst Hill who want to learn a martial art, a big priority is the aspect of self-defence. Considering that this is a key concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to appreciate the appeal of this particular sport. With the extra reward of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for others, signing up for a local Buckhurst Hill Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove to be useful in the outside world, although it's much more likely you'll solely be using them within a supervised class environment. However it's a reassuring feeling knowing that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you need to.

Your First Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your first class. This may vary depending on which Buckhurst Hill school you go to, but will usually involve the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocking techniques, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), some tips on sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

The UK's regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to join a Taekwondo club in Buckhurst Hill, you will also be required to become a member of this organization. By going to British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to find information regarding first aid, starting a new club, safeguarding and equality, members and clubs, news, safe practices, events, referees and coaching, coaching courses, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

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

Taekwondo Belts

In the art of taekwondo there is not really any form of standardization in regards to ranking and belts. It all hinges on which style you're reviewing, as there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles and rules. They are however, usually split into a couple of groups "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior ranks consist of white to red, with anything from eight to twelve ranks, whilst the senior/black belts normally have nine ranks.

In the UK Taekwondo has a sequence of ranks which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks range from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). The Taekwondo belt order, just like the vast majority of the martial arts is indicated by a number of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate belts with stripes, 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. Beginner students of Taekwondo in Buckhurst Hill will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and proceed through the coloured belts until they earn the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After this has been completed, Taekwondo students in Buckhurst Hill are known as "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through an additional nine ranks (Dans) right up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt". So, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts are; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group of Taekwondo Belts are; Green (Sixth), Green With a Blue Stripe (Fifth), Blue (Fourth), Blue With a Red Stripe (Third), Red (Second), and Red With a Black Stripe (First). The Black division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and involves many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Buckhurst Hill, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Promotion Buckhurst Hill).

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps most recognized for its fast-moving kicking manoeuvres, the following are a few of the standard kicks you will be taught as a novice: Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the different attacking movements, are known as Makgi. Engaging the hands and parts of the arm, they're held in various positions. Certain attacks require particular blocks, but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacking moves by combining reciprocal kicks or punches. The primary blocks include: Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Rising Block, Upper Block and Double Knife Hand Block.