Taekwondo Canterbury

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Canterbury, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. Unless they are particularly fit and active, older adults may find it too physically taxing. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly involves kicking manoeuvres and moves, in particular turning/jumping kicks, head-height kicks and fast kicking strategies. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools known as "kwans", which blended various martial arts techniques.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local Canterbury Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally is the most interesting to people in Canterbury. And in these times of increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it's no great surprise that this sits on top of people's priority list. It's a key principle of Taekwondo that you can be confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time respect others and exercise self-restraint.

With a bit of luck, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you won't ever need to apply your newly learned techniques to defend yourself.

What to Expect From Your First Class

Different Taekwondo schools in the Canterbury area will have different guidelines for what pupils should cover on their initial class, but to give you a concept of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will include a warm-up, some sparring, learning basic forms (Poomse), an overview of stances, kicks, hand attacks and blocks (practical training) and a warm-down to relax tired muscles and get the body back to a state of equilibrium.

Taekwondo also of course has its own official regulating body, and in Britain it is British Taekwondo. Everyone wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Canterbury must become registered members of this organisation. You can get lots of info regarding clubs and members, referees and coaching, safeguarding and equality, news, events, coaching courses, first aid, safe practices, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more, by heading to British Taekwondo's official website.

Taekwondo Kicks

In the world of martial arts, Taekwondo sticks out as the one with the most kicking strategies. The following are just some fundamental ones: Hook or Whip Kick, Crescent Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Side Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an incoming attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are used. They're held in various positions and use the hands with different parts of the arm. Each and every block can be coupled with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking movement, and each is appropriate for a particular attack. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Single Forearm Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering Taekwondo calls for getting to grips with a number of techniques and one of the pivotal aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as patterns or Poomse). These are sequences of stance, technique and direction which must be memorized in order for pupils to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In Taekwondo there is really no standardisation when it comes to grades and belts. It is all subject to what style you're reviewing, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, typically separated into 2 groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with from 8 to 12 levels, while the senior/black belts commonly have nine levels.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Even the best exponents of Taekwondo in Canterbury began their journey as newbies, therefore there's no shame in being a beginner at Tae kwon do, or any other activity for that matter. The goal of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach a few basics, improve self-confidence and develop a firm foundation for the future. Most importantly of all is that it must be enjoyable, students having fun will learn faster and be better engaged.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all events, tournaments and contests being held under the supervision of British Taekwondo, safety equipment like a mouth guard, a red or blue head guard, hand protectors, forearm guards, a groin guard, blue or red body armour (hogu) and shin pads is mandatory. The kicking movements used in Taekwondo could potentially cause injuries and this safety measure helps to make the activity safer for its competitors.