Taekwondo Chadderton

Because Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it's possibly more suitable for the younger generation in Chadderton. That's not to say that elderly people can't take part in this activity, but just that there could be alternative martial arts that are more appropriate for the less agile among us. Tai Chi is the perfect illustration.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and consists of mostly kicking moves such as head kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and rapid kicking strategies. It began when schools called "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to become extremely popular in Chadderton and all across the globe, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Getting started with a local Chadderton Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to get involved with this activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become an expert at this challenging martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

In these times of ever-increasing violence, it's little surprise that individuals in locations like Chadderton are signing up for self-defence techniques such as Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but it also encourages self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are traits that are often lacking in modern day life.

There is a pretty good likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be tested in your everyday life, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in Chadderton will have different thoughts on what pupils should cover on their first lesson, however to give you a concept of what to expect most first Taekwondo classes will incorporate a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning simple Poomse (forms), a quick introduction to blocking techniques, stances, kicks and hand attacks (practical training) and a warm-down to relax tired muscles and get the body back to a state of relaxation.

Everybody who is a member of a Taekwondo club in Chadderton or any place else in the United Kingdom, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official regulating body of the sport. By heading to British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to find details about health and safety, first aid, events, coaches and competition referees, safeguarding and equality, clubs and members, establishing a new club, coaching courses, news, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In Tae kwon do there is really no uniformity when it comes to belts and grades. It is all depending on which style you happen to be reviewing, since there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles. However, they are generally separated into two groupings "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior rankings range from white to red, with from eight to twelve levels, whilst the black/senior belts commonly have nine grades.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are a multitude of competitions and tournaments in Taekwondo associated with all the various styles. They largely comprise sparring, breaking and patterns with almost no hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) competitions don't allow disproportionate contact but sometimes permit hand attacks to be aimed at the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic contests only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions also take place.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo rules require various pieces of protective equipment to be used, these include things like: shin pads, a gum shield, a blue or red head protector, hand guards, a groin protector, red/blue body armour (hogu) and forearm guards. This is vital owing to the powerful kicking actions being employed.

Final Thoughts

We can practically guarantee that if you take up Taekwondo you are going to improve your levels of fitness, make more friends and gain self-confidence. If that is all you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it an achievement! We aren't all looking to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, still have to begin with the initial step. Good luck on your adventure! 👊