Taekwondo Chalfont St Giles

Taekwondo is generally much more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty nimble and fit you might prefer to find something a bit gentler to improve your fitness in Chalfont St Giles. Children are certainly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Chalfont St Giles, with lots of fast paced movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking techniques and jumping/turning kicks are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known.Today Chalfont St Giles Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Ever since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has added to its popularity all over the world with some sixty million people routinely attending classes. And it's by enrolling in a Taekwondo club or class that you can commence your quest of learning this exciting activity.

In these days of increasing violence, it is hardly surprising that individuals in locations like Chalfont St Giles are signing up for self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to help them feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a deep respect for those around us, which are disciplines that are often missing in this modern age.

With any luck you'll never need to use your newly learned Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club environment, but it is great to know they are there if you need them.

Your First Chalfont St Giles Taekwondo Class

If you've never done Taekwondo previously, you could be somewhat apprehensive as to what should be expected on your very first lesson. This will vary from school to school but will normally consist of all or some of these. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase the heart rate, some practical training involving learning some blocking techniques, kicks, stances and hand attacks, learning some forms (or Poomse), an introduction to sparring which will include movement, the timing of attacks and timing, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

The UK official governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to join a Taekwondo club in Chalfont St Giles, you will also be required to register with this respected organization. You can learn about health and safety, establishing a new club, coaches and tournament referees, coaching courses, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, news, events, first aid, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find out the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Chalfont St Giles began their journey as newbies, so there's no shame in being a complete beginner at Taekwondo, or any other activity for that matter. The aim of a Taekwondo beginner class is to provide a few basics, improve self-confidence and develop a solid base for the future. Most important of all is that it should be enjoyable, students having fun are going to learn quicker and be better invested.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Matches governed by British Taekwondo policies require various items of protective gear to be used, these include: a blue/red head protector, shin guards, hand protectors, a gum shield, a groin protector, red/blue body armour (hogu) and forearm protectors. This is necessary due to the powerful kicking actions being employed.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt structure can get very complicated in Taekwondo because there is no standardized arrangement throughout the diverse Taekwondo disciplines. Similarities do exist though, and commonly there are two distinct belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of grades in the junior section varies over the styles but is commonly somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior section generally has nine belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks that are referred to as "Kup", these ranks go from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). The Taekwondo belt order, like many of the martial arts is denoted 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Chalfont St Giles will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and move up through the various colours until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Chalfont St Giles become known as "black belt candidates" after they have worked their way through these rankings, and they will then need to move through another 9 ranks (or Dans) if they want to achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Therefore, Junior, Senior and Black Belts are the three primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order. 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 division 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 dedication.

Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments and competitions are a significant part of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all the diverse styles all over the world stage competitions where Taekwondo masters come together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever permitted in any of these competitive events which primarily comprise patterns, breaking and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo tournaments, whilst certain hand attacks are permitted in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, lots of benefits to be gained from doing Taekwondo, and here are just an idea of the ones which might be interesting for you: Teach you self-defence techniques by showing you how to realize circumstances in which self-defence might be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these kinds of scenarios in your favour, Better discipline by methodically schooling your mind and body in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Supercharge flexibility, stamina and agility through intensive cardiovascular effort, Reduces anxiety using advanced breath control, Build up confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Strengthen your body and mind through enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Increase feelings of self-esteem by maximizing both mental and physical health.

Summary

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not purely about Olympic titles and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to make new friends, meet different people and improve our fitness, and that's exactly how it should be. However, as with most matters in life, what you get from it will depend on what you put into it. Good luck! 👊