Taekwondo Chingford

As a result of its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger person in Chingford and is particularly suitable for kids because it is great for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly individuals may find it a bit too challenging unless they are especially active and fit. Even so, those who take up Taekwondo in Chingford from a young age will find that they can easily continue with it when they're older. The less agile of you could consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily comprises high-kicking moves and manoeuvres, most notably jumping/turning kicks, fast kicking methods and head kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools known as "kwans", which mixed together a number of martial arts techniques.

Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million followers all around the world, and whilst you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games medalist, you are still able to register for a Taekwondo club or class to master what will undoubtedly prove to be a fascinating and rewarding pastime.

In these times of increasing violence, it's no surprise that people in areas like Chingford are signing up for self-defence classes such as Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also teaches self-restraint and a respect for other individuals, which are disciplines that are often lacking in modern day life.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be put to the test outside the monitored setting of an organized Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Chingford Taekwondo Lesson

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you will be wondering what will happen. There may be variations to the following, depending on which Chingford Taekwondo school you attend, but you can roughly expect; A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, blocking techniques, hand attacks and stances, an introduction to some forms, a look at sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo club in Chingford has to also register with British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in Britain. You can get lots of info regarding beginning a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, coaches and tournament referees, members and clubs, events, safe practices, news, first aid, coaching courses, and more, by viewing British Taekwondo's official website.

Beginners Classes

It does not matter what you're ranking is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one point you were a total novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We have all started out like this and are only able to improve and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Chingford are the place get started on that learning journey and to acquire the basics so you can gain confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo experience. Most beginner classes are created to be fun and friendly, delivering a gradual introduction to the basic Taekwondo principles and developing a firm foundation for the future.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Taekwondo competitions are held internationally in all of the diverse styles. There's generally not a lot of hard contact but patterns, breaking and sparring. Olympic and WT competitions only consist of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) tournaments specific hand attacks are allowed to the head. Various other organizations stage multi-discipline tournaments.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main features of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a small selection of the essential kicks: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Engaging the hands and parts of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Each form of attack calls for a particular type of block, counter-attacking moves can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The key Taekwondo "blocks" include: Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Double Forearm Block.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, lots of benefits to be gained from practicing Taekwondo, and here are just a hint of the ones which could be appealing to you: Beef up your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Lower anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Teach you self-defence by showing you how to understand scenarios in which self-defence may be needed, and enabling you to turn such scenarios to your advantage, Augment stamina, flexibility and agility by way of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Greater self-discipline by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Empower your body and mind via improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Increase concentration and self-esteem by sharpening both mental and physical powers.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Taekwondo forms (also known as Poomse or patterns) are characterised by specified elements like stance, technique and direction. From the beginning you will learn a few of the basic forms, and so as to move through the various rankings (belts) you'll have to learn some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Belts

Because there are various types of Taekwondo there's never really been any standard arrangement for assigning belts (levels). What exists however is fairly similar and involves a couple of belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is split into ranks, eight to twelve colours in the case of juniors and 9 "blacks" for seniors.

In the UK there are a set of ranks in Taekwondo which are referred to as "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of colours, so the ranks can be easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 Chingford will begin with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and move up through the different colours until they reach the First Kup (Red With Black Stripe Belt)

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo students in Chingford are known as "black belt candidates" which sees them progressing through yet another 9 ranks (Dans) up until they achieve the ultimate distinction of "Black Belt". So, Junior, Senior and Black Belts are the 3 main classifications in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior division 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 group of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and involves many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Chingford, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Promotion Chingford).

To Summarize

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about Olympic titles and National Championships. Most of us are happy to improve our levels of fitness, make new friends and meet different people, and that's precisely how it should be. Yet, as with most matters in life, what you get from it will depend upon what you invest in it. Enjoy!