Taekwondo Crediton

Because Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it's perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Crediton. That is not to say that older individuals cannot be involved in this particular activity, but simply that there may be alternative martial arts which are more appropriate for the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is a perfect illustration.

Based largely around high-kicking manoeuvres and moves like head-height kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and rapid kicking techniques, Taekwondo was created from the techniques of various martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" during the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Chungdo Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Jido Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million enthusiasts worldwide, and whilst you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you're still able to enroll in a Taekwondo club or class to master what will no doubt prove to be a fulfilling and fascinating activity.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Crediton is the self-defence aspect of it. And when you consider the high levels of violence in town centres these days, this is hardly surprising. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confidently able to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and exercise self-restraint.

There's a very good likelihood that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never have to be tested in the outside world, but it will unquestionably give you peace of mind knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

Your First Lesson

For those of you who have never done Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first lesson. There may be variations to the following, depending on which Crediton Taekwondo school you attend, but you can roughly expect; A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a bit of technical training which will involve learning some blocks, kicks, hand attacks and stances, some work on forms or patterns, a few ideas on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

The official body regulating Taekwondo in the British Isles is British Taekwondo and anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Crediton must also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can find out about equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, starting a new club, referees and coaching, safe practices, events, news, first aid, clubs and members, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find the latest Taekwondo news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments are staged around the world in all the diverse styles. There is generally not a lot of hard contact but sparring, patterns and breaking. Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) contests comprise only sparring, in ITF competitions specified hand attacks are allowed to the head. Other organisations stage multi-discipline competitions.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

When it comes to promotion, ranking and belts there is not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique arrangement. There are however parallels and they generally consist of two groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior ranks typically have 9 tiers and the junior, between 8 and 12 ranks.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are known as "Kup". The highest rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a number 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 in Crediton getting started in Taekwondo will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and advance through the colours until they earn the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Crediton become known as "black belt candidates" once they've worked their way through these rankings, and they will then be faced with progressing through another 9 ranks (Dans) if they aim to achieve the greatest accolade Taekwondo Black Belt. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 primary groups 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 and training. (Tags: Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Promotion Crediton, Taekwondo Belts Crediton).

Crediton Taekwondo for Beginners

It does not matter what you're standing is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at some point you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing practically nothing. We've all started out like this and can only learn and develop through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Crediton are the right place to start that learning process and to acquire the basic principles so you can build confidence and move forward in your Taekwondo adventure. Almost all beginner classes are set up to be fun and friendly, providing a gradual introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and developing a solid base moving forward.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different kicking moves which are used in Taekwondo. Listed here are a sample of the best known: Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick, Push Kick, Crescent Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to repulse the different attacking movements, are called Makgi. Held in particular positions, they use the hands and areas of the arm. Each "block" can be coordinated with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attacking movement, and each one is meant for a specific attack. The most important "blocks" in Taekwondo include: Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety equipment such as shin guards, blue or red trunk armour (hogu), forearm guards, hand protectors, a gum shield, a blue or red head protector and a groin protector are worn in all matches overseen by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is crucial owing to the formidable kicking that is an integral element of this activity.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll doubtless be intrigued to discover precisely what kind of benefits could be achieved by taking part in Crediton Taekwondo sessions and participating 100% in its practices. You could expect that you will: Greater discipline by thoroughly training your mind and body in the doctrines and techniques of Taekwondo, Strengthen your mind and body thru accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Improve self-esteem by elevating your mental and physical fitness, Teach you self-defence by training you to recognise situations where self-defence may be required, and allowing you to control these situations to your advantage, Lessen stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Improve stamina, agility and flexibility by means of intense cardiovascular work-outs, Build up confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Perfecting Tae kwon do necessitates getting to grips with a number of techniques and disciplines and one of the pivotal aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of stance, technique and direction which have to be mastered in order for pupils to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Conclusion

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not just about National Championships and Olympic medals. The majority of of us are content to make new friends, meet different people and improve our fitness, and that's precisely how it ought to be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get from it will depend on what you invest in it. Good luck!