Taekwondo Crofton

On account of its more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more appropriate for the younger person in Crofton and is especially suited to children because it's excellent for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly individuals might find it a bit too strenuous unless they are especially active and fit. However, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Crofton at a young age will discover that they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less nimble of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

The sport was developed in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts devotees founded some exciting new schools which they called "kwans", practicing a mixture of martial arts techniques. This ultimately became known as Taekwondo and the main focus of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially head-height kicks, jumping/turning kicks and fast kicking methods. Now Crofton Taekwondo classes adhere to this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to become extremely popular in Crofton and all around the world, with more than sixty million practitioners worldwide. Enrolling in a local Crofton Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved with this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst you may not have any goals to be involved in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you should not become an expert at this intriguing martial art and have some fun along the way.

For the people of Crofton who wish to learn a martial art, a major priority is the aspect of self-defence. As this is a central principle of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the appeal of this particular sport. With the added benefit of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for those around you, registering for a local Crofton Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

There is a very good likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will unquestionably give you a secure feeling knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

Your First Crofton Taekwondo Class

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first lesson, you will be wondering what will happen. There may be variations to the following, depending on which Crofton 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, stances, hand attacks and blocks, an introduction to some Poomse (or forms), a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping.

If you wish to join a Taekwondo class in Crofton, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You can read about establishing a new club, health and safety, news, coaches and referees, safeguarding and equality, first aid, coaching courses, events, members and clubs, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find the latest Taekwondo news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Competitions

Tournaments and competitions are an important part of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all of the diverse styles all over the world hold contests where Taekwondo exponents get together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever permitted in any of these tournaments which mostly comprise patterns, sparring and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, while specified hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

Taekwondo Belts

When it comes to ranking, promotion and belts there's not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, since there are various styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique system. There are however analogies and they usually consist of two groupings of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior rankings typically have nine levels and the junior, between 8 and 12 grades.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. As with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a number of colours, so that the ranks are 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. Beginner students of Taekwondo in Crofton will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the different coloured belts until they achieve the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Crofton are called "black belt candidates" once they've successfully completed this process, and they'll then be faced with proceeding through another 9 ranks (or Dans) if they plan to achieve the consummate distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. Therefore, putting it simply, there are 3 primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group comprise; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior division are; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a qualification process that will take many years.

Safety Gear

Safety gear such as blue or red body armour (hogu), hand guards, a groin guard, shin guards, a mouth guard, forearm guards and a blue or red head guard have to be worn in all matches regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is necessary on account of the powerful kicks which are an integral part of this activity.

Beginners Classes

It doesn't matter what you're capable of or who you are in Taekwondo, at one time you were a total novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We've all started out like this and can only learn and develop through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Crofton are the best place to start that learning process and to pick up the basic principles so you can gain confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo adventure. Most beginner classes are created to be fun and friendly, delivering a slow introduction to the basic Taekwondo principles and building a firm foundation moving forward.