Taekwondo Gatley

As a result of its rather more physical attributes, Taekwondo is perhaps more appropriate for the younger generation in Gatley and is especially suitable for kids as it's wonderful for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults could find it a bit too strenuous unless they're particularly active and fit. Even so, those folks who persue Taekwondo in Gatley from a young age will find they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less agile of you could consider participating in something gentler like Tai Chi.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans", blending various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts lovers. Kicking movements, especially jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head kicks are the main focus of Taekwondo, as it later became known. Now Gatley Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Nowadays an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, and whilst you may not aspire to be an Olympic Games medalist, you are still able to register for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt prove to be a rewarding and interesting activity.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the main reasons that folks in Gatley get involved in classes and engage with the sport. There's been a troubling escalation of violent behaviour in recent times and this is particularly common in city and town centres around Greater Manchester and the United Kingdom in general. The good thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such widespread characteristics in Gatley nowadays.

With a bit of luck, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you won't ever need to apply your newly discovered techniques to defend yourself.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you decide to register for Taekwondo training in Gatley, the first thing you'll be thinking about is what is going to occur on the first lesson and just what will the instructor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Gatley area will compile diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can count on doing a 15-20 minute warm-up to get the blood coursing and loosen your muscles, learn several Poomse (forms, go through some practical training (stances, hand attacks, blocks and kicks), do some sparring, and last but not least, a warm-down.

Taekwondo also of course has got its own regulating body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Gatley has to become a registered member of this organisation. You will be able to find lots of info on coaching courses, coaches and referees, establishing a new Taekwondo club, events, equality and safeguarding, first aid, news, members and clubs, health and safety, and more, by visiting the British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Forms are a key element of Taekwondo and are crucial if you're going to excel at this popular sport. Some basic "forms" must be grasped from the outset and more elaborate forms will have to be mastered in order to move through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is distinguished by a number of factors such as technique, direction and stance.

Beginners Taekwondo Gatley

Trainees setting out on their Taekwondo experience in Gatley will first of all sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are terrific, as there are no rigorous demands and things are done at a slow, casual pace. Having fun whilst learning is the principal aim in the beginning and trainees who are enjoying themselves tend to learn much quicker and digest significantly more of what they're being told. Even Taekwondo masters started off as clueless newbies, so take that initial step and you never know where you will finish up!

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

With there being various disciplines of Taekwondo there's never really been any standard arrangement for assigning belts (ranks). What exists is however quite similar and involves 2 belt groupings "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each one of these groupings is split into levels, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and nine for seniors.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. As with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a range of colours, so that 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 Gatley will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the different coloured belts until they attain the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Once this training regime has been successfully completed, Gatley Taekwondo trainees become known as "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through a further nine Dans if they're to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the ultimate distinction. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and involves many years of dedication. (Tags: Taekwondo Rankings Gatley, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Belts Gatley).

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the most widely used Taekwondo kicking techniques that you will learn early on include: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi). Blocks: To divert and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are implemented. They are held in specific positions and enlist the hand with sections of the arm. Certain attacks necessitate specified "blocks", but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The principal Taekwondo "blocks" (makgi) include: Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block and Double Forearm Block.