Taekwondo Halstead

It has to be asserted that Taekwondo can be very demanding physically, which may intimidate the older and less agile folks in Halstead from becoming involved. To be truthful, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are children and younger people, but unquestionably older individuals who are in excellent physical condition can easily participate and benefit from this activity.

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

Popular throughout the world Taekwondo now has more than sixty million practitioners. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and signing up for your local Halstead Taekwondo club or class is the easiest way to get yourself involved. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there's no reason why you can't be a master of this exciting martial art and have an amazing time in the process.

Of all the many benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that the people of Halstead find most appealing. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

While its great to know they are there when you need them, with any luck you will never need to use your newly perfected Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club surroundings.

Your First Halstead Taekwondo Class

If you've never done Taekwondo previously, you may be somewhat concerned as to what you can expect on your very first class. This will vary from club to club but will typically consist of some or all of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training involving learning some kicks, stances, blocks and hand attacks, discovering a few forms (or Poomse), an overview of sparring which will include the timing of attacks, movement and timing, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo class in Halstead has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in the UK. By visiting British Taekwondo's official website you can discover information about launching a new club, news, coaches and competition referees, events, coaching courses, clubs and members, first aid, health and safety, safeguarding and equality, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits which can be gained by participating in Taekwondo classes in Halstead are numerous, amongst the most noteworthy are: Teach self-defence techniques by showing you how to recognize circumstances in which self-defence could be required, and empowering you to control these types of circumstances in your favour, More self-discipline by extensively schooling your mind and body in the doctrines and strategies of Taekwondo, Grow in your confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Toughen up your mind and body by means of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Reduce stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, Improve stamina, flexibility and agility through extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Increase self-esteem and concentration by intensifying both physical and mental powers.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In the art of taekwondo there is really no form of uniformity when it comes to grades and belts. It is all dependent upon what style you're considering, because there are so many different Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, typically divided into a couple of groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks range from white to red, with anything from eight to twelve ranks, whilst the black/senior belts normally have nine levels.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what generally known as "Kup". The highest rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is portrayed by a range of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" belts with stripes, specifically 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. The 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo rookies in Halstead will begin with, they will then advance through the colours, finally reaching the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which will probably take approximately 3-4 years.

After this has been completed, Taekwondo students in Halstead are considered as "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through a further nine ranks (Dans) up until they achieve the ultimate accolade of "Black Belt" status. Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior division Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group 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 will involve many years of dedication and training.

In Summary

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't solely about National Championships and Olympic titles. Most of us are content to make new friends, improve our fitness and meet different people, and that is how it ought to be. Yet, as with many matters in life, what you get from it will depend on what you put into it. Enjoy!