Taekwondo Hersham

Because Taekwondo has pretty high physical demands, it's possibly more suited to the younger generation in Hersham. That's not to say that the older generation can't participate in this activity, but just that there may be other martial arts which are more appropriate for the less agile among us. Tai Chi is the perfect example.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its origins in Korea in 1945. Some innovative new schools called "kwans", mixing various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts devotees. Taekwondo, which it later became known as, mainly entails kicking manoeuvres, in particular head-height kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and rapid kicking strategies. Today Hersham Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Hersham and around the globe, with over sixty million students worldwide. Joining a local Taekwondo club or class in Hersham is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. While noone would seriously expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Hersham.

For the men, women and children of Hersham who like the idea of learning a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to appreciate the appeal of this particular sport. With the added benefit of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for other people, registering for a local Hersham Taekwondo class would seem to be an easy decision.

These self-defence techniques may at some time come in useful in your everyday life, although it's more likely you'll only be putting them to the test within a supervised class setting. However it's a nice feeling knowing the fact that you'll always be in a position to defend yourself if you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you've never done Taekwondo before, you may be a little concerned as to what should be expected on your very first lesson. This will vary from school to school but will usually consist of all or some of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little technical training involving learning some blocks, stances, hand attacks and kicks, learning a few forms, a quick introduction to sparring which will include the timing of attacks, timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

The body governing Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Hersham has to also register with British Taekwondo. You can learn about safe practices, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, events, news, referees and coaching, members and clubs, establishing a new Taekwondo club, first aid, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Safety Equipment

Safety equipment such as a red/blue head guard, blue/red body armour, a mouth guard, shin pads, hand guards, a groin protector and forearm protectors must be worn in all matches supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is necessary thanks to the formidable kicking that's part and parcel of this activity.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is renowned for its impressive kicks, here are the important ones: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to defend against the various attacks, are called Makgi. They are held in particular positions and engage the hand with areas of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate specified blocks, but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The most used "blocks" in Taekwondo include: Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Rising Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit confusing in Taekwondo as there's no standard structure throughout the various Taekwondo disciplines. Parallels do exist however, and usually there are 2 distinct belt groupings, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior section varies over the disciplines but is typically between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior section normally has nine dans or belts.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to the vast majority of the martial arts is indicated by a range of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary belts with stripes, 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 Hersham will start out with the Tenth Kup (White Belt), and progress through the coloured belts until they achieve the First Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe)

After successfully completing this challenge, Taekwondo students in Hersham are considered as "black belt candidates" which sees them proceeding through yet another 9 ranks (Dans) until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt". Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. 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 go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which takes a considerable number of years.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are of course, a lot of benefits to be gained from doing Taekwondo, and the following are just some that may be tempting for you: Better discipline by thoroughly training your body and mind in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Build confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by maximizing both physical and mental powers, Strengthen your mind and body through enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Reduces stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Increase flexibility, agility and stamina by way of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Help with self-defence techniques by helping you understand situations where self-defence could be necessary, and allowing you to control these circumstances to your advantage.