Taekwondo Heybridge

Taekwondo is typically much more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and agile you may prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness levels in Heybridge. Younger children are clearly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Heybridge, with lots of fast paced movements taking place and a great deal of high kicking.

The name Taekwondo has only been used since the 1950's, although the martial art began life in Korea in 1945. Some exciting new schools called "kwans", blending various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially fast kicking styles, head kicks and spinning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Nowadays Heybridge Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Heybridge and all over the world, with more than sixty million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Heybridge Taekwondo class or club is a great way to become involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exhilarating martial art and have some fun along the way.

For a lot of folks in Heybridge, it's the self-defence element of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it really is little surprise that this aspect sits high on people's priority lists. It is a key element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time come in handy in your everyday life, although it is more likely you will solely be testing them within a supervised class environment. Nevertheless it's an amazing feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to defend yourself when you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you make your mind up to register for a Taekwondo club in Heybridge, the very first thing you'll wish to know is what is going to occur on the very first lesson and what will the tutor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Heybridge area will formulate diverse routines for this first lesson but you can count on doing a 20 minute warm-up to get the blood flowing and loosen your muscles, learn some simple Poomse (forms, go through some technical training (stances, kicks, hand attacks and blocking techniques), do some sparring, and lastly, warm-down.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the British Isles, and membership of this organization is mandatory should you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Heybridge or nearby. By exploring British Taekwondo's official website you can find details of safe practices, members and clubs, news, safeguarding and equality, events, starting a new club, coaching courses, first aid, referees and coaching, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are a number of different kicks which are used in Taekwondo. Here are a sample of the most widely used: Side Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the various kicks and hand attacks there are an equally diverse assortment of "blocks" (Makgi). They are held in various positions and use the hands with parts of the arm. Each and every "block" can be coupled with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each block is suitable for a specific attack. The most important Taekwondo blocks (makgi) include: Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt structure can get pretty complicated in Taekwondo because there is no uniform structure across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Likenesses can be found though, and commonly there are 2 separate belt groupings, signified as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (colours). The number of grades in the junior group varies across the styles but is typically somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior's section usually has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK there are a series of ranks in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest rank is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, like many of the martial arts is portrayed by a range of colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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 newbies in Heybridge will commence with, they will then progress through the different coloured belts, eventually attaining the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which will take about 3-4 years of training and lessons.

After this training regime has been successfully completed, Heybridge Taekwondo trainees are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they must then earn a further nine Dans if they're to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior, Senior and Black Belts. 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 demands many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Taekwondo Belts Heybridge, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Ranks Heybridge, Taekwondo Black Belts).

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo guidelines demand that specific pieces of protective equipment be used, these include: a mouth protector, forearm guards, shin protectors, a blue/red head protector, a groin protector, blue or red trunk armour and hand protectors. This is a must due to the formidable kicking movements being practiced.