Taekwondo Hockley

Taekwondo is typically much more demanding physically than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty agile and fit you might prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to boost your fitness in Hockley. Younger children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Hockley, with a lot of fast paced movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly consists of kicking manoeuvres, in particular fast kicking strategies, spinning/jumping kicks and head kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools known as "kwans", which blended a number of martial arts techniques.

With more than 60 million fitness enthusiasts participating in Taekwondo classes all over the world, this has certainly become a popular and worthwhile activity, and if you become really good at this sport you may possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been a part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and undoubtedly this is one of the main reasons that individuals in Hockley get involved in classes and take up the sport. There's been a disconcerting escalation of violent behaviour over the last few years and this is especially prevalent in city and town centres around Essex and the British Isles as a whole. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also teaches self-discipline and respect for other people, not such common characteristics in Hockley these days.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove to be useful in your day to day life, though it is far more likely that you will only be testing them within a regulated class setting. Nevertheless it is a wonderful feeling knowing that you can always defend yourself if you have to.

Your First Class

If Taekwondo is not something that you've ever tried before, you will likely be wondering what you should expect from your initial lesson should you decide to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Hockley area have different ideas about this but roughly; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you'll practice sparring strategies and lastly you'll perform a warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation once again.

British Taekwondo is the governing body of the sport within the British Isles, and membership of this organisation is compulsory should you wish to join any Taekwondo club in Hockley or nearby. You can learn about first aid, safe practices, coaches and referees, members and clubs, coaching courses, establishing a new club, news, events, safeguarding and equality, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or find the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The belt and ranking system can get rather confusing in Taekwondo since there isn't any uniform structure throughout the different Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found though, and normally there are 2 distinct belt groups, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior groupings varies over the styles but is usually somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior's groupings commonly has nine belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a set of ranks that are known as "Kup", these ranks go from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). As with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of different colours, so the ranks can be easily identified. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo beginners in Hockley will commence with, they will then proceed through the different coloured belts, eventually attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), which will take about 3-4 years of lessons and training.

When this training has been completed, Hockley Taekwondo students advance to "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through a further nine Dans (ranks) if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate accolade. So, putting it simply, there are three principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division 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 process that will take a number of years. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Hockley, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Promotion Hockley).

The Taekwondo Kicks

One of the primary elements of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a handful of the standard kicking moves: Side Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacks, are called Makgi. They are held in particular positions and employ the hands with sections of the arm. Each form of attack necessitates a specific type of block, counter-attacking movements can be created by combining a block with another punch or kick. The primary "blocks" (makgi) include: Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It does not matter what you're capable of or who you are in Taekwondo, at some stage you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing absolutely nothing. We've all started out like this and are only able to develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Hockley are the right place get started on that learning journey and to acquire the basic principles so that you can gain self-confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo experience. Most beginner classes are set up to be fun and friendly, providing a gradual introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo principles and building a solid foundation for the future.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are an array of competitions in Taekwondo involving all the different styles. They largely involve sparring, patterns and breaking with not much hard contact. ITF tournaments do not permit disproportionate contact but may allow hand attacks to be aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style contests are also held.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

When getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Hockley you'll be hoping to get a few benefits to make the whole enterprise worthwhile. So why don't we consider some of the many benefits that you could gain by practicing and learning Taekwondo. Lessen stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, More discipline by thoroughly training your mind and body in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Increase self-esteem by intensifying both mental and physical powers, Help with self-defence strategies by helping you identify occasions in which self-defence may be necessary, and empowering you to turn these kinds of situations in your favour, Build up confidence by helping you to seize control of your life and succeed, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility through strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Empower your body and mind thru improved physical coordination and mental discipline.