Taekwondo Hythe

Because Taekwondo has quite high physical demands, it's perhaps more suitable for the younger generation in Hythe. That isn't to say that the older generation cannot be involved in this activity, but just that there might be other martial arts that are more suitable for the less agile of us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul founded some new schools which they called "kwans", combining many different martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, largely involves kicking manoeuvres, particularly rapid kicking styles, turning/jumping kicks and head kicks.

Taekwondo now has more than 60 million students worldwide and has become very popular in Hythe and throughout the UK. If you would like to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, signing up for a Taekwondo class or club in Hythe is a great place to start. There isn't any reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you've got no desire to compete in the Olympics.

For many people in Hythe, it's the self-defence element of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these times of ever increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it is no surprise that this features high on people's priority lists. It is a key element of Taekwondo that you are able to become more confident in your ability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be tested outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't something that you've ever had a go at previously, you will likely be curious about what to expect from your initial class if you decide to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Hythe have varying ideas about this but roughly; you will take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you will learn some patterns (forms), you are going to practice sparring methods and lastly you will do a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once again.

If you want to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Hythe, you'll also have to register with the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By heading to the British Taekwondo website you will be able to obtain details on safeguarding and equality, health and safety, establishing a new Taekwondo club, events, coaches and referees, news, coaching courses, first aid, members and clubs, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The ranking and belt system can get somewhat bewildering in Taekwondo since there is no standard arrangement across the different Taekwondo disciplines. Similarities can be found though, and commonly there are 2 separate belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of grades in the junior group varies through the disciplines but is normally somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior group generally has nine dans or belts.

Taekwondo for Beginners

With any activity or sport we've got to start somewhere, and Taekwondo's just the same. Even the uppermost Hythe Taekwondo exponents were complete rookies at one time. So, what should you expect as a complete novice at Taekwondo? A beginners class should give its enrollees enough coaching to teach them the fundamentals and allow them to build self-confidence as they progress. The perfect beginners class ought to be enjoyable as well as educational, when students are having fun they are far more committed and are going to learn quicker.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo contests require specific safety gear to be worn to safeguard contenders from being injured due to the powerful kicking that transpires. This safety gear includes: shin pads, a groin protector, red/blue body armour (hogu), hand guards, a blue/red head protector, forearm protectors and a mouth guard.

Conclusion

What you get out of Taekwondo will be directly related to what you put into it (as is true of life on the whole). Most of you will simply want to make new friends, improve your fitness and meet different people, some might aspire to move on to tournaments and competitions or perhaps even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.