Taekwondo Ilford

Taekwondo is generally much more demanding physically than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and agile you might prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness in Ilford. Children and younger people are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Ilford, with lots of fast movements going on and a great deal of high kicking.

Based largely around high-kicking manoeuvres like head kicks, fast kicking strategies and turning/jumping kicks, Taekwondo was created from the practices of various diverse martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools called "Kwans" in the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Mooduk Kwan and Chungdo Kwan.

Nowadays an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, and while you may not aspire to be an Olympic Games medalist, you can still sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will undoubtedly prove to be a fascinating and fulfilling pastime.

In these times of escalating violence, it is little surprise that people in locations like Ilford are taking up self-defence training like Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for other folks, which are characteristics that are largely lacking in this modern age.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point come in useful in your day to day life, though it's more likely that you'll only be testing them within a supervised class setting. Nevertheless it is a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Taekwondo Class

For those of you who've never attempted Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be intrigued to know what to expect from your first lesson. The following will give you an illustration, but this could vary subject to which Ilford school you attend. A 15-20 minute warm up, a bit of technical training including learning some stances, blocking techniques, kicks and hand attacks, some work on patterns or forms (Poomse in Korean), a few ideas on sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and to finish off a warm down to loosen up and stretch muscles.

British Taekwondo is the official governing body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organisation is compulsory if you wish to sign up with any Taekwondo class in Ilford or nearby. You will be able to read about coaching courses, coaches and tournament referees, first aid, clubs and members, establishing a new Taekwondo club, events, news, health and safety, safeguarding and equality, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also known as patterns or Poomse) are characterised by particular elements like stance, direction and technique. From the outset you'll learn some of the standard forms, and in order to progress through the various grades (belts) you'll need to master some more complicated ones.

Taekwondo Kicks

Among the basic Taekwondo kicks you will master initially include: Push Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: To repulse the numerous kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse array of "blocks" (Makgi). Using the hand and different sections of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Specific attacks call for specified "blocks", but blocks can also be changed into counter-attacking movements by the combination of reciprocal kicks or punches. The primary blocks (makgi) include: Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In the art of taekwondo there's not really any uniformity with regards to belts and grades. It all depends on which style you are considering, because there are so many different Taekwondo rules and styles. However, they are typically separated into 2 groups "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior rankings consist of white to red, with anything from eight to twelve rankings, while the black/senior belts commonly have nine grades.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are referred to as "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. If you are interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is denoted by a number of 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Ilford will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and proceed through the various colours until they reach the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

When this training regime has been completed, Ilford Taekwondo trainees are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they then need to earn an additional 9 Dans if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the consummate distinction. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 sections; Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Junior group of 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and demands many years of dedication and training.

Safety Gear

British Taekwondo controlled competitions call for certain safety equipment to be worn to protect competitors from getting injured as a result of the vigorous kicking that occurs. These safety solutions include: a groin protector, a red or blue trunk protector (hogu), hand guards, forearm protectors, a red/blue head guard, shin guards and a mouth guard.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits which may be acquired by taking part in Taekwondo lessons in Ilford are countless, among the most noteworthy are: Teach self-defence techniques by training you to understand instances where self-defence could be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate such scenarios in your favour, More self-discipline by comprehensively training your body and mind in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Turbocharge flexibility, stamina and agility through intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Improve self-esteem and concentration by sharpening your mental and physical fitness, Build confidence by motivating you to succeed and to take control of your life, Empower your mind and body by increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Lessen stress using advanced breath control.

In Summary

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you are going to gain more confidence, make new friends and improve your fitness levels. If that is all you take away from it, then that is amazing, and you can call it a success! We're not all striving to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you that are, still have to start with that initial step. Good luck with your adventure! 👊