Taekwondo Irchester

Because of its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is maybe more suited to the younger person in Irchester and is particularly suited to kids because it is wonderful for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly people might find it somewhat too strenuous unless they are particularly fit and active. However, those who persue Taekwondo in Irchester at a young age will discover they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less agile of you could consider participating in something softer like Tai Chi.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts and entails primarily kicking movements such as fast kicking styles, jumping/spinning kicks and head kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were set up by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Irchester and all across the globe, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Irchester Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to get involved in this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you might not have any dreams to be involved in Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you should not become an expert at this intriguing martial art and have some fun in the process.

In these times of escalating violence, it's little surprise that people in areas like Irchester are getting involved in self-defence training such as Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also encourages self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are disciplines that are frequently absent in modern day life.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time come in useful in your day to day life, although it's more likely that you'll solely be putting them to the test within a regulated class setting. However it's a wonderful feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Irchester Taekwondo Class

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. This could vary from class to class but will usually entail all or some of the following. A warm up lasting fifteen to twenty minutes, some technical training which will involve learning some blocking techniques, kicks, stances and hand attacks, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), a look at sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to finish off a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping,

Everyone who is a registered member of a Taekwondo class in Irchester or anywhere else in the United Kingdom, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You can learn about health and safety, referees and coaching, first aid, news, members and clubs, coaching courses, events, safeguarding and equality, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and get the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Competitions

Competitions and tournaments are a significant aspect of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the different styles across the globe hold competitions where Taekwondo exponents gather together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these contests which mainly comprise sparring, patterns and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) events.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, a lot of benefits to be had from participating in Taekwondo, and the following are just some which could be attractive to you: Build up your confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility by means of extreme cardiovascular effort, Lower anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Improve self-esteem by sharpening your physical and mental fitness, Help with self-defence by coaching you to realize scenarios where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to control these kinds of situations to your advantage, Better discipline and willpower by methodically training your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body through improved physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

With there being a number of types of Taekwondo there's never really been any standardized system for allocating belts (ranks). What does exist is however pretty similar and is made up of a couple of belt groups "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each of these groupings is split into ranks, eight to twelve colours in the case of juniors and nine "blacks" for the seniors.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are known as "Kup". The top rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. If you are curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is portrayed by a range of colours i.e. 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. Students in Irchester getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the coloured belts until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

When this training has been successfully completed, Irchester Taekwondo students become "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through an additional 9 ranks or Dans if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three sections; Junior, Senior and Black Belt. 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 will involve many years of dedication.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is renowned for its impressive kicks, here are the basic ones: Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to repulse the different attacking moves, are called Makgi. They're held in specific positions and engage the hand with different areas of the arm. Each and every "block" can be merged with a kick or punch to create a counter-attack, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The most important "blocks" (makgi) include: Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Low Block and Upper Block.

Safety Gear

Safety equipment like a groin guard, forearm guards, a blue/red head guard, hand protectors, shin pads, red or blue body armour and a mouth protector have to be used in all competitions overseen by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is imperative due to the vigorous kicks that are part and parcel of this sport.