Taekwondo Laindon

Due to its somewhat more physical aspects, Taekwondo is possibly more suited to the younger generation in Laindon and is especially appropriate for children as it is brilliant for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Seniors trying Taekwondo for the very first time often find it too challenging, unless they've kept themselves active. For those people who take up Taekwondo at a younger age, continuing the adventure into older adulthood shouldn't be an issue. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less nimble of you.

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

Taekwondo has become extremely popular in Laindon and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Signing up for a local Laindon Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved with this sporting activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Although you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become an expert at this enjoyable martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

For the people of Laindon who wish to learn a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the attraction of this unique sport. With the added reward of learning self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for those around you, registering for a local Laindon Taekwondo class would seem to be an easy decision.

There's a fairly good chance that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your day to day life, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you ever need them.

Your First Lesson

If you decide on registering for a Taekwondo class in Laindon, the very first thing you will want to know is what is going to happen on the first lesson and what precisely will the coach be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in Laindon will contrive differing routines for this first introductory lesson but you can anticipate doing a 20 minute warm-up to get the blood pumping and loosen your muscles, learn a few forms (Poomse), go through some technical training (stances, kicks, blocks and hand attacks), do a certain amount of sparring, and last but not least, warm-down.

British Taekwondo is the governing body of the sport within Great Britain, and membership of this organization is compulsory if you want to sign up with any Taekwondo club in Laindon or nearby. By checking out the British Taekwondo website you'll be able to read information on members and clubs, establishing a new club, news, first aid, coaching courses, events, safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, health and safety, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is probably most recognized for its nimble-footed kicking manoeuvres, here are some of the fundamental kicks you'll learn as a beginner: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the various attacking moves, are known as Makgi. Held in various positions, they engage the hands and different parts of the arm. Each and every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to create a counter-attacking move, and each "block" is appropriate for a certain type of attack. The most used blocks include: Upper Block, Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

When it comes to belts, promotion and ranking there's not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, because there are a number of styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific system. There are however analogies and they normally comprise a couple of groupings of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior grades normally have nine ranks and the junior, 8 to 12 ranks.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) which are referred to as "Kup", these ranks range from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is portrayed by a range of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate 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 White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo beginners in Laindon will begin with, they can then progress through the different colours, finally reaching the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), after approximately three to four years of training and lessons.

Once this training regime has been successfully completed, Laindon Taekwondo trainees become known as "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through an additional 9 ranks or Dans if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the supreme accolade. Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 sections; Junior Belt, Senior Belt 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 division 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 involves many years of dedicated training.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also known as Poomse or patterns) are characterised by certain elements like stance, direction and technique. From the start you'll learn some of the important forms, and in order to progress through the grades (belts) you'll have to learn some more technical ones.

Tournaments

There are a wide variety of tournaments and competitions in Taekwondo involving all the different styles. They primarily consist of sparring, breaking and patterns with little or no "hard contact". International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) competitions don't allow substantial contact but sometimes allow hand attacks aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style tournaments also take place.