London Taekwondo (SW1): First developed in Korea during the nineteen forties and fifties, Taekwondo is a fast combatative sport that has become increasingly popular over the last three decades. For people who need to develop your body and mind, learn a bit of self-defence, build your confidence and enhance your self-respect, Taekwondo could be the ideal hobby or fitness activity.
Since Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it is possibly more suitable for the younger generation in London. That isn't to say that older people can't be involved in this kind of activity, but simply that there may be alternative martial arts which are more suited to the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is the perfect example.
Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily comprises kicking manoeuvres, most notably fast kicking techniques, spinning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a group of martial arts specialists founded schools known as "kwans", which combined various martial arts practices.
With over 60 million practitioners around the globe and quite a few in London, Taekwondo has become very popular. Joining your local Taekwondo class or club in London is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. There's no reason why you cannot reach an advanced standard in this exhilarating sport, even if you haven't any desire to compete in the Olympics.
It seems that the most appealing aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence. This is not surprising when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.
Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be put to the test outside of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will give you peace of mind.
What to Expect From Your First Lesson
If you've never done Taekwondo previously, you may be somewhat apprehensive as to what you can expect on your very first lesson. This may vary from school to school but will generally consist of some or all of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, a bit of technical training including learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, kicks and stances, studying some forms (or Poomse), an introduction to sparring including timing, attack timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.
The official body regulating Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and anybody wishing to join a Taekwondo class in London has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can get plenty of facts about coaching courses, members and clubs, coaches and referees, events, news, beginning a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, health and safety, first aid, and more, by visiting British Taekwondo's official website.
London Taekwondo classes aren't just suitable for the people of London itself but also for followers from Kingston upon Thames, Islington, Hackney, Hounslow, Haringey, Havering, Brent, Croydon, Bexley, Camden, Greenwich, Waltham Forest, Southwark, Bromley, Barnet and other nearby locations and postcodes such as NW1 5DN, NW1 3DJ, NW1 5EA, NW1 5DZ, EC4A 2LT, NW1 5DW, NW1 5AP, NW1 5ED, NW1 5BE, NW1 4QB. Verifying this should guarantee that you access locally based providers of Taekwondo. London residents can benefit from these and lots of other related classes.
Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)
Mastering Taekwondo will involve learning many techniques and disciplines and one of the key parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of technique, stance and direction which have to be mastered in order for students to move through the different dans (belts/grades).
Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)
When it comes to promotion, ranking and belts there isn't actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own system in place. There are however similarities and they normally comprise 2 groupings of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior grades typically have 9 tiers and the junior, eight to twelve grades.
In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are called "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, just like the vast majority of the martial arts is denoted by a range of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate belts with stripes, namely 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 London starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and move up through the colours until they earn the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).
Once this training regime has been accomplished, London Taekwondo students become "black belt candidates", and they must then earn a further nine ranks if they're to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the ultimate accolade. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts are; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts are; Green (6th), Green With Blue Stripe (5th), Blue (4th), Blue With Red Stripe (3rd), Red (2nd) and Red With Black Stripe (1st). The Black Taekwondo Belts go from 1st to 9th Dan which can take a considerable number of years to successfully progress through. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts London, Taekwondo Rankings London, Order of Belts in Taekwondo).
Safety Gear
Safety equipment such as hand guards, a gum shield, a groin guard, forearm guards, red/blue trunk armour, shin pads and a red/blue head guard must be worn in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is crucial on account of the formidable kicks which are part and parcel of this sport.
The Many Benefits of Taekwondo
When signing up for Taekwondo classes in London you will be wanting to get some benefits to make the entire venture worthwhile. And so we should examine a few of the many positive benefits that you may get by learning and doing Taekwondo. Empower your body and mind by increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Boost your confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life, Increase self-esteem by intensifying both physical and mental fitness, Greater discipline and willpower by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the strategies and doctrines of Taekwondo, Augment agility, stamina and flexibility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Learn self-defence by coaching you to recognise situations where self-defence might be necessary, and empowering you to manipulate such circumstances to your advantage, Reduce anxiety with controlled breathing.
To Summarize
We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not purely about National Championships and Olympic titles. The majority of of us are happy to make new friends, meet different people and improve our fitness levels, and that is precisely how it ought to be. However, as with many things in life, what you get out of it will depend on what you invest in it. Good luck! 👊
Coming Soon: Private Taekwondo sessions London.
Taekwondo Greater London
In the Greater London area you can additionally find: Highams Park Taekwondo training, Leytonstone martial arts tuition, Church End Taekwondo lessons, Harlesden Taekwondo lessons, Erith Taekwondo classes, Cricklewood martial arts clubs, St Pauls Cray martial arts training, Richmond martial arts training, Chislehurst Taekwondo tuition, Shepherds Bush martial arts classes, Pimlico Taekwondo training, Osterley Taekwondo lessons, Westcombe Park Taekwondo training, Paddington Taekwondo clubs, Childs Hill Taekwondo tuition, Roehampton Taekwondo training, Stratford Taekwondo training, Becontree Heath Taekwondo training, Vauxhall Taekwondo lessons, Crook Log martial arts tuition, Forest Hill Taekwondo tuition, Barnet martial arts training, Chelsfield Taekwondo training, Whitton martial arts lessons, Finchley martial arts lessons, Seven Sisters Taekwondo lessons, Petts Wood Taekwondo clubs, New Eltham Taekwondo tuition, Freezywater martial arts tuition, Park Royal Taekwondo clubs. Throughout Greater London you will be able to find Taekwondo teachers who'll offer tuition in this martial art. If you can't find the perfect Taekwondo instructor in London itself you will surely be able to find one nearby.
Taekwondo Enquiries Greater London
Current Greater London Taekwondo enquiries: Kylan Joseph in Bloomsbury was looking for Taekwondo classes nearby. Kourtney Donald in Highams Park, Greater London was looking for Taekwondo clubs nearby. Sebastian Milford in Lamorbey, Greater London was searching for local Taekwondo classes in the Lamorbey area. Nell Hale was trying to find a Taekwondo instructor near Greenford, Greater London. Milana Webber from Lower Clapton, Greater London was looking for Taekwondo clubs nearby. Cora Pearson was looking for a Taekwondo instructor near Queensbury. Colby Greenaway from Blackfen asked "is anywhere to practice Taekwondo near me?". Zaynab Maloney in Friern Barnet, Greater London was looking for martial arts classes nearby.
Basic Kicks in Taekwondo
- Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi)
- Back Kick (Dwo Chagi)
- Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi)
- Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi)
- Push Kick (Meereo Chagi)
- Front Kick (Ap Chagi)
- Side Kick (Yeop Chagi)
- Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi)
Taekwondo Books
Useful publications: Taekwondo: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Korean Art of Self-Defense, Taekwondo: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique by Marc Tedeschi, Traditional Taekwondo: Core Techniques, History and Philosophy, Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-Do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns (Stuart Anslow), A Killing Art: The Story of Tae Kwon Do (Alex Gillis), Official Taekwondo Training Manual by Gaetane Ricke and Soon Man Lee, Taekwondo White to Black Belt: Your Ultimate Grading and Reference Summary (Phil Pearce).
London Taekwondo
London Taekwondo instructors can generally help you with Taekwondo for senior citizens in London, the rules of Taekwondo, women's Taekwondo classes London, Taekwondo equipment, one-to-one Taekwondo classes, starters Taekwondo London, Taekwondo for self-defence, Taekwondo for the disabled, sparring Taekwondo London, Taekwondo tuition, children's Taekwondo London, Taekwondo kicking, private Taekwondo classes, one-to-one Taekwondo London, beginners Taekwondo London, self-defence classes in London, family Taekwondo London, Taekwondo grading and other martial arts stuff in London, Greater London. Listed are just an example of the activities that are accomplished by people specialising in Taekwondo. London specialists will be delighted to keep you abreast of their whole range of offerings.
Taekwondo Near London
Also find: Greenwich Taekwondo, Bromley Taekwondo, Bexley Taekwondo, Havering Taekwondo, Hackney Taekwondo, Kingston upon Thames Taekwondo, Barnet Taekwondo, Islington Taekwondo, Hounslow Taekwondo, Brent Taekwondo, Croydon Taekwondo, Camden Taekwondo, Waltham Forest Taekwondo, Haringey Taekwondo, Southwark Taekwondo and more Taekwondo in Greater London. The majority of these places are catered for by instructors of Taekwondo. London residents can book Taekwondo classes by going here.
Taekwondo Services London
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Taekwondo Around London
People living in the following roads and areas have just recently enquired about Taekwondo classes - Daley Street, Darville Road, Templars Avenue, Tarragon Close, Tedworth Square, Campden Hill Road, Dartmouth Park Hill, Tenison Court, Talfourd Road, Sans Walk, Tableer Avenue, Addison Drive, Davidson Gardens, Sandbourne Road, Cambstone Close, Barmouth Road, Dante Place, Callaghan Cottages, Sanderstead Avenue, Ballantine Street, Saxon Drive, Darfield Way, Temple Hall Court, Danecroft Road, Tallis Street, Balvaird Place, Tebworth Road, Abercrombie Street, Dagmar Gardens, Abingdon Road, as well as these London area postcodes: NW1 5DN, NW1 3DJ, NW1 5EA, NW1 5DZ, EC4A 2LT, NW1 5DW, NW1 5AP, NW1 5ED, NW1 5BE, NW1 4QB. People in these streets recently asked about Taekwondo. London residents enjoyed the benefits of professional and reliable Taekwondo classes in all cases.
To read local info about London, Greater London take a look here
More Greater London Taekwondo: More Greater London Taekwondo classes: Greenwich, Richmond upon Thames, Hounslow, Bromley, Barnet, Kingston upon Thames, Bexley, Ealing, London, Harrow, Croydon and Enfield.
Taekwondo in SW1 district, 020.
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