Taekwondo Oxford

It needs to be said that Taekwondo can be very challenging physically, which can intimidate the older and less nimble folks in Oxford from taking this up. To be completely truthful, the most common participants of Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but of course older individuals who are in decent physical health can easily participate and benefit considerably from this activity.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some schools known as "kwans", combining a variety of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, largely involves high-kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and rapid kicking techniques.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Oxford and all around the world, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Joining a local Oxford Taekwondo club or class is a great way to become involved in 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 should not become a maestro of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

While there's a great deal to be gained by practicing Taekwondo, it's the self-defence aspect that most Oxford people are interested in. And in these times of increased violence, especially in city centres, it is no great surprise that this sits prominently people's priority list. Being capable of defending yourself is a key principle of Taekwondo, but this is balanced by learning self-restraint and a respect for others.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove useful in your everyday life, though it's much more likely that you'll only be using them within a controlled class setting. However it's a nice feeling knowing the fact that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you've booked your first lesson but haven't tried Taekwondo before, you will be wondering what to prepare for. This may vary depending on which Oxford school you go to, but will normally include the following. A warm up of 15-20 minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a bit of technical training covering some blocking techniques, stances, kicks and hand attacks, a look at forms or patterns, a look at sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and to round off a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping,

Taekwondo of course also has its own official governing body, and in the British Isles it is British Taekwondo. Every person wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Oxford have to become registered members of this organisation. You'll be able to learn about members and clubs, coaches and competition referees, safe practices, events, coaching courses, starting a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, news, first aid, and more on the British Taekwondo website, and find the latest Taekwondo news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

There are many different sorts of Taekwondo kicks, here are just a few of them: Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: To stop and avert an incoming Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are employed. Using the hands and parts of the arm, they're held in particular positions. Each form of attack necessitates a particular type of block, counter-attacking manoeuvres can be produced by integrating a block with another kick or punch. The most used "blocks" (makgi) include: Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Low Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Belts

When it comes to belts, promotion and ranking there's not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, as there are various different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique arrangement. There are however similarities and they usually consist of a couple of groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior levels generally have 9 tiers and the junior, eight to twelve grades.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are called "Kup". The lowest rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to most of the martial arts is denoted by a number of colours, these colours are 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 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo newbies in Oxford will begin with, they can then progress through the different coloured belts, eventually attaining the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which can take about 3-4 years of training and lessons.

Taekwondo trainees in Oxford are considered to be "black belt candidates" after they've succeeded with this challenge, and they will then be faced with proceeding through an additional nine ranks (or Dans) if they aim to achieve the greatest accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Therefore, to put it simply, there are 3 primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 will take a number of years to progress through.

Final Thoughts

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not just about Olympic medals and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to meet different people, make new friends and improve our levels of fitness, and that's how it ought to be. However, as with most matters in life, what you get out of it will be based upon what you put into it. Good luck and enjoy! 👊