Taekwondo Peacehaven

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger person in Peacehaven and is particularly suitable for children as it is great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults may find it somewhat too taxing unless they are particularly fit and active. Carrying their Taekwondo experience through into older adulthood should not however be a problem for those who start when they are younger. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently established of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some schools known as "kwans", merging a number of martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, mainly involves high-kicking manoeuvres, especially turning/jumping kicks, head kicks and rapid kicking styles.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport. This has added to its popularity throughout the world with some sixty million people or more actively participating in classes. And it's by signing up to a Taekwondo club or class that you can begin your journey of learning this thrilling martial art.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Peacehaven is the self-defence aspect of it. And when you consider the high levels of violence in town and city centres these days, this is hardly surprising. Being able to defend yourself is a key factor of Taekwondo, but this is tempered by learning self-restraint and a respect for others.

There's a very good chance that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never need to be tested in your day to day life, but it will unquestionably give you reassurance knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever need them.

Your First Peacehaven Taekwondo Class

If you have never dome Taekwondo before, you may be interested to know exactly what is likely to happen on your first lesson. This may vary depending on which Peacehaven school you go to, but will usually involve the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to loosen your muscles and increase your heart rate, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocks, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), a few tips on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

British Taekwondo is the regulating body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organisation is compulsory if you wish to sign up with any Taekwondo club in Peacehaven or nearby. By visiting British Taekwondo's official website you can obtain details about safe practices, events, coaching courses, starting a new club, coaches and competition referees, news, equality and safeguarding, first aid, clubs and members, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Safety gear such as shin pads, a red/blue head guard, a gum shield, forearm guards, a groin protector, a red/blue body guard (hogu) and hand guards must be worn in all contests supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is vital thanks to the forceful kicks which are part and parcel of this activity.

Taekwondo Belts

The belt and ranking system can get rather bewildering in Taekwondo since there's no standardized system across the diverse Taekwondo disciplines. Similarities can be found though, and typically there are two distinct belt groupings, represented as "seniors" (black dans) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of grades in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is commonly somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior groupings typically has nine dans or belts.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are referred to as "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest rank is First Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, much like most of the martial arts is portrayed by a range of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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 Peacehaven starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and move up through the coloured belts until they attain the 1st Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe).

Taekwondo students in Peacehaven become "black belt candidates" once they've successfully completed this process, and they'll then be faced with progressing through a further nine ranks (Dans) if they aim to achieve the supreme distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three sections; Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division comprise; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior division are; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which takes a considerable number of years. (Tags: Taekwondo Rankings Peacehaven, Taekwondo Belt Order, Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Peacehaven).

The Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that can be acquired by participating in Taekwondo instruction in Peacehaven are numerous, among the most noteworthy are: Lower stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Boost your confidence by helping you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Enhance feelings of self-esteem by raising both physical and mental fitness, Supercharge agility, flexibility and stamina by means of extreme cardiovascular exertion, Empower your mind and body by means of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Teach self-defence strategies by helping you to identify scenarios in which self-defence might be required, and allowing you to turn these kinds of circumstances to your advantage, Better discipline by thoroughly schooling your mind and body in the techniques and principles of Taekwondo.

Beginners Classes

Even the best exponents of Taekwondo in Peacehaven had to start as novices, so it's no shame to be a complete beginner at this sport, or any other activity for that matter. The purpose of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach just a few basics, boost confidence and develop a solid foundation moving forward. Most important of all is that it must be fun, students having a great time will learn faster and be better committed.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicks that you will learn initially include: Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse assortment of "blocks" (Makgi). They're held in particular positions and employ the hand with different parts of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacks by the combination of reciprocal punches or kicks. The primary blocks include: Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Nine Block and Upper Block.