Taekwondo Ryton

It's got to be asserted that Taekwondo can be very physically demanding, which might intimidate the older and less nimble people in Ryton from getting involved. To be completely honest, the most common people participating in Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but unquestionably older people who're in good physical condition can easily participate and benefit considerably from this sport.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily consists of high-kicking manoeuvres and moves, most notably rapid kicking strategies, head-height kicks and spinning/jumping kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools known as "kwans", which merged a number of martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Ryton and around the globe, with more than sixty million participants worldwide. Signing up for a local Ryton Taekwondo club or class is a great way to become involved in this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Although you might not have any dreams to get involved in Olympic competition, there's no reason why you shouldn't become an expert at this enjoyable martial art and have some fun in the process.

In these times of ever-increasing violence, it is little surprise that people in locations like Ryton are signing up for self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence element is one of the primary factors of Taekwondo but it also promotes self-restraint and a respect for other individuals, which are qualities that are often absent in this modern age.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point prove to be useful in the outside world, although it is far more likely that you'll solely be putting them to the test within a supervised class setting. Nevertheless it's a reassuring feeling knowing the fact that you can always successfully defend yourself when you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever done previously, you'll likely be curious about what you should be expecting from your initial class should you decide to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Ryton have varying thoughts on this but roughly; you'll participate in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms (patterns), you are going to practice sparring strategies and finally you will do a warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation once again.

If you wish to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Ryton, you'll also have to register with the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By viewing British Taekwondo's website you can discover details on first aid, members and clubs, launching a new club, events, news, equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, health and safety, referees and coaching, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicking movements that you'll learn early on include: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Blocks: To divert and stop an incoming attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are used. Held in various positions, they employ the hands and sections of the arm. Each and every block can be coupled with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attacking movement, and each one is meant for a particular attack. The most important "blocks" include: Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Nine Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Perfecting Tae kwon do necessitates learning a number of disciplines and one of the key aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as patterns or Poomse). These are types of direction, stance and technique which need to be mastered in order for students to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts

With there being various types of Taekwondo there's never been any standardized system for allocating belts (levels). What does exist is however quite similar and is made up of 2 belt groupings "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each one of these groups is divided into grades, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and nine for seniors.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are a whole host of tournaments and competitions in Taekwondo involving all the various styles. They mainly include breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring with very little hard contact. ITF competitions do not allow excessive contact but may allow hand attacks towards the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic contests allow only sparring. Multi-style contests also take place.