Taekwondo Shifnal

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it's possibly more suited to the younger people of Shifnal. That isn't to say that the older generation can't be involved in this popular activity, but just that there may be alternative martial arts which are more suited to the less nimble among us. Tai Chi is the perfect example.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics established some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking techniques, head kicks and jumping/spinning kicks are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known.

Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts all around the world, and although you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you can still sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt prove to be a fulfilling and fascinating activity.

Of all the many benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that the people of Shifnal find most alluring. This is not hard to believe when you think about the elevated levels of violence experienced in town and city centres day after day. In fact one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst respecting others and exercising a degree of self-restraint.

There's a very good likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never need to be used in the outside world, but it will unquestionably give you peace of mind knowing that they are there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you decide on registering for a Taekwondo club in Shifnal, the first thing you'll wish to know is what is going to happen on the initial lesson and exactly what will the instructor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Shifnal area will develop diverse routines for this initial introductory lesson but you should be expecting to do a 15 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood pumping, learn several Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocks), do a small amount of sparring, and lastly, a warm-down.

Taekwondo also of course has got its own official governing body, and in Britain it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Shifnal has to become a member of this organisation. You will be able to read about equality and safeguarding, news, members and clubs, coaches and referees, first aid, starting a new club, coaching courses, health and safety, events, and more on the British Taekwondo website, and find out the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

When registering for Taekwondo classes in Shifnal you'll be aiming to get a few benefits to make the whole undertaking worthwhile. So let us look into some of the many positive benefits that you may acquire by learning and doing Taekwondo. Augment flexibility, stamina and agility through intense cardiovascular exertion, Develop discipline and willpower by exhaustively training your body and mind in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body thru improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Reduces stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Beef up your confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Learn self-defence techniques by helping you to realize situations in which self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to control these types of scenarios to your advantage, Increase feelings of self-esteem by sharpening both physical and mental health.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Competitions are a significant aspect of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all of the different styles around the world hold tournaments where Taekwondo masters gather together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitive events which primarily incorporate patterns (forms), sparring and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and WT tournaments, while some hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

Shifnal Taekwondo for Beginners

Students setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Shifnal will initially sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are excellent, as there's no pressure and everything is done at a slow, casual pace. Learning and having fun are the key goals to start with and students who are having a good time have a tendency to learn a lot quicker and digest considerably more of what they are being shown. Even Taekwondo masters began as inexperienced novices, so take that very first step and who knows where you will wind up!

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Perfecting Taekwondo necessitates learning a number of techniques and one of the key aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of stance, direction and technique which must be memorized in order for pupils to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In relation to ranking, promotion and belts there is not actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, as there are various different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own unique system. There are however analogies and they usually comprise 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior rankings generally have nine tiers and the junior, eight to twelve tiers.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are called "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, much like the vast majority of the martial arts is indicated by a number of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Shifnal will commence with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and proceed through the different colours until they accomplish the First Kup (Red Belt With Black Stripe)

After this training has been accomplished, Shifnal Taekwondo students advance to "black belt candidates", and they then need to earn an additional nine Dans or ranks if they're to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction in this sport. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 sections; Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. 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 group of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and demands many years of dedication. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Shifnal, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Rankings Shifnal).