Taekwondo Sleaford

When discussing Taekwondo, most people in Sleaford consider that this is a sport for young children. The fact is though, that people of every age are able to take part in this sport despite its considerable physical demands. Being fairly fit is however a requirement of Taekwondo.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts and consists of mainly kicking movements such as spinning/jumping kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking techniques. It started when schools called "kwans" were set up by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

With more than sixty million fitness enthusiasts participating in Taekwondo instruction all over the world, this has definitely become a popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really expert at the martial art you might even one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For many people in Sleaford, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it's no surprise that this aspect sits high on people's priority lists. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you are able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect other people and learn self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time come in handy in your everyday life, though it is much more likely that you'll only be using them within a monitored class environment. Nevertheless it's a wonderful feeling knowing the fact that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have booked your first class but have never done Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to expect. The following will give you an idea, but this may vary from school to school. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a little technical training comprising some stances, blocking techniques, kicks and hand attacks, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

Anyone wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Sleaford must also register with British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the British Isles. You'll be able to find out about news, coaches and referees, first aid, members and clubs, safeguarding and equality, health and safety, coaching courses, events, launching a new Taekwondo club, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and find the latest Taekwondo news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Beginners Taekwondo Sleaford

Trainees setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Sleaford will at first sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are awesome, since there's no pressure and everything is carried out at a slow, relaxed pace. Learning and having fun are the key goals at the start and students who are having a good time are inclined to learn much faster and absorb significantly more of what they are being told. Even Taekwondo masters started off as clueless newbies, so take that very first step and you never know where you will wind up!

Taekwondo Kicks

Of all the recognized martial arts, Taekwondo has the widest number of kicking manoeuvres. Amongst them are: Back Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are known as Makgi. Using the hands and different areas of the arm, they're held in specific positions. Every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attack, and each one is suitable for a specific attack. The key blocks (makgi) include: Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts

In Taekwondo there's really no standardization when it comes to belts and grades. It all depends on which style you are looking at, as there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles and rules. However, they're usually split into 2 groups "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior ranks consist of white to red, with anything from eight to twelve levels, while the senior/black belts generally have 9 grades.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest is Tenth Kup and the highest rank is First Kup. If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is portrayed by a range of different colours i.e. 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. Beginners in Sleaford starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and progress through the colours until they accomplish the 1st Kup (Red With Black Stripe Belt).

As soon as this training regime has been accomplished, Sleaford Taekwondo students advance to "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through a further nine Dans if they are to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction in this sport. Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three groupings; Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group 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 division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of training and dedication.

In Summary

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you'll make new friends, improve your fitness and gain more confidence. If that's all you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it an achievement! We aren't all vying to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, have to start with the initial step. Good luck on your journey! 👊