Taekwondo Southminster

Taekwondo is quite physically demanding, which means it may be considered more suitable for the younger rather than the older generation in Southminster. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it particularly good for children. Older adults may find it somewhat too taxing unless they are particularly fit and active. Quite a few of the older adults who do Taekwondo in Southminster, started when they were younger. If you are less agile you could always try something a bit softer such as Tai Chi or Yoga.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some innovative new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a mixture of martial arts techniques. This later became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/turning kicks, fast kicking techniques and head-height kicks. These days Southminster Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Southminster and with over 60 million others worldwide. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Southminster Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

While there's much to be gained by practicing Taekwondo, it's the self-defence element that most Southminster people find appealing. And in these times of ever increasing violence, particularly in city centres, it is not surprising that this sits prominently people's list of priorities. Learning to defend yourself while respecting others and exercising self-restraint is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

These self-defence techniques may sooner or later prove useful in the outside world, though it is more likely you'll only be putting them to the test within a controlled class setting. Nevertheless it is a nice feeling knowing that you can always successfully defend yourself when you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you elect to register for Taekwondo training in Southminster, the first thing you'll want to know is what is going to occur on the initial lesson and precisely what will the trainer be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Southminster area will compile differing routines for this first introductory lesson but you can expect to do a 15-20 minute warm-up to get the blood coursing and loosen your muscles, learn a couple of Poomse (forms, cover some technical training (blocks, kicks, hand attacks and stances), do a bit of sparring, and to finish, a warm-down.

If you wish to sign up to a Taekwondo club in Southminster, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By checking out British Taekwondo's website you can find info on referees and coaching, beginning a new Taekwondo club, clubs and members, events, coaching courses, first aid, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, news, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll undoubtedly be fascinated to learn about exactly what sort of benefits may be obtained by taking part in Southminster Taekwondo sessions and partaking 100% in its activities. You can expect to: Empower your body and mind by means of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Boost your confidence by pushing you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Increase stamina, agility and flexibility through intense cardiovascular effort, Reduced anxiety with controlled breathing, Teach you self-defence by helping you to recognize occasions where self-defence might be necessary, and enabling you to manipulate these types of circumstances in your favour, Enhance your self-esteem by elevating both mental and physical health, Greater discipline and willpower by exhaustively training your body and mind in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Forms

Taekwondo forms (also called Poomse or patterns) are categorized by particular aspects like direction, technique and stance. From the beginning you will be taught a few of the basic forms, and in order to advance through the various levels (belts) you'll have to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In Tae kwon do there is really no form of standardisation when it comes to belts and ranking. It all hinges on which style you're looking at, as there are such a lot of Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, commonly split into a couple of groupings "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with anything from eight to twelve grades, whilst the black/senior belts typically have 9 ranks.

In the UK there are a set of ranks in Taekwondo which 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's as follows, and is portrayed by a range of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" 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 in Southminster getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they reach the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After this has been completed, Taekwondo trainees in Southminster become "black belt candidates" which requires them to move through a further 9 ranks (Dans) right up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt" status. So, to put it simply, there are three primary groupings in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group are; 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 range from 1st to 9th Dan, a process which takes a number of years.

In Summary

So, what are you looking to get from Taekwondo? Well, that is an excellent question, and the answer will be different for individual people. The majority of participants will just wish to gain more confidence, improve their fitness and meet new people. We're certainly not all going to reach the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though maybe you will, who knows?