Taekwondo Stanway

Owing to its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is maybe more suitable for the younger person in Stanway and is particularly suited to children as it is great for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly people may find it a bit too challenging unless they're especially fit and active. However, those who take up Taekwondo in Stanway from a young age will discover they can easily continue with it when they're older. The less agile of you might think about something softer like Tai Chi.

The discipline was formulated in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some exciting new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts lovers, combining a number of various martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, in particular head-height kicks, fast kicking methods and jumping/spinning kicks are the primary emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known. Today Stanway Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular all over the world with some 60 million people or more actively participating in classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo class or club that you are able to start your adventure of mastering this thrilling martial art.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the main reasons that individuals in Stanway sign up to classes and engage with the sport. There's been a disturbing increase in violent practices in recent times and this is particularly rife in city and town centres throughout Essex and the UK as a whole. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and respect for other people, not such common characteristics in Stanway nowadays.

While it is a great experience to practice and master these self-defence skills in the protected environment of your local Stanway Taekwondo club, hopefully you'll never be required to use them in the outside world.

What to Expect From Your First Class

Different Taekwondo schools in and around Stanway will have different guidelines for what pupils should be covering on their very first class, however to give you a perception of what you should expect most first Taekwondo lessons will include things like a warm-up, some sparring, learning basic forms (Poomse), a brief introduction to hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances (technical training) and a warm-down to stretch weary muscles and return the body to a state of equilibrium.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own governing body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Stanway has to become a member of this organisation. By going to British Taekwondo's website you can read information regarding health and safety, safeguarding and equality, events, coaching courses, first aid, referees and coaching, news, members and clubs, establishing a new club, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is renowned for its formidable kicks, listed here are the important ones: Push Kick, Axe Kick, Front Kick, Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Whip or Hook Kick. Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are used. They're held in various positions and engage the hand with different areas of the arm. Each type of attack calls for a particular style of block, counter-attacking moves can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The most important "blocks" include: Nine Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear such as blue or red body armour (hogu), a groin protector, a blue or red head protector, a mouth protector, forearm guards, shin pads and hand protectors must be used in all competitions regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is important because of the formidable kicks that are part and parcel of this sport.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a number of benefits to be gained from taking part in Taekwondo, and here are just some which may be tempting for you: Boost confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Better discipline and willpower by comprehensively training your mind and body in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Improve concentration and self-esteem by sharpening your physical and mental fitness, Learn self-defence tactics by helping you realize circumstances in which self-defence may be needed, and enabling you to manipulate such situations in your favour, Reduce stress with controlled breathing, Improve stamina, agility and flexibility by means of intense cardiovascular exertion, Empower your mind and body by way of accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Belts

When it comes to ranking, belts and promotion there is not actually any standardization in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo which each have their own specific arrangement. There are however likenesses and they typically consist of two groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior grades normally have 9 tiers and the junior, 8 to 12 grades.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what generally known as "Kup". The top rank is 1st Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is 10th Kup. As with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is portrayed by a number of different colours, so the ranks are easily recognised. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 Stanway will commence with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the different colours until they achieve the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

As soon as this training has been accomplished, Stanway Taekwondo students advance to "black belt candidates", and they then have to progress through an additional 9 Dans (ranks) if they are to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the supreme distinction. Therefore, putting it simply, there are 3 principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts are; Green (6th), Green With Blue Stripe (5th), Blue (4th), Blue With Red Stripe (3rd), Red (2nd) and Red With Black Stripe (1st). The Black Taekwondo Belts go from 1st to 9th Dan which can take many years to successfully progress through. (Tags: Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Promotion Stanway, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Belts Stanway).