Taekwondo Stockton-on-Tees

Since Taekwondo has pretty high physical demands, it's perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Stockton-on-Tees. That isn't to say that older individuals cannot be involved in this activity, but simply that there might be alternative martial arts that are more suitable for the less agile among us. Tai Chi would be a perfect illustration.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. Some new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics, combining a number of various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, rapid kicking strategies and jumping/spinning kicks.Today Stockton-on-Tees Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be really popular in Stockton-on-Tees and all over the world, with more than 60 million practitioners worldwide. Enrolling in a local Stockton-on-Tees Taekwondo club or class is a great way to get involved in this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there's no reason why you should not become a maestro of this challenging martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

For the men, women and children of Stockton-on-Tees who wish to learn a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Considering that this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the attraction of this particular sport. With the additional bonus of learning self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for other people, signing up for a local Stockton-on-Tees Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be tried and tested outside the controlled environment of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

For those of you who have never done Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first class. Most Taekwondo schools in Stockton-on-Tees follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training such as learning some blocks, hand attacks, kicks and stances, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), some ideas on sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing.

British Taekwondo is the official governing body of the sport within Great Britain, and membership of this organization is mandatory if you would like to sign up with any Taekwondo class in Stockton-on-Tees or nearby. You can find lots of details on events, coaching courses, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, members and clubs, first aid, coaches and competition referees, starting a new club, news, and more, by heading to the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Belts

In regards to belts, ranking and promotion there is not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own arrangement in place. There are however likenesses and they typically consist of two groupings of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively, . The senior levels usually have nine ranks and the junior, eight to twelve tiers.

Competitions and Tournaments

Contests are an important aspect of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all of the diverse styles across the globe stage competitions where Taekwondo exponents get together to battle it out. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these competitive events which mainly comprise patterns (forms), sparring and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, while some hand attacks are permitted in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

As with any activity or sport we need to begin somewhere, and Taekwondo's not any different. Even the elite Stockton-on-Tees Taekwondo masters were complete newbies at one time. So, what can you expect as a complete beginner at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their students ample coaching to give them the fundamentals and enable them to develop self-confidence as they progress. A perfect beginners class should be enjoyable as well as instructional, when students are having fun they're much more committed and will learn much faster.