Taekwondo Stony Stratford

The mere mention of Taekwondo, conjures up images of energetic young children doing kicking and punching exercises. While the physical demands of Taekwondo may make it more suited to the younger generation, it can be practiced by people of every age. You will however get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo if you are relatively fit and agile.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly comprises kicking manoeuvres, in particular rapid kicking styles, jumping/spinning kicks and head kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a group of martial arts enthusiasts established schools called "kwans", which merged a number of martial arts techniques.

With over sixty million enthusiasts all over the world and a fair few in Stony Stratford, Taekwondo has become really popular. If you want to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, signing up for a Taekwondo class or club in Stony Stratford is a great place to start. While noone would seriously expect you to reach Olympic standard, you could certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Stony Stratford.

It seems that the most appealing aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be tried and tested outside of an organized Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Class

Different Taekwondo clubs in and around Stony Stratford will have different thoughts on what enrollees should cover on their very first class, however to give you an idea of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will include a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning basic Poomse (forms), an overview of stances, kicks, blocking techniques and hand attacks (practical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and return the body to a state of equilibrium.

Anyone who joins a Taekwondo class in Stony Stratford has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in Britain. By visiting British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to read information on first aid, launching a new club, clubs and members, events, health and safety, equality and safeguarding, coaches and referees, news, coaching courses, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicks that you'll learn initially include: Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an inbound Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are implemented. They're held in specific positions and engage the hands with sections of the arm. Every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each one is suitable for a particular attack. The key blocks used in Taekwondo include: Palm Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

In the art of taekwondo there's not really any kind of standardisation when it comes to belts and grades. It all hinges on which style you are looking at, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, commonly split into two groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour rankings range from white to red, with anything from 8 to 12 levels, while the senior/black belts normally have 9 levels.

In the UK there are a series of ranks in Taekwondo which are known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of colours, so the ranks can be easily identified. 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 Stony Stratford will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and progress through the various coloured belts until they attain the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Stony Stratford are known as "black belt candidates" after they have worked their way through these rankings, and they will then be faced with progressing through a further nine ranks (Dans) if they want to achieve the consummate distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. Therefore, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 primary groups in the Taekwondo belt order. 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 group comprise; 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 that will take many years. (Tags: Taekwondo Belts Stony Stratford, Taekwondo Black Belts, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Ranks Stony Stratford).

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits which may be acquired by taking part in Taekwondo classes in Stony Stratford are numerous, among the most significant are: Reduced stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, More self-discipline by extensively educating your mind and body in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Learn self-defence by showing you how to identify scenarios where self-defence could be necessary, and allowing you to control such situations in your favour, Improve self-esteem and concentration by elevating your mental and physical fitness, Grow in confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to take control of your life, Supercharge flexibility, stamina and agility by way of intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Strengthen your body and mind via improved physical coordination and mental discipline.