Taekwondo Thatcham

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be quite physical and is generally more appropriate for younger people in Thatcham, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. It could prove too challenging for some seniors, but shouldn't be an issue for those who are already active and fit. For those folks who take up Taekwondo at a younger age, continuing the adventure into older adulthood shouldn't be a problem. Something a bit less strenuous like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

Based largely around high-kicking manoeuvres and moves like rapid kicking methods, turning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks, Taekwondo was formulated from the practices of different martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts specialists in new schools called "Kwans" during the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Jido Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Changmu Kwan and Chungdo Kwan.

Taekwondo has grown to be really popular in Thatcham and around the globe, with more than sixty million participants worldwide. Registering with a local Thatcham Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to become involved in this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you shouldn't become a maestro of this exhilarating martial art and have some fun along the way.

For a lot of people in Thatcham, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it is no surprise that this aspect sits high on people's priority lists. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

Whilst it will give you peace of mind being aware that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are you will never have to test them outside of an organised Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have not attempted Taekwondo before, you will be intrigued to find out exactly what is going to take place on your first class. This could vary depending on which Thatcham school you go to, but will normally involve the following. A warm up of 15 to 20 minutes to loosen the muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training which will involve learning some kicks, hand attacks, blocking techniques and stances, a look at some forms (Poomse), a few ideas on sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down to stretch tired muscles and loosen up.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own governing body, and in Britain it is British Taekwondo. Everyone wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Thatcham must become registered members of this organisation. You will be able to learn about events, starting a new club, coaches and referees, first aid, safeguarding and equality, news, coaching courses, health and safety, clubs and members, and more on the British Taekwondo website, or find the latest Taekwondo news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

When it comes to belts, ranking and promotion there isn't actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, since there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own arrangement in place. There are however parallels and they typically consist of 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior rankings generally have 9 ranks and the junior, between 8 and 12 levels.

In the UK there are a sequence of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. If you're curious about 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. The White Belt (10th Kup) is what Taekwondo novices in Thatcham will commence with, they'll then proceed through the colours, eventually attaining the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), after approximately three to four years of dedicated training.

After succeeding with this challenge, Taekwondo trainees in Thatcham are considered to be "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through an additional 9 ranks (Dans) right up until they eventually achieve the accolade of "Black Belt". Thus, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into three sections; Junior, Senior and Black Belt. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts are; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior division 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 involves many years of dedicated training. (Tags: Taekwondo Promotion Thatcham, Taekwondo Belts Thatcham, Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belt Order).

Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments are held around the world in all of the diverse styles. There is generally not much hard contact but breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring. Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments consist only of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions specific hand attacks are allowed to the head. Some other organizations stage multi-discipline contests.

Safety Equipment

In all tournaments, matches and events being staged under the authority of British Taekwondo, safety gear like forearm protectors, shin protectors, hand protectors, a red/blue body guard (hogu), a mouth guard, a blue/red head protector and a groin guard is mandatory. The fast kicking moves which are part of Taekwondo may cause injury and this all helps to make the sport less hazardous for its competitors.

Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about National Championships and Olympic medals. Most of us are content to make new friends, improve our fitness and meet different people, and that's precisely how it should be. However, as with many matters in life, what you get out of it will hinge on what you put into it. Enjoy!