Taekwondo Whitburn

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it is possibly more suitable for the younger generation in Whitburn. That is not to say that older individuals can't take part in this kind of activity, but just that there might be other martial arts which are more appropriate for the less agile of us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some exciting new schools known as "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques. In Taekwondo the emphasis is on kicking, especially head kicks, rapid kicking methods and spinning/jumping kicks. Nowadays Whitburn Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

With more than sixty million people participating in Taekwondo classes all around the globe, this has unquestionably become an extremely popular pastime, and if you really master the martial art you may even one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For a lot of folks in Whitburn, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these days of increased violence, especially in city and town centres, it's little surprise that this sits high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

Although it will instill you with confidence knowing that you have such self-defence skills in your locker, the odds are that you'll never need to test them outside of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Whitburn Taekwondo Class

If you have never had a go at Taekwondo previously, you could be a bit apprehensive as to what can be expected on your very first lesson. This can vary from school to school but will normally involve all or some of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, a bit of technical training involving learning some kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocks, learning some forms (or Poomse), an overview of sparring including movement, attack timing and timing, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

The body governing Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any individual wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Whitburn has to also register with British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about first aid, events, members and clubs, safeguarding and equality, news, beginning a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, coaching courses, coaches and competition referees, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or find the latest news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In regards to promotion, ranking and belts there isn't actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique arrangement. There are however likenesses and they normally consist of two groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior levels usually have 9 grades and the junior, eight to twelve grades.

Rankings in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what generally known as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is indicated by a number of 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 Whitburn will commence with, they'll then advance through the colours, finally reaching the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup), after about 3-4 years of dedication.

Taekwondo students in Whitburn are considered as "black belt candidates" after they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then need to proceed through another 9 ranks (Dans) if they aim to achieve the greatest accolade Taekwondo Black Belt. Hence, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 divisions; Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 a number of years to progress through. (Tags: Belt Order Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Whitburn, Taekwondo Belt Order, Taekwondo Promotion Whitburn).

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Competitions controlled by British Taekwondo guidelines require various items of protective equipment to be worn, these include things like: a mouth protector, a groin guard, a blue/red head guard, forearm guards, red or blue trunk armour (hogu), hand guards and shin protectors. This is necessary because of the formidable kicking movements being practiced.

Beginners Taekwondo Whitburn

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Whitburn began their journey as newbies, therefore it's no shame to be a beginner at this sport, or any other activity for that matter. The aim of a Taekwondo beginners class is to provide a few basics, increase confidence and build a solid base moving forward. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be fun, students having a great time will learn quicker and be better invested.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits which may be achieved by taking part in Taekwondo classes in Whitburn are countless, among the most significant are: Improve feelings of self-esteem by heightening your physical and mental powers, Build confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed, More discipline by methodically training your mind and body in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by means of intense cardiovascular exertion, Toughen up your body and mind by way of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Lower anxiety and stress using advanced breath control, Teach you self-defence tactics by helping you to realize scenarios in which self-defence might be necessary, and enabling you to turn these kinds of circumstances in your favour.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicks you will learn initially include: Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and defend against an incoming attack, "blocks" (known as Makgi) are used. Using the hands and areas of the arm, they're held in various positions. Specific attacks require specified blocks, but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacks by the combination of reciprocal punches or kicks. The main "blocks" (makgi) include: Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Rising Block and Knife Hand Block.

Conclusion

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you are going to improve your fitness levels, make new friends and gain more confidence. If that is all that you get out of it, then that is amazing, you can call it an achievement! We aren't all looking to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you that are, still need to begin with the very first step. Good luck with your journey! 👊