What are the belt levels?
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Gup 10 White Belt (this is what you are
on your very first day of class)
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Gup 9 White Belt with a yellow Stripe
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Gup 8 Yellow Belt
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Gup 7 Orange Belt
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Gup 6 Green Belt
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Gup 5 Green Belt with Purple Stripe
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Gup 4 Purple Belt
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Gup 3 Blue Belt
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Gup 2 Brown Belt
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Gup 1 Red Belt
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Black Belt (there are many different
levels of black belt)
How long does it take for
someone to get his or her black belt?
It different for everyone because everyone moves at their own
pace according to their ability and commitment level. On a very
loose average it takes about 5-6 years.
Do I have to compete? No one has to compete but we do
encourage you to do so, as it is a great way to build your own
confidence while learning your strengths and weaknesses. It's
also a great way to meet new people from other clubs from around
the country. Tournaments are a wonderful place to implement what
you have learned and also, by watching other competitors, you
can learn new techniques. Cheering for your friends and
supporting the club is also lots of fun.
Tournaments:
Tournaments are a great place for students to face new
competition, see old friends, and make new ones. Competitors,
coaches, and officials come from all over Canada and all over
the world to participate. And they are great fun for all
involved. So what happens at a tournament? Students can compete
in two events: patterns (poomsae) and/or sparring (Gyorugi).
The tournament usually begins with the pattern competition for
coloured belts (white to red) and then the opening ceremonies
start. Grand Masters in attendance are introduced and all
participating clubs welcomed by the host club. There is often a
demonstration by the club that is hosting the tournament - a
great way to show off the talent of their students and entertain
the spectators. After the opening ceremonies are through, the
sparring begins. Medals and trophies are presented throughout
the event. Black belt patterns and sparring are often the last
events of the competition and are very exciting. The audience is
never disappointed.
Will this help me get in shape? Tae
Kwon Do is a great way to get into shape. Each class begins with
an extensive stretching/warm-up session. We do both aerobic and
muscle building exercises, utilizing both traditional and
innovative methods to increase flexibility, strength and
endurance in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.There is always a new
fitness craze. Martial arts have been around for centuries.
TaeKwonDo is a consistent, healthy way to stay physically fit
and you'll never get bored.
Women in TaeKwonDo:
Martial Arts tend to be very male orientated. East Zone
TKD is not like that. We have a nice even mix of both male and
female club members. We also have many female black belts to
provide instruction, knowledge and their love of the sport from
a feminine point of view. We do teach Self Defense as a part of
our classes. We have and will host advanced and basic self-defense
workshops and seminars. We even give corporate seminars upon
request.
Children:
We have very nice group of children and teens. Respect
and discipline is taught but we have a lot of fun doing it. We
are a very family orientated group and your child's abilities
can grow right along with your own. We suggest that when first
starting that your child be no younger then five. There will
always be many other children for your child to learn with and
many that will be at the same level and size. If you have any
specific questions about this feel free to contact us
The Mysticism: TaeKwonDo philosophy and discipline are
taught. You may have heard the term "It's a way of life." Ask
any black belt and they will tell you it's not a cliché. We
encourage you to set goals, to believe in yourself, conquer
fears and be the best you can be!
History:
The roots of Tae Kwon Do are based in ancient Korea around 2,300
years ago. The name Tae Kwon Do is derived from the Korean word
‘Tae’ meaning foot, ‘Kwon’ meaning hand and ‘Do’ meaning ‘the
way’. So, literally Taekwondo means ‘the way of the hand and
foot’. The actual name Tae Kwon Do, however, has only been used
since 1955. Tae Kwon Do was originally developed by the unarmed
ancient Koreans as a way of defending them selves from foreign
invaders. Some of the kicks are still used today, including Tae
Kwon Do’s signature flying sidekick. Derived from those times,
the flying sidekick was originally meant to unseat a man from
his horse.
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The 1st World Tae Kwon Do Championships were held in Seoul,
Korea on May 28, 1973. Nineteen countries participated and
during the tournament in Seoul, the representatives of those
countries established the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF).
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WTF Tae Kwon Do (exclusively) was adopted as a demonstration
sport in the 24th Seoul Olympics in 1988 and the 25th
Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Tae Kwon Do was adopted as an
official
Olympic Sport
at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
WTF and the Olympics: WTF stands for the World TaeKwonDo
Federation. Our club belongs to this organization. WTF is the
only style of TaeKwonDo that is Olympic sanctioned. This means
we must conform to Olympic rules and regulations. This means
better training and instruction for you. Also, it may give you
or your child the opportunity to be part of the Olympic dream!
What are Patterns/Poomsae's?: Patterns are a structured
sequence of moves that depict four directional fighting (without
an actual opponent). Each pattern also tells a story - a history
that has shaped Taekwondo as a sport, a philosophy, and a
discipline. Each competitor does one pattern (usually the
highest for his/her belt level) for four judges. Although
divisions are not as strict for patterns as they are for
sparring, contestants are usually placed with students their own
age, sex, and belt level. Patterns are a great way for students
to show their strength, skill, focus, and agility outside of the
sparring ring.
What is Sparring/Gyorugi's?:
Sparring is an excellent opportunity for students to measure
their skills against others on a regional, provincial, national,
or international scale. Divisions are dictated by age, weight,
belt level, and sex. The 12×12 ring is set up with a
scorekeeper's table on one side, three corner judges around the
ring, and coaches’ chairs on either side of the ring. Each judge
has an electronic scoring control in each hand (for each
competitor) and is connected to the computer at the
scorekeeper's table. Each competitor is accompanied by a coach
and is dressed in either red (houng) or blue (choung) protective
gear. The blue competitor begins to the right of the referee and
the red competitor to the left. The referee begins every match
facing the scorekeeper's table. Once the referee is satisfied
that both competitors have all of their safety equipment on and
securely fastened, the match begins. Match lengths depend on the
competitor's belt level and can range from two, one-minute
rounds (white belts) to three, three-minute rounds (black
belts). The number of matches each competitor has in one
tournament depends on the number of competitors registered in
that particular division. The basic rules that govern every
sparring match (regardless of belt level) deal with the target
zones, legal techniques, and match conduct. A contestant may not
attack any part of the body other than the areas covered by the
protective vest (i.e. chest, sides, and back). In designated
matches, usually adult and black belt matches only, head contact
is permitted. Competitors may not attack the head with
fists/hands/ arms etc. Leg sweeps, tripping, or attacking the
feet is strictly prohibited and anything that is deemed
inappropriate and unbecoming of a contestant can also result in
penalty. The primary function of the referee is to keep both
competitors safe - he/she accomplishes this by seeing that both
competitors adhere to the rules and have a fair match.
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