Taekwondo Bristol

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Bristol, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. It can sometimes be too taxing for older adults unless they are exceptionally fit and active. However those who take up Taekwondo in Bristol at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

The name Taekwondo was only coined in the 1950's, although the discipline began life in Korea in 1945. This combination of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some innovative new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, roughly meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Nowadays Bristol Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than sixty million followers all around the world, and although you may not aspire to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you can still sign up for a Taekwondo club or class to learn what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and fulfilling activity.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally is the most appealing to people in Bristol. This is not difficult to believe when you think about the high levels of violence experienced in city and town centres day after day. In actual fact one of the main benefits of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst respecting others and exercising a degree of self-restraint.

Whilst it will instill you with self-confidence knowing that you have such self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the chances are you'll never be required to test them outside the monitored environment of an actual Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If Taekwondo is not something that you have ever tried before, you'll likely be curious about what you should be expecting from your very first class should you make your mind up to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Bristol have varying ideas about this but in brief; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you will learn some patterns (forms), you'll practice sparring tactics and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation.

Everybody who is a registered member of a Taekwondo class in Bristol or anywhere else in Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You can find lots of details on starting a new club, coaching courses, first aid, news, coaches and tournament referees, members and clubs, events, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, and more, by dropping by at British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is probably most recognized for its acrobatic kicking manoeuvres, here are a few of the basic kicks you'll learn as a rookie: Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the various hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse array of blocks. Held in specific positions, they involve the hands and sections of the arm. Each kind of attack necessitates a particular style of block, counter-attacking movements can be created by integrating a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The most important blocks include: Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Nine Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Perfecting Taekwondo calls for learning a number of disciplines and one of the pivotal parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called patterns or Poomse). These are types of direction, stance and technique which must be memorized in order for students to progress through the different dans (grades/belts).

Competitions and Tournaments

A typical Taekwondo competition incorporates breaking, patterns and sparring, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. Having said that there can also be some unique categories in certain competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments are solely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF tournaments permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition a number of multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Bristol began their journey as rookies, therefore it's no shame to be a total beginner at Taekwondo, or for that matter any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginner class is to provide a few of the basics, boost self-confidence and build a firm foundation moving forward. Most important of all is that it should be enjoyable, trainees having fun are going to learn quicker and be more committed.