Taekwondo Buckingham

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it is perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Buckingham. That is not to say that older individuals can't be involved in this kind of activity, but merely that there may be alternative martial arts which are more appropriate for the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is a perfect example.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking methods, head kicks and spinning/jumping kicks.

With more than sixty million people participating in Taekwondo sessions all over the world, this has unquestionably become an extremely popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master the sport you may possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

For the people of Buckingham who like the idea of learning a martial art, a big priority is the aspect of self-defence. Since this is a pivotal principle of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the appeal of this particular sport. With the additional reward of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for other people, registering for a local Buckingham Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Whilst it will give you peace of mind being aware that you have those self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the odds are you'll never have to use them outside of an actual Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you've ever had a go at previously, you'll probably be wondering what you should expect from your very first lesson should you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Buckingham area have varying ideas about this but roughly; you will participate in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms, you will practice sparring techniques and finally you will perform a warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state again.

Taekwondo of course also has its own regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Buckingham must become a registered member of this organisation. You will be able to get plenty of information about coaching courses, members and clubs, health and safety, news, first aid, coaches and tournament referees, events, safeguarding and equality, launching a new club, and more, by checking out the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are vital if you are to excel at this popular sport. A few basic "forms" have to be learned from the outset and more advanced forms have to be perfected so as to progress through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is categorized by a number of factors such as technique, direction and stance.

Competitions

A regular Taekwondo competition features sparring, breaking and patterns (forms), where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. Having said that there may also be a few unique events in specific competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT competitions are purely soft-contact events, while ITF competitions permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition a few multi-discipline tournaments.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear such as shin pads, hand guards, a gum shield, a blue or red head protector, forearm protectors, a groin protector and blue/red trunk armour (hogu) must be used in all tournaments controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is required due to the forceful kicks which are an integral element of this activity.