Taekwondo Cirencester

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Cirencester, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. However those who take up Taekwondo in Cirencester at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Tai Chi or something similarly softer might be more suitab le for the less agile of you.

Taekwondo originated in Korea in 1945. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts devotees founded some new schools which they called "kwans", practicing a mixture of martial arts techniques. The main focus of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, in particular head kicks, rapid kicking styles and turning/jumping kicks. Now Cirencester Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.

With more than sixty million fitness enthusiasts taking part in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has certainly become a popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master the martial art you may even one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

In these modern times of ever-increasing violence, it is no surprise that people in locations like Cirencester are taking up self-defence techniques such as Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for other individuals, which are traits that are frequently absent in modern day life.

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

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo is not an activity that you have ever tried previously, you will probably be wondering what to expect from your initial class should you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Cirencester area have varying thoughts on this but roughly; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms (patterns), you'll practice sparring techniques and last but not least you will do a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state again.

Everybody who's a member of a Taekwondo class in Cirencester or any place else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the regulating body of the sport. You will be able to get plenty of details of safe practices, first aid, events, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, starting a new Taekwondo club, clubs and members, referees and coaching, news, and more, by checking out British Taekwondo's website.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

When getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Cirencester you'll be looking to get some benefits to make the whole thing worth the effort. And so let us examine a few of the many benefits that you might get from learning and practicing Taekwondo. Improve self-esteem and concentration by sharpening your physical and mental powers, Increase agility, flexibility and stamina through extreme cardiovascular exertion, Reduce anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Greater discipline by methodically training your mind and body in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Teach you self-defence tactics by helping you to recognise situations where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to control these kinds of circumstances to your advantage, Toughen up your mind and body by way of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Boost confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering Taekwondo necessitates learning a number of disciplines and techniques and one of the key parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of direction, stance and technique which have to be mastered in order for students to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts

Since there are a number of disciplines of Taekwondo there's never been any recognised arrangement for assigning belts (ranks). What does exist however is quite similar and involves 2 belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groupings is divided into levels, eight to twelve colours in the case of juniors and 9 "blacks" for seniors.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

Taekwondo tournaments are staged all over the world in all the diverse styles. There's usually not much hard contact but breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring. Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments only consist of sparring, in ITF competitions specified hand attacks are permitted to the head. Various other organizations stage multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the best exponents of Taekwondo in Cirencester began their journey as rookies, so there is no shame in being a complete beginner at this sport, or in fact any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach just a few basics, improve confidence and develop a firm base for the future. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be enjoyable, students having fun will learn faster and be more invested.

Safety Equipment

In all tournaments, contests and events taking place under the supervision of British Taekwondo, safety equipment such as a mouth protector, a blue/red head guard, a groin guard, shin protectors, blue/red trunk armour (hogu), forearm protectors and hand protectors is compulsory. The kicking manoeuvres employed in Taekwondo can easily cause injuries and these measures help make this activity much safer for its competitors.

Conclusion

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo will be directly related to what you put into it (as applies with life in general). Most of you will only want to make new friends, meet different people and improve your fitness, some may aspire to take part in tournaments and competitions or possibly even the Olympic Games. But bear in mind, we cannot all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.