Taekwondo Clitheroe

When many people in Clitheroe think about Taekwondo, they imagine young kids performing energetic punching and kicking manoeuvres. While the younger generation may find it easier to cope with the demands of Taekwondo, people of every age group can practice the sport. Being fairly fit is however a requirement of Taekwondo.

Based mainly around high-kicking manoeuvres and moves like rapid kicking techniques, head kicks and turning/jumping kicks, Taekwondo was developed from the practices of different martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools called "Kwans" in the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Songmu Kwan, Jido Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Changmu Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

The number of Taekwondo practitioners worldwide, now exceeds sixty million. If you want to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, signing up for a Taekwondo class or club in Clitheroe is a great place to start. Whilst reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there isn't any reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the principal reasons that people in Clitheroe join classes and engage with the sport. There has been a troubling increase in violent practices in recent years and this is particularly common in town and city centres throughout Lancashire and Great Britain as a whole. The good thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such common characteristics in Clitheroe these days.

There is a fairly good likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be used in your everyday life, but it will unquestionably give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you've ever tried previously, you will likely be wondering what you should be expecting from your very first lesson if you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Clitheroe have varying ideas about this but in brief; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do some technical training, you'll learn some forms (patterns), you'll practice sparring strategies and lastly you'll do a warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation.

The UK's regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you would like to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Clitheroe, you'll also be required to become a member of this organization. By visiting the British Taekwondo website you can find info on first aid, establishing a new club, events, safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, news, clubs and members, safe practices, coaching courses, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Beginners in Taekwondo do not have to stress excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) at the outset, but they will have to familiarise themselves with some important ones for starters and move forward to more complex forms as they move up the belts (grades/dans). A "form" is signified by certain areas of Taekwondo including stance, technique and direction. Getting to grips with such techniques is an important part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The belt and ranking structure can get rather confusing in Taekwondo since there isn't any standard arrangement throughout the different Taekwondo styles. Parallels do exist however, and typically there are 2 distinct belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of rankings in the junior group varies through the disciplines but is normally somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior's group commonly has 9 dans or belts.

Taekwondo Competitions

There are a multitude of competitions and tournaments in Taekwondo associated with all the various styles. They mostly consist of breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring with almost no "hard contact". International Taekwon-Do Federation competitions don't permit too much contact but do permit hand attacks to be aimed at the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions also take place.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Trainees starting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Clitheroe will initially sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are excellent, since there are no rigorous demands and things are done at a slow and casual pace. Having fun while learning is the main aim initially and trainees who are enjoying themselves tend to learn much quicker and digest considerably more of what they are being told. Even Taekwondo masters began as inexperienced novices, so take that initial step and you never know where you'll end up!

Safety Gear

Safety equipment such as a mouth guard, forearm protectors, a blue/red head protector, a groin protector, red or blue trunk armour (hogu), hand guards and shin protectors are worn in all tournaments overseen by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is important because of the powerful kicks that are part and parcel of this activity.

Summary

So, what are you looking to get from Taekwondo? Well, that's a great question, and the answer will be different for individual people. The majority of participants will simply wish to gain more confidence, meet new people and improve their fitness levels. We are definitely not all going to reach the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though maybe you will, who knows? 👊