Taekwondo Mirfield

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Mirfield, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Based mostly around high-kicking moves and manoeuvres like head-height kicks, fast kicking methods and spinning/jumping kicks, Taekwondo was developed from the practices of various diverse martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts specialists in new schools known as "Kwans" in the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" had the names Mooduk Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan and Jido Kwan.

With more than sixty million individuals engaged in Taekwondo classes all around the globe, this has certainly become an extremely popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really expert at the sport you might possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

While there is much to be gained by doing Taekwondo, it is the self-defence aspect that most Mirfield people are interested in. And when you consider the high levels of violence in town and city centres these days, this is hardly surprising. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.

While its great to know that you can defend yourself whenever you need to, it's hoped that you never need to test this outside of your local Taekwondo club environment.

Your First Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo previously, you could be somewhat anxious as to what to expect on your very first class. This can vary from school to school but will typically consist of some or all of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, a little practical training involving learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, stances and kicks, studying some forms, an overview of sparring including timing, movement and attack timing, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

The UK's official governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you want to join a Taekwondo club in Mirfield, you'll also be required to register with this respected organization. You can get a lot of facts about events, coaching courses, news, equality and safeguarding, clubs and members, health and safety, first aid, starting a new club, coaches and tournament referees, and more, by visiting British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

You will undoubtedly be intrigued to understand precisely what kind of benefits may be gained by attending Mirfield Taekwondo training and participating 100% in its practices. You could expect to: Increase stamina, agility and flexibility by means of intense cardiovascular exertion, More discipline by thoroughly training your mind and body in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body via accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Lower stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, Build your confidence by pushing you to take control of your life and succeed, Teach self-defence techniques by showing you how to recognize scenarios in which self-defence might be required, and enabling you to turn such scenarios to your advantage, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by elevating your physical and mental powers.

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are numerous different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a selection of them: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the various attacks, are called Makgi. Using the hand and different parts of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Each block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attack, and each "block" is meant for a certain type of attack. The most important "blocks" (makgi) include: Upper Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Rising Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering the art of Taekwondo necessitates getting to grips with a number of disciplines and techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of technique, direction and stance which must be mastered in order for participants to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Competitions

Tournaments and competitions are an important part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the diverse styles across the world stage contests where Taekwondo exponents band together to compete. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these tournaments which mostly incorporate breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, while certain hand attacks are permitted in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Safety Gear

Competitions governed by British Taekwondo policies demand that specific items of protective equipment be worn, these include things like: a mouth protector, a groin guard, red or blue body armour (hogu), shin guards, hand guards, forearm protectors and a red/blue head guard. This is important because of the powerful kicking actions being practiced.