Taekwondo Newton Abbot

It needs to be said that Taekwondo can be pretty demanding physically, which might discourage the older and less agile people in Newton Abbot from becoming involved. To be completely honest, the most common people participating in Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but certainly older individuals who are in great physical condition can easily participate and get benefits from this activity.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently established of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some new schools known as "kwans", merging a number of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, mostly consists of high-kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, fast kicking methods and jumping/spinning kicks.

The total 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 Newton Abbot is a great place to start. Whilst reaching Olympic standard may be beyond you, there isn't any reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

For a lot of folks in Newton Abbot, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, especially in town and city centres, it really is no surprise that this sits high on people's list of priorities. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you're able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

With a bit of luck, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you will never need to apply your newly discovered skills to defend yourself.

Your First Newton Abbot Taekwondo Class

Different Taekwondo clubs in Newton Abbot will have different thoughts on what pupils should be covering on their first lesson, however to give you an understanding of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo classes will incorporate a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning Poomse (forms), an overview of hand attacks, kicks, blocking techniques and stances (technical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and return the body to a state of equilibrium.

Everyone who is a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Newton Abbot or any place else in Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You can read about members and clubs, starting a new Taekwondo club, news, health and safety, events, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, first aid, coaches and competition referees, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and get the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Kicks

Of all the recognized martial arts, Taekwondo has the widest number of kicking manoeuvres. Among them are: Back Kick, Axe Kick, Front Kick, Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the various kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse selection of blocks. Employing the hands and areas of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Each kind of attack calls for a particular kind of block, counter-attacking moves can be created by combining a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The main blocks used in Taekwondo include: Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Low Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Newcomers just beginning their journey in Taekwondo don't need to stress excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, however they'll learn some standard ones to begin with and progress to more challenging forms as they move through the various belts (grades/dans). A "form" is indicated by specified areas of Taekwondo including technique, stance and direction. Learning such techniques is an important part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

Taekwondo tournaments and competitions are staged internationally in all the diverse styles. There is usually not much hard contact but sparring, patterns and breaking. Olympic and World Taekwondo competitions only consist of sparring, in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) contests certain hand attacks are permitted to the head. Some other bodies stage multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

With any activity or sport we need to start someplace, and Taekwondo is not any different. Even the leading Newton Abbot Taekwondo masters were complete rookies at one time. So, what should you be expecting as a total beginner at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their enrollees sufficient coaching to give them the fundamentals and enable them to develop confidence as they move forward. A perfect beginners class ought to be enjoyable as well as instructional, when individuals are having fun they are more invested and are going to learn much faster.

Safety Equipment

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo guidelines demand that certain pieces of protective equipment be used, these include things like: a groin protector, hand protectors, a red/blue head protector, red/blue body armour (hogu), forearm protectors, a gum shield and shin pads. This is necessary owing to the forceful kicking moves being practiced.