Taekwondo Retford

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it's perhaps more suited to the younger people of Retford. That isn't to say that elderly people cannot take part in this kind of activity, but merely that there might be other martial arts which are more suitable for the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is the perfect illustration.

Based mainly around high-kicking manoeuvres like jumping/turning kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking techniques, Taekwondo was developed from the techniques of different martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" in the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" had the names Chungdo Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Jido Kwan and Changmu Kwan.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. If you want to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, joining a Taekwondo club or class in Retford is a good place to start. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Retford.

For the men, women and children of Retford who like the idea of learning a martial art, a major priority is the element of self-defence. Considering that this is an important concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the appeal of this specific sport. With the added reward of developing self-restraint and having a degree of respect for others, enrolling in a local Retford Taekwondo class would seem to be a no brainer.

While it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the odds are you will never be required to test them outside the controlled atmosphere of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

Different Taekwondo schools in and around Retford will have different thoughts on what students should be covering on their very first lesson, but to give you a concept of what to expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will involve a warm-up, some sparring, learning forms (Poomse), an introduction to hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances (technical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and return the body to a state of relaxation.

The UK governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Retford, you'll also be required to register with this respected organization. You'll be able to read about members and clubs, first aid, news, coaching courses, events, establishing a new Taekwondo club, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, coaches and competition referees, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and get the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Tournaments and Competitions

Competitions and tournaments are an important aspect of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the different styles around the world stage competitions where Taekwondo exponents band together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitions which mostly incorporate breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, while certain hand attacks are tolerated in ITF events.