Taekwondo Ripon

On account of its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is maybe more suited to the younger generation in Ripon and is particularly suited to kids because it's great for developing self-discipline and respect for other people. Older adults may find it somewhat too demanding unless they're particularly active and fit. Even so, those who take up Taekwondo in Ripon from a young age will discover they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less nimble of you could think about something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily consists of high-kicking manoeuvres and moves, most notably jumping/turning kicks, fast kicking strategies and head-height kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools known as "kwans", which combined a number of martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Ripon and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. This sport has even featured in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you want to get involved, joining a local Ripon Taekwondo club or class is a good place to start. While the chances of you getting to Olympic standard are pretty slim, there is no reason at all why you cannot master this thrilling martial art.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Ripon. And if you consider the increased levels of violence in town centres nowadays, this is hardly surprising. Learning to defend yourself while respecting others and exercising self-restraint is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

While its good to know they're there when you need them, with luck you will not ever have the need to use your newly acquired Taekwondo skills for defending yourself outside of your local club surroundings.

Your First Lesson

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. This will vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a bit of technical training covering some kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocking techniques, an introduction to forms or patterns, some ideas on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

If you wish to join a Taekwondo club in Ripon, you will also have to register with the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By heading to the British Taekwondo website you will be able to find details about equality and safeguarding, launching a new club, coaching courses, coaches and tournament referees, events, clubs and members, health and safety, first aid, news, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll doubtless be intrigued to find out about precisely what type of benefits may be achieved by taking part in Ripon Taekwondo classes and engaging 100% in its activities. You may expect to: Increase self-esteem by sharpening both mental and physical fitness, Reduce stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Empower your mind and body by way of improved physical coordination and mental discipline, Supercharge agility, stamina and flexibility by means of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Better discipline by exhaustively educating your body and mind in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Grow in your confidence by pushing you to seize control of your life and succeed, Teach you self-defence by helping you to identify occasions in which self-defence might be necessary, and allowing you to control such scenarios to your advantage.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different types of Taekwondo kicks, listed here are just a few of them: Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Blocks: To stop and avert an incoming attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are implemented. Using the hands and different areas of the arm, they are held in various positions. Every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attacking move, and each "block" is suitable for a certain type of attack. The principal blocks include: Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Tournaments and Competitions

A typical Taekwondo tournament incorporates patterns, sparring and breaking, in the Olympics only sparring is involved. Having said that there are also some unique events in certain tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT (World Taekwondo) competitions are purely soft-contact affairs, while International Taekwon-Do Federation contests allow some hand attacks to the head. There are additionally some multi-discipline competitions.