Taekwondo Rotherham

Taekwondo is typically much more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty fit and nimble you may prefer to find something a little gentler to boost your fitness in Rotherham. Children are definitely the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Rotherham, with a lot of fast movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

With its origins in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently established of the martial arts and entails mainly kicking movements such as rapid kicking methods, head kicks and jumping/turning kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were set up by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners worldwide and has become very popular in Rotherham and throughout the UK. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a go, joining a local Rotherham Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Rotherham.

For the people of Rotherham who like the idea of learning a martial art, a big priority is the aspect of self-defence. Considering that this is a key concept of Taekwondo, it is easy to appreciate the attraction of this particular sport. With the additional bonus of developing self-restraint and having a degree of respect for those around you, registering for a local Rotherham Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be proven outside the controlled environment of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware that you have them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Class

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you have ever done before, you will likely be curious about what to expect from your very first class if you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Rotherham area have different thoughts on this but roughly; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you will learn some forms (patterns), you'll practice sparring methods and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation.

If you want to sign up to a Taekwondo club in Rotherham, you will also have to register with the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You can read about news, equality and safeguarding, health and safety, referees and coaching, clubs and members, first aid, events, coaching courses, starting a new club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or get the latest news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, many benefits to be gained from doing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few that might be of interest to you: Learn self-defence tactics by helping you identify circumstances in which self-defence may be needed, and enabling you to control these kinds of scenarios to your advantage, Augment flexibility, agility and stamina by means of intensive cardiovascular exertion, Improve concentration and self-esteem by sharpening your mental and physical fitness, Reduced stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, Develop discipline by methodically schooling your mind and body in the strategies and doctrines of Taekwondo, Grow in your confidence by pushing you to take control of your life and succeed, Empower your body and mind by way of improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different types of Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the various attacks, are called Makgi. They're held in various positions and enlist the hand with different areas of the arm. Every block can be merged with a kick or punch to create a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each one is meant for a specific attack. The primary "blocks" (makgi) include: Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are categorized by particular activities such as stance, technique and direction. From the beginning you are going to learn some of the basic forms, and so as to progress through the levels (belts) you'll have to master some more complicated ones.

Taekwondo Competitions

A typical Taekwondo competition includes patterns (forms), sparring and breaking, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. That said there are also a few special categories in certain tournaments such as team demonstrations and self-defence. WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments are purely soft-contact events, while ITF competitions permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are additionally some multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all matches, events and competitions being held under the authority of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as blue/red body armour (hogu), forearm guards, hand protectors, shin guards, a groin protector, a mouth protector and a blue or red head guard is compulsory. The fast kicking movements used in Taekwondo can cause serious injuries and these safety measures help to make this sport less hazardous for its competitors.

Summary

Precisely what you acquire from Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you invest in it (as applies with life on the whole). The majority of you will merely wish to improve your fitness levels, make new friends and meet different people, some may aspire to take part in competitions or tournaments or perhaps even the Olympic Games. But bear in mind, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊