Taekwondo Shepshed

It needs to be said that Taekwondo can be pretty physically challenging, which can discourage the older and less nimble folks in Shepshed from getting involved. To be fair, the most frequent people participating in Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but certainly older individuals who are in good physical health can easily get involved and benefit from this sport.

Based largely around kicking moves and manoeuvres like fast kicking techniques, head-height kicks and jumping/spinning kicks, Taekwondo was developed from the practices of different martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools called "Kwans" in the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Jido Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan and Changmu Kwan.

With more than sixty million enthusiasts globally and quite a few in Shepshed, Taekwondo has become very popular. Joining a local Taekwondo club or class in Shepshed is the best way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. While nobody would seriously expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Shepshed.

In these days of increasing violence, it's hardly surprising that individuals in areas like Shepshed are signing up for self-defence classes like Taekwondo to help them feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are characteristics that are frequently lacking in modern day life.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never need to be tried and tested outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however knowing that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Shepshed Taekwondo Class

If you have never had a go at Taekwondo before, you could be a little apprehensive as to what can be expected on your very first class. This varies from school to school but will generally comprise all or some of these. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase your heart rate, a bit of technical training involving learning some stances, blocking techniques, hand attacks and kicks, learning a few forms, a quick introduction to sparring including timing, attack timing and movement, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

If you want to join a Taekwondo club in Shepshed, you will also have to become a member of the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about members and clubs, coaching courses, coaches and referees, beginning a new club, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, news, first aid, events, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find the latest news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Folks just beginning their journey in Taekwondo don't have to worry too much about forms (patterns, Poomse) in the early days, however they'll have to learn some basic ones for starters and progress to more elaborate "forms" as they move through the belts (dans/grades). A "form" is denoted by specific elements of Taekwondo including stance, direction and technique. Getting to grips with such sequences is an important part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts

In the art of taekwondo there is not really any uniformity when it comes to grades and belts. It all depends upon which style you happen to be looking at, because there are so many different Taekwondo styles. They are however, typically split into 2 groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks range from white to red, with from 8 to 12 grades, whilst the senior/black belts generally have 9 ranks.

Tournaments

A standard Taekwondo tournament incorporates breaking, sparring and patterns, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is included. With that being said there are also some extraordinary categories in specific tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT tournaments are solely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF competitions permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition some multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Safety equipment like hand guards, a red/blue head protector, a gum shield, shin protectors, a groin protector, forearm protectors and blue or red trunk armour (hogu) have to be used in all tournaments controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is crucial owing to the forceful kicking which is part and parcel of this activity.

Final Thoughts

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't solely about National Championships and Olympic medals. The majority of of us are happy to meet different people, make new friends and improve our fitness, and that is how it should be. However, as with many matters in life, what you get from it will hinge on what you invest in it. Enjoy! 👊