Taekwondo Stafford

Taekwondo is generally a lot more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty agile and fit you might prefer to find something a little gentler to improve your fitness in Stafford. Children and younger people are clearly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Stafford, with a lot of fast movements going on and a great deal of high kicking.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. Some schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts, incorporating a number of various martial arts techniques. This later became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, in particular fast kicking styles, jumping/turning kicks and head-height kicks. Now Stafford Taekwondo classes abide by this tradition.

Ever since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport. This has added to its popularity throughout the world with some 60 million people or more actively participating in classes. And it is by enrolling in a Taekwondo club or class that you can start your quest of learning this unique martial art.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Stafford is the self-defence aspect of it. You shouldn't be surprised by this, when you take into account the high incidence of violence seen in today's town and city centres. Being capable of defending yourself is a key principle of Taekwondo, but this is tempered by respecting others and exercising self-restraint.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never need to be put to the test outside the controlled environment of an organised Taekwondo class, however knowing that you've got them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Lesson

If you have booked your first class but have never done Taekwondo before, you may 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 comprising some stances, hand attacks, kicks and blocks, an introduction to some Poomse (or forms), some tips on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo class in Stafford has to also register with British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in Britain. By exploring the British Taekwondo website you'll be able to obtain information regarding events, coaching courses, first aid, referees and coaching, starting a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, news, equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a lot of benefits to be gained from participating in Taekwondo, and here are just a few that could be tempting for you: Grow in your confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life, Toughen up your mind and body by increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Improve self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental powers, Teach self-defence by showing you how to recognize circumstances in which self-defence may be required, and allowing you to manipulate such circumstances to your advantage, Turbocharge agility, flexibility and stamina through extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Better discipline and willpower by thoroughly training your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Reduced anxiety with controlled breathing.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is well known for its wide variety of kicking techniques, more than any other recognized martial art. The following are just a selection: Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Push Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: To stop and deflect an incoming attack, "blocks" (known as Makgi) are implemented. They're held in particular positions and employ the hands with sections of the arm. Each and every "block" can be coordinated with a punch or kick to create a counter-attack, and each is meant for a specific attack. The primary Taekwondo blocks include: Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block and Upper Block.

Competitions

A regular Taekwondo competition includes patterns (forms), breaking and sparring, in the Olympics only sparring is included. With that being said there are also a few extraordinary categories in particular tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. World Taekwondo tournaments are solely soft-contact events, whilst ITF competitions permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are additionally a number of multi-discipline competitions.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo controlled contests require specific safety gear to be worn to safeguard competitors from personal injury due to the powerful kicking that transpires. These safety solutions include: a gum shield, hand guards, shin pads, a groin guard, red or blue body armour, forearm guards and a red/blue head guard.

Summary

So, what are you hoping to get from Taekwondo? Well, that's a good question, and the answer will vary for different people. The majority of participants will purely look to meet new people, gain more confidence and improve their levels of fitness. We are certainly not all going to reach the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though perhaps you will, who knows? 👊