Taekwondo Stratford-upon-Avon

Because of its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is maybe more suitable for the younger generation in Stratford-upon-Avon and is especially suited to kids as it is great for developing respect for others and self-discipline. More elderly people could find it a bit too demanding unless they're especially active and fit. Even so, those folks who persue Taekwondo in Stratford-upon-Avon from a young age will discover that they can easily continue with it when they are older. The less nimble of you might think about something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some new schools known as "kwans", combining various martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, mainly involves kicking manoeuvres, particularly fast kicking strategies, turning/jumping kicks and head kicks.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Stratford-upon-Avon and all around the world, with more than sixty million practitioners worldwide. This sport has even been included in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you would like to get involved, signing up for a local Stratford-upon-Avon Taekwondo class or club is a great place to start. While nobody would expect you to reach Olympic standard, you could certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Stratford-upon-Avon.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally is the most interesting to people in Stratford-upon-Avon. And its not a surprise that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising amounts of violence seen these days in town centres throughout Britain. In fact one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst respecting others and exercising a degree of self-restraint.

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

Your First Stratford-upon-Avon Taekwondo Class

If you've decided to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first lesson, you'll be wondering what will happen. The following will give you an illustration, but this could vary depending on which Stratford-upon-Avon school you have signed up for. A 15-20 minute warm up, a little technical training comprising some hand attacks, kicks, stances and blocks, a look at some forms, some ideas on sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to round off a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within Britain, and membership of this organization is mandatory if you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Stratford-upon-Avon or nearby. By going to British Taekwondo's official website you'll be able to discover information regarding first aid, health and safety, clubs and members, news, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, launching a new club, events, referees and coaching, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll undoubtedly be intrigued to discover precisely what kind of benefits may be achieved by taking part in Stratford-upon-Avon Taekwondo instruction and engaging fully in its activities. You may expect that you will: More self-discipline by thoroughly training your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body by means of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility by way of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Reduces anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Build up confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Help with self-defence techniques by training you to recognize occasions in which self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to manipulate these kinds of situations in your favour, Enhance your self-esteem by raising both physical and mental powers.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Perfecting Tae kwon do will involve learning a number of disciplines and techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as patterns or Poomse). These are types of technique, stance and direction which need to be memorized in order for students to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts

With regards to promotion, ranking and belts there's not actually any uniformity in Taekwondo, because there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific system. There are however analogies and they normally comprise a couple of groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively, . The senior grades normally have nine tiers and the junior, between 8 and 12 grades.

Safety Equipment

In all matches, competitions and events being held under the authority of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as shin pads, blue or red body armour, a groin guard, a red/blue head guard, a mouth guard, hand guards and forearm protectors is obligatory. The fast kicking manoeuvres employed in Taekwondo can cause harm and this all helps to make the activity safer for its competitors.