Taekwondo Barnet

Taekwondo is typically a lot more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty fit and agile you may prefer to find something a little gentler to boost your fitness in Barnet. Children are clearly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Barnet, with lots of fast movements going on and a great deal of high kicking.

The name Taekwondo was only coined in the 1950's, although the sport started life in Korea in 1945. Some exciting new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics, mixing a number of various martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, in particular jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head-height kicks are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it ultimately became known. These days Barnet Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to become very popular in Barnet and all over the world, with over 60 million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Barnet Taekwondo class or club is a great way to get involved with this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. Although you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a maestro of this challenging martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

For the men, women and children of Barnet who want to learn a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is an important principle of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to appreciate the appeal of this particular sport. With the added bonus of learning self-restraint and having a deep respect for those around you, getting involved in a local Barnet Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never have to be tested outside of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever had a go at before, you'll doubtless be curious about what you should expect from your initial lesson if you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Barnet area have different ideas about this but roughly; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do a certain amount of technical training, you will learn some forms, you'll practice sparring strategies and finally you will warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation once more.

The UK official regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you want to sign up to Taekwondo class in Barnet, you will also be required to become a member of this respected organization. You'll be able to learn about members and clubs, establishing a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, coaching courses, first aid, coaches and competition referees, events, safeguarding and equality, news, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and get the latest Taekwondo news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Kicks

Among the best known Taekwondo kicks that you will learn initially include: Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: To stop and deflect an inbound Taekwondo attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are used. Held in diverse positions, they use the hands and different areas of the arm. Each and every "block" can be coordinated with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attacking move, and each is meant for a certain type of attack. The principal blocks (makgi) in Taekwondo include: Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Upper Block, Palm Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Perfecting Taekwondo necessitates getting to grips with many disciplines and techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of direction, stance and technique which have to be memorized in order for students to progress through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit bewildering in Taekwondo because there's no recognised structure throughout the diverse Taekwondo disciplines. Parallels do exist however, and usually there are 2 distinct belt groupings, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior groupings varies through the styles but is normally between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's group normally has nine dans or belts.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

There are a wide variety of competitions in Taekwondo involving all the various styles. They mainly include sparring, patterns and breaking with very little hard contact. ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions do not permit substantial contact but may permit hand attacks to the head. WT and Olympic tournaments allow only sparring. Multi-style contests are also held.

Barnet Taekwondo for Beginners

Learners setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Barnet will at first enroll in a beginners class. Beginners classes are excellent, as there are no stringent demands and things are carried out at a slow and relaxed pace. Learning and having fun are the principal aims at first and students who are having fun tend to learn much quicker and digest more of what they are being taught. Even Taekwondo masters started off as clueless newbies, so take that very first step and you never know where you'll wind up!

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all tournaments, events and contests being staged under the authority of British Taekwondo, safety gear like hand guards, a blue/red trunk guard (hogu), a gum shield, a groin guard, a red/blue head protector, shin guards and forearm protectors is mandatory. The fast kicking manoeuvres used in Taekwondo may cause injuries and this precaution helps to make the activity less hazardous for its competitors.

To Summarize

The benefits that you acquire from Taekwondo will be directly related to what you invest in it (as is the case with life in general). The majority of you will purely want to improve your fitness levels, make new friends and meet different people, some may aspire to progress to tournaments and competitions or maybe even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊