Taekwondo Fakenham

Owing to its rather more physical attributes, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Fakenham and is especially suitable for kids as it's excellent for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults could find it a bit too demanding unless they're particularly fit and active. Even so, those who take up Taekwondo in Fakenham at a young age will find that they can easily carry it on when they're older. The less nimble of you could consider something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some exciting new schools called "kwans", incorporating various martial arts techniques. The main focus of the discipline was on kicking movements, in particular jumping/spinning kicks, rapid kicking styles and head kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, roughly meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Nowadays Fakenham Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners worldwide, now exceeds 60 million. Joining a local Fakenham Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Fakenham.

For many people in Fakenham, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of increased violence, particularly in city and town centres, it's no surprise that this aspect sits high on people's list of priorities. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you are able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect other people and practice self-restraint.

Although it will instill you with confidence being aware that you have these self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are that you'll never be required to use them outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've decided to learn Taekwondo and are preparing for your first class, you will be curious as to what will happen. The following will give you an overview, but this will vary from school to school. A warm up lasting 15-20 minutes, some technical training involving learning some stances, blocking techniques, hand attacks and kicks, a look at forms or patterns, some tips on sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to round off a warm down to loosen up and stretch muscles.

Everybody who is a member of a Taekwondo club in Fakenham or anywhere else in the UK, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You'll be able to find out about coaching courses, events, health and safety, members and clubs, news, equality and safeguarding, first aid, referees and coaching, establishing a new club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or get the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main features of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a selection of the essential kicks: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi). Blocks: To stop and deflect an inbound attack, blocks (called Makgi) are used. Held in specific positions, they employ the hands and areas of the arm. Each kind of attack necessitates a specific kind of block, counter-attacks can be produced by combining a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The main blocks include: Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

With any sport or activity we have to begin someplace, and Taekwondo's no different. Even the elite Fakenham Taekwondo masters were complete novices at one time. So, what should you expect as a total novice at Taekwondo? A beginners class should give its enrollees sufficient instruction to teach them the fundamentals and enable them to build self-confidence as they progress. The perfect beginners class ought to be enjoyable as well as instructional, when folks are enjoying themselves they are more invested and are going to learn much faster.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, many benefits to be gained from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few that may be tempting for you: Enhance your self-esteem by sharpening your mental and physical health, Develop discipline by thoroughly training your mind and body in the principles and techniques of Taekwondo, Build up your confidence by helping you to take control of your life and succeed, Improve agility, flexibility and stamina by means of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Strengthen your mind and body by means of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Reduce stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Learn self-defence by training you to recognise situations where self-defence might be required, and enabling you to control these types of situations in your favour.

Tournaments

There are a wide variety of tournaments and competitions in Taekwondo involving all the different styles. They mostly consist of breaking, sparring and patterns (forms) with almost no hard contact. International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) competitions do not permit disproportionate contact but sometimes permit hand attacks to be aimed at the head. World Taekwondo and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style contests also take place.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear like a gum shield, forearm protectors, hand protectors, a groin protector, a blue or red trunk guard (hogu), a red/blue head protector and shin pads are worn in all competitions controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is paramount on account of the formidable kicking that's an integral element of this activity.

In Conclusion

Precisely what you get from Taekwondo are going to be proportional to what you invest in it (as is true of life on the whole). The majority of you will simply wish to improve your fitness levels, meet different people and make new friends, some might wish to move on to tournaments and competitions or perhaps even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.