Taekwondo Filey

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it is possibly more suited to the younger generation in Filey. That's not to say that elderly people cannot get involved in this popular activity, but merely that there may be other martial arts which are more suited to the less nimble among us. Tai Chi is a perfect illustration.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. Some new schools called "kwans", mixing various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts lovers. Taekwondo, which it later became known as, mostly entails kicking movements, in particular rapid kicking methods, jumping/turning kicks and head-height kicks. Today Filey Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Filey and with over sixty million others globally. Signing up for your local Filey Taekwondo club or class is a great way to get involved in this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. There isn't any reason why you can't become a master of this exciting martial art, even if you do not aspire to Olympic competition.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the principal reasons that people in Filey get involved in classes and take up the sport. There's been a disturbing increase in violent behaviour in recent years and this is especially rampant in town and city centres around North Yorkshire and the UK in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and respect for others, not such familiar characteristics in Filey these days.

These self-defence techniques may sooner or later come in useful in the outside world, although it's much more likely that you will only be testing them within a monitored class environment. However it's a nice feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Lesson

If you have not done Taekwondo before you will likely be a bit apprehensive as to what to expect on your first class. Most Taekwondo schools in Filey follow a similar pattern, but there could be variations to the following. A 15 to 20 minute warm up to increase your heart rate and loosen muscles, a little technical training comprising some blocking techniques, hand attacks, kicks and stances, learning the basic patterns or forms, some ideas on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and to round off a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the British Isles is British Taekwondo and any individual wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Filey has to also register with British Taekwondo. You will be able to read about launching a new club, coaches and referees, coaching courses, health and safety, equality and safeguarding, news, events, first aid, clubs and members, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Competitions are an important element of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the various styles across the globe stage competitions and tournaments where Taekwondo masters get together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these tournaments which mostly incorporate breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, whilst certain hand attacks are permitted in ITF events.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Beginners in Taekwondo do not have to fret excessively about forms (Poomse, patterns) at the outset, however they will have to get to grips with some important ones for starters and progress to more difficult "forms" as they progress through the various belts (dans/grades). A "form" is denoted by specific areas of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Learning such techniques is an important part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo for Beginners

It doesn't matter what you're ranking is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one stage you were a complete novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We've all started out at that point and are only able to develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Filey are the best place to begin that learning process and to pick up the basics so you can gain confidence and move forward in your Taekwondo quest. The majority of beginner classes are set up to be fun and friendly, offering a gradual introduction to the basic Taekwondo values and developing a solid base for the future.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

There are of course, lots of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and listed here are just a hint of the ones which could be attractive to you: Improve feelings of self-esteem by maximizing your physical and mental fitness, Toughen up your mind and body by way of improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Boost your confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to take control of your life, Lessen stress using advanced breath control, Augment flexibility, stamina and agility through intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Learn self-defence by helping you to identify situations where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to turn these types of scenarios in your favour, More discipline and willpower by exhaustively schooling your mind and body in the doctrines and techniques of Taekwondo.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the most widely used Taekwondo kicks that you'll master early on include: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are used. Employing the hands and areas of the arm, they are held in specific positions. Certain attacks necessitate specified blocks, but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by linking reciprocal kicks or punches. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block and Rising Block.

In Summary

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't just about Olympic titles and National Championships. The majority of of us are content to make new friends, improve our fitness levels and meet different people, and that is how it ought to be. However, as with most matters in life, what you get out of it will depend on what you put into it. Good luck and enjoy!