Taekwondo Haslingden

It must be said that Taekwondo can be very physically challenging, which might put off the less nimble and more elderly folks in Haslingden from taking this up. To be completely fair, the most frequent people participating in Taekwondo classes are children and younger people, but certainly older individuals who are in decent physical condition can easily get involved and get benefits from this sport.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly features kicking moves and manoeuvres, in particular head-height kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and fast kicking strategies. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a group of martial arts specialists founded schools known as "kwans", which merged a variety of martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Haslingden and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Haslingden Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. While reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there is no reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

In these modern times of increasing violence, it's no surprise that people in areas like Haslingden are taking up self-defence training such as Taekwondo to help them feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a respect for others around us, which are disciplines that are often missing in this modern age.

There is a very good likelihood that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never need to be tested in your day to day life, but it will undoubtedly give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever need them.

Your First Lesson

For those of you who've never attempted Taekwondo before, you'll no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first lesson. This can vary depending on which Haslingden school you go to, but will usually include the following. A 15 to 20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a bit of technical training which will involve learning some blocking techniques, stances, kicks and hand attacks, an introduction to patterns or forms, a look at sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and last but not least a warm down to stretch muscles and loosen up.

The governing body for Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and anybody wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Haslingden has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. You will be able to get a lot of facts about launching a new club, safeguarding and equality, first aid, events, coaching courses, news, coaches and referees, clubs and members, health and safety, and more, by dropping by at British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are numerous different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a few of them: Front Kick, Side Kick, Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: To stop and defend against an incoming attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are employed. Employing the hand and sections of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Each form of attack calls for a specific kind of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with another kick or punch. The primary "blocks" (makgi) include: Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block and Upper Block.

Haslingden Taekwondo for Beginners

It matters not who you are or what you're capable of in Taekwondo, at some time you were a total novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We have all started at that point and are only able to improve and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Haslingden are the place to start that learning journey and to acquire the basics so that you can gain confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo quest. Most beginner classes are created to be fun and friendly, offering a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and building a solid foundation moving forward.

In Summary

So, what do you want from doing Taekwondo? Well, that's an excellent question, and the answer will be different for individual people. The majority of participants will just wish to meet new people, gain more self-confidence and improve their fitness. We're definitely not all going to scale the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though maybe you will, who knows? 👊