Taekwondo Hedge End

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Hedge End, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. Carrying their Taekwondo experience through into older adulthood should not however be a problem for those who start when they are younger. The less agile of you might find that Tai Chi which is a bit softer is more suitable.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some schools known as "kwans", incorporating a number of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, primarily entails kicking manoeuvres, particularly head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and spinning/jumping kicks.

Popular across the world Taekwondo now has over sixty million students. Since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to give it a try, joining your local Hedge End Taekwondo class or club is a great way to get involved. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there isn't any reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have an amazing time along the way.

It seems that the most interesting element of Taekwondo is self-defence. This is not hard to believe when you think about the elevated levels of violence experienced in city and town centres day after day. Being capable of defending yourself is a key principle of Taekwondo, but this is tempered by exercising self-restraint and respecting others.

There's a very good likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your everyday life, but it will most certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Hedge End Taekwondo Class

If you have just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you will be wondering what to expect. This may vary depending on which Hedge End school you go to, but will usually involve the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to loosen your muscles and increase your heart rate, a little technical training comprising some blocks, hand attacks, stances and kicks, an introduction to some Poomse (or forms), a few ideas on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing.

If you wish to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Hedge End, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By viewing British Taekwondo's website you can discover details of clubs and members, beginning a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, coaches and referees, first aid, news, safe practices, events, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The Taekwondo Kicks

There are lots of different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a handful of them: Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Blocks: To defend against the numerous kicks and hand attacks there are an equally diverse range of blocks (Makgi). Engaging the hands and different parts of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Each type of attack calls for a specific sort of block, counter-attacks can be produced by combining a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The main blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block and Rising Block.

Competitions

Taekwondo tournaments and competitions are held all over the world in all of the different styles. There is usually not much hard contact but patterns (forms), breaking and sparring. Olympic and WT competitions consist only of sparring, in International Taekwon-Do Federation contests specified hand attacks are allowed to the head. Other organizations hold multi-discipline competitions.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

With any activity or sport we have to begin somewhere, and Taekwondo is no exception. Even the foremost Hedge End Taekwondo masters were complete newbies at one time. So, exactly what can you expect as a complete novice at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their enrollees sufficient training to give them the basic principles and allow them to develop self-confidence as they progress. The ideal beginners class needs to be fun as well as educational, when people are enjoying themselves they're much more engaged and are going to learn quicker.

In Summary

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about Olympic medals and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to make new friends, meet different people and improve our levels of fitness, and that is how it should be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get from it will be based upon what you invest in it. Good luck! 👊