Taekwondo Malvern

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Malvern, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. Older adults trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too taxing, unless they have kept themselves active. However those who take up Taekwondo in Malvern at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently established of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some schools known as "kwans", merging a number of martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly consists of kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/turning kicks, head kicks and rapid kicking methods.

Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners worldwide and has become very popular in Malvern and throughout the UK. If you want to get involved in this activity, which is now an Olympic sport, joining a Taekwondo club or class in Malvern is a good place to start. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

In these days of ever-increasing violence, it's hardly surprising that individuals in areas like Malvern are signing up for self-defence training like Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a respect for other folks, which are qualities that are largely lacking in this modern age.

There is a fairly good chance that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you've booked your first lesson but have never tried Taekwondo before, you will be wondering what to prepare for. This could vary from school to school but will generally involve all or some of the following. A 15 to 20 minute warm up to loosen your muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training covering some hand attacks, kicks, blocks and stances, a look at some forms (Poomse), some ideas on sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and finally a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

British Taekwondo is the regulating body of the sport within Britain, and membership of this organisation is mandatory if you want to join any Taekwondo club in Malvern or nearby. You can find lots of information about events, coaching courses, health and safety, clubs and members, beginning a new Taekwondo club, news, first aid, coaches and referees, equality and safeguarding, and more, by popping along to British Taekwondo's website.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, plenty of benefits to be had from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just some which could be tempting for you: Increase stamina, flexibility and agility by way of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Better discipline by comprehensively schooling your mind and body in the principles and tactics of Taekwondo, Build up your confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed, Reduce anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by elevating both mental and physical health, Toughen up your mind and body by way of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Teach self-defence by coaching you to recognise scenarios where self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these situations in your favour.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Beginners in Taekwondo don't need to fret excessively about forms (Poomse, patterns) initially, however they'll learn some important ones to begin with and move forward to more challenging forms as they progress up the various belts (grades/dans). A form is signified by specified aspects of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Getting to grips with these techniques is an important part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts

In Taekwondo there is not really any form of standardisation when it comes to belts and ranking. It all depends upon which style you are considering, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles. However, they're normally separated into two groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with anything from eight to twelve ranks, while the senior/black belts generally have nine grades.