Taekwondo Royton

It needs to be asserted that Taekwondo can be quite demanding physically, which could discourage the less nimble and more elderly people in Royton from taking this up. To be completely truthful, the most common people participating in Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but obviously older individuals who're in good physical health can easily take part and benefit considerably from this activity.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts and consists of mainly high-kicking moves such as rapid kicking strategies, jumping/turning kicks and head kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were founded by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to become very popular in Royton and all around the world, with over 60 million participants worldwide. Registering with a local Royton Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved in this activity which has even been a part of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there's certainly no reason why you should not become an expert at this enjoyable martial art and have a bit of fun along the way.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Royton. This is not difficult to believe when you think about the elevated levels of violence experienced in town centres day after day. It's a key principle of Taekwondo that you can become confidently able to defend yourself yet respect others and exercise self-restraint.

While its great to know that you're able to defend yourself when you need to, it's hoped that you never need to do this outside of your local Taekwondo club environment.

Your First Taekwondo Class

Different Taekwondo clubs in the Royton area will have different ideas about what learners should cover on their first class, but to give you an idea of what you should expect most first Taekwondo classes will include a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning simple Poomse (forms), an overview of kicks, stances, blocking techniques and hand attacks (practical training) and a final warm-down to relax tired muscles and return the body to a state of harmony.

Everyone who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Royton or anywhere else in the United Kingdom, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You can read about events, safeguarding and equality, coaches and referees, coaching courses, health and safety, members and clubs, first aid, launching a new Taekwondo club, news, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and get the latest Taekwondo news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

When you're enrolling in Taekwondo classes in Royton you will be hoping to get a few benefits to make the whole enterprise worth the effort. Therefore we should take a look at some of the benefits that you may get from doing and learning Taekwondo. Learn self-defence tactics by helping you to understand instances where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to turn these types of situations to your advantage, Grow in your confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Empower your body and mind by way of enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Lessen anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Develop discipline by extensively training your body and mind in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by intensifying both physical and mental fitness, Augment stamina, flexibility and agility by means of intense cardiovascular exertion.

The Eight Basic Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a selection of the essential kicks: Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the various attacks, are known as Makgi. Engaging the hands and different sections of the arm, they're held in various positions. Each type of attack calls for a specific type of block, counter-attacks can be produced by integrating a block with another kick or punch. The most used blocks (makgi) include: Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are vital if you're to excel at this thrilling martial art. A few basic forms should be grasped from the outset and more challenging forms must be perfected so as to move through the various belts. A Taekwondo form is distinguished by various factors such as stance, direction and technique.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit confusing in Taekwondo because there isn't any recognised arrangement across the different Taekwondo disciplines. Parallels can be found though, and normally there are two separate belt groups, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of levels in the junior section varies over the disciplines but is typically somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior groupings typically has 9 belts or dans.

Final Thoughts

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 medals and National Championships. Most of us are content to meet different people, make new friends and improve our levels of fitness, and that is how it ought to be. Yet, as with many matters in life, what you get from it will be determined by what you invest in it. Enjoy! 👊