Taekwondo St Neots

While people of all ages in St Neots can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. Quite a few of the older adults who do Taekwondo in St Neots, started when they were younger. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily comprises high-kicking manoeuvres, most notably fast kicking strategies, jumping/spinning kicks and head kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a number of martial arts enthusiasts established schools known as "kwans", which mixed together a number of martial arts practices.

Taekwondo has grown to be really popular in St Neots and all around the world, with over 60 million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local St Neots Taekwondo class or club is a great way to get involved in this activity which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Although you might not have any goals to get involved in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a maestro of this exciting martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

For the men, women and children of St Neots who wish to learn a martial art, a top priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is a pivotal concept of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to see the attraction of this specific sport. With the added benefit of developing self-restraint and having a deep respect for those around you, registering for a local St Neots Taekwondo class would seem to be an easy decision.

Although it will instill you with confidence knowing that you have those self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is that you will never have to test them outside the monitored atmosphere of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've booked your first lesson but have never attempted Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to prepare for. The following will give you a pretty good idea, but this may vary from school to school. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase your heart rate and loosen muscles, a little technical training comprising some blocks, stances, kicks and hand attacks, some work on forms or patterns, a look at sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and to round off a warm down with muscle stretching and loosening up.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo club in St Neots has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the United Kingdom. By visiting British Taekwondo's website you can read details on safeguarding and equality, news, first aid, clubs and members, events, starting a new club, coaching courses, health and safety, coaches and referees, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When you are registering for Taekwondo classes in St Neots you'll be wanting to get some benefits to make the whole thing worthwhile. Therefore let's look at a few of the positive benefits that you could gain by learning and doing Taekwondo. Improve agility, stamina and flexibility by means of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Reduced stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Toughen up your mind and body by accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Better self-discipline by extensively training your mind and body in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Beef up your confidence by helping you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Learn self-defence tactics by showing you how to recognize instances where self-defence might be necessary, and empowering you to control these circumstances to your advantage, Enhance your self-esteem by intensifying your mental and physical health.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The belt and ranking structure can get pretty bewildering in Taekwondo as there isn't any recognised system throughout the different Taekwondo disciplines. Analogies do exist though, and generally there are 2 separate belt groupings, represented as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of grades in the junior group varies over the disciplines but is commonly somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior group typically has 9 dans or belts.

Tournaments

A regular Taekwondo tournament incorporates patterns (forms), sparring and breaking, in the Olympics only sparring is included. That being said there may also be a few unique categories in certain competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. World Taekwondo contests are purely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) contests permit some hand attacks aimed at the head. There are in addition some multi-discipline tournaments.

Beginners Classes

It matters not what you're ranking is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one time you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We have all started like this and can only learn and improve with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in St Neots are the place to start that learning journey and to acquire the basics so you can build self-confidence and move forward in your Taekwondo experience. Nearly all beginner classes are geared up to be fun and friendly, delivering a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo principles and developing a firm foundation for the future.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear like hand protectors, forearm guards, a red/blue trunk protector (hogu), a red/blue head guard, a mouth guard, shin guards and a groin guard are worn in all competitions supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is needed because of the potent kicks that are an integral part of this sport.