Taekwondo Stroud

Taekwondo is generally a lot more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and agile you may prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness in Stroud. Children are definitely the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Stroud, with lots of fast paced movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly features high-kicking manoeuvres, most notably jumping/spinning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a number of martial arts specialists founded schools called "kwans", which blended various martial arts techniques.

With over 60 million individuals participating in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has certainly become an extremely popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master this martial art you might even one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part since the 2000 Sydney Games.

In these modern times of escalating violence, it's hardly surprising that people in places like Stroud are taking up self-defence training like Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence element is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for those around us, which are qualities that are largely missing in this modern age.

With any luck, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you will not ever need to try out your newly acquired techniques to defend yourself.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you decide to register for Taekwondo training in Stroud, the very first thing you will wish to know is what will transpire on the initial class and exactly what will the instructor be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in Stroud will put together differing routines for this first introductory lesson but you can count on doing a 15 minute warm-up to get the blood coursing and loosen your muscles, learn some basic forms (Poomse), go through some practical training (kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocking techniques), do a small amount of sparring, and to finish, a warm-down.

Everybody who is a member of a Taekwondo club in Stroud or anywhere else in Great Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You can read about members and clubs, events, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, safe practices, coaches and competition referees, first aid, news, launching a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and find the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You'll probably be fascinated to find out about precisely what sort of benefits may be obtained by attending Stroud Taekwondo training and partaking 100% in its activities. You may expect to: Improve self-esteem and concentration by sharpening both physical and mental powers, Lower stress with controlled breathing, Build up confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Greater discipline by thoroughly schooling your mind and body in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body through increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Teach self-defence strategies by showing you how to recognise circumstances where self-defence may be required, and allowing you to turn such situations to your advantage, Turbocharge agility, stamina and flexibility by means of extreme cardiovascular effort.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is renowned for its powerful kicks, listed here are the basic ones: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to defend against the different attacking moves, are known as Makgi. They're held in specific positions and engage the hand with different sections of the arm. Each and every block can be coupled with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking move, and each is appropriate for a specific attack. The key "blocks" (makgi) include: Low Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are characterized by particular elements such as stance, direction and technique. From the start you are going to learn a few of the basic forms, and so as to progress through the various rankings (belts) you'll have to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

When it comes to belts, ranking and promotion there's not actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, because there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own arrangement in place. There are however similarities and they normally comprise a couple of groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively, . The senior rankings usually have 9 ranks and the junior, between 8 and 12 tiers.

Competitions

Contests are a significant element of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all of the different styles around the world hold contests where Taekwondo masters come together to battle it out. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these competitions which mainly incorporate breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.

Stroud Taekwondo for Beginners

Even the best exponents of Taekwondo in Stroud set out as rookies, so it is no shame to be a complete beginner at Taekwondo, or in fact any other activity. The goal of a Taekwondo beginners class is to provide just a few basics, improve confidence and build a solid base for the future. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be fun, trainees having a great time are going to learn faster and be better committed.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Tournaments regulated by British Taekwondo policies require various pieces of protective equipment to be used, these include: forearm protectors, a groin protector, hand protectors, a red/blue head guard, a red or blue body protector (hogu), shin guards and a gum shield. This is crucial because of the powerful kicking moves being practiced.

Conclusion

We can practically guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you will make more friends, improve your fitness levels and gain more confidence. If that's all you get out of it, then all well and good, and you can call it an achievement! We aren't all vying to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, need to begin with the very first step. Good luck with your journey!