Taekwondo Winchester

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it's perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Winchester. That's not to say that the older generation cannot take part in this particular activity, but simply that there might be other martial arts which are more suitable for the less agile of us. Tai Chi is the perfect illustration.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some exciting new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mainly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, jumping/turning kicks and fast kicking strategies. Now Winchester Taekwondo classes abide by this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Winchester and all across the globe, with over sixty million practitioners worldwide. Joining a local Winchester Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved in this activity which has even featured in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you may not have any goals to get involved in Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have some fun in the process.

While there is much to be gained by doing Taekwondo, it is the self-defence aspect that most Winchester people are interested in. And in these days of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it is no surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.

Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be proven outside of an organized Taekwondo class, however knowing that you have them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what you should expect on your first class. This could vary depending on which Winchester school you go to, but will generally include the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce stiffness in your muscles, a little technical training comprising some hand attacks, blocking techniques, kicks and stances, learning some Poomse (or forms), a few ideas on sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to round off a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

If you wish to join a Taekwondo class in Winchester, you'll also have to become a member of the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You can find a lot of info on news, coaches and tournament referees, clubs and members, safe practices, first aid, events, launching a new club, coaching courses, safeguarding and equality, and more, by heading to the British Taekwondo website.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, a number of benefits to be had from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few which could be tempting for you: More self-discipline by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body by way of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Reduce anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Build up confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by intensifying both physical and mental health, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by way of extreme cardiovascular exertion, Teach you self-defence by showing you how to realize situations where self-defence may be necessary, and enabling you to manipulate these types of scenarios to your advantage.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

With there being various different disciplines of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform system for assigning belts (levels). What exists is however pretty similar and involves 2 belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is split into levels, eight to twelve colours in the case of juniors and nine "blacks" for the seniors.

Final Thoughts

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not purely about National Championships and Olympic titles. The majority of of us are content to improve our levels of fitness, meet different people and make new friends, and that is precisely how it should be. Yet, as with many matters in life, what you get out of it will be based upon what you put into it. Good luck!