Taekwondo Wirksworth

When many people in Wirksworth think of Taekwondo, they picture young kids performing energetic kicking and punching manoeuvres. While the younger generation may find it easier to cope with the demands of Taekwondo, people of every age group can and do practice the sport. You will however get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo if you are fairly fit and agile.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly features kicking moves and manoeuvres, most notably head kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a group of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools called "kwans", which combined various martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Wirksworth and around the globe, with over sixty million practitioners worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Wirksworth Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sporting activity which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you might not have any goals to get involved in Olympic competition, there's no reason why you should not become an expert at this exhilarating martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

In these times of increasing violence, it's little surprise that individuals in places like Wirksworth are getting involved in self-defence training like Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary factors of Taekwondo but it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for those around us, which are qualities that are largely absent in modern day life.

Such self-defence techniques may in due course come in useful in the outside world, though it's much more likely that you'll solely be using them within a monitored class setting. Yet it is an amazing feeling knowing that you can always successfully defend yourself when you need to.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you will be wondering what will happen. The following will give you an idea, but this may vary from school to school. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training comprising some blocking techniques, stances, hand attacks and kicks, learning your the basic forms or patterns, a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

The United Kingdom regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up to Taekwondo club in Wirksworth, you'll also be required to become a member of this organization. You'll be able to find out about coaching courses, news, coaches and referees, safe practices, events, first aid, establishing a new club, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or get the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Tournaments

Contests are an important part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all of the various styles around the world stage tournaments where Taekwondo masters come together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these tournaments which primarily comprise patterns, sparring and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are tolerated in ITF events.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

People just beginning their journey in Taekwondo don't have to stress too much about forms (patterns, Poomse) at the outset, but they'll have to learn some basic ones for starters and progress to more complex "forms" as they move through the various belts (grades/dans). A "form" is indicated by specified aspects of Taekwondo including stance, technique and direction. Getting to grips with these techniques is a crucial part of mastering Taekwondo.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When you're getting involved in Taekwondo classes in Wirksworth you will be hoping to get a few benefits to make the entire enterprise worthwhile. And so why don't we look at a few of the benefits that you might get through doing and learning Taekwondo. More self-discipline by thoroughly training your body and mind in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Empower your body and mind by way of enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Enhance your self-esteem by heightening both mental and physical health, Help with self-defence by showing you how to identify circumstances in which self-defence may be required, and allowing you to manipulate these scenarios in your favour, Grow in confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed, Turbocharge agility, flexibility and stamina by way of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Reduce anxiety with controlled breathing.

Safety Gear

British Taekwondo contests require certain safety equipment to be worn to protect contenders from getting injured due to the potent kicks that are used. These safety solutions include: shin protectors, a mouth protector, blue or red trunk armour (hogu), a groin guard, forearm protectors, a blue/red head protector and hand guards.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a key role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a selection of the best known ones ones: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Blocks: To repulse the various kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse assortment of blocks (Makgi). Held in various positions, they use the hand and different parts of the arm. Every block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to create a counter-attack, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The primary "blocks" in Taekwondo include: Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Wirksworth set out as novices, therefore there is no disgrace in being a beginner at Tae kwon do, or in fact any other activity. The goal of a Taekwondo beginner class is to teach a few of the basics, increase confidence and develop a solid foundation for the future. Most importantly of all is that it must be enjoyable, students having a good time are going to learn faster and be more engaged.