Taekwondo Addlestone

Taekwondo is typically a lot more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty fit and nimble you may prefer to partake in something a little gentler to improve your fitness in Addlestone. Children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Addlestone, with a lot of fast paced movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in about 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts in Seoul established some schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and fast kicking techniques are the main focus of Taekwondo, as it later became known. Today Addlestone Taekwondo classes abide by this tradition.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts all around the world, and even though you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games athlete, you're still able to enroll in a Taekwondo class or club to master what will undoubtedly prove to be a fascinating and worthwhile pastime.

Of all the many benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that the people of Addlestone find most appealing. You should not be surprised by this, when you take into account the high incidence of violence seen in today's town and city centres. In fact one of the key principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst exercising self-restraint and a respect for others.

There is a pretty decent likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they're there should you ever need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you have ever tried previously, you'll likely be curious about what you should be expecting from your initial class should you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Addlestone have varying thoughts on this but in brief; you will take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you will learn some forms (patterns), you'll practice sparring tactics and finally you'll perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once more.

Anybody wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Addlestone must also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in the British Isles. You can learn about first aid, safeguarding and equality, coaches and tournament referees, starting a new club, members and clubs, news, coaching courses, events, safe practices, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and get the latest Taekwondo news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Tournaments

A regular Taekwondo competition features patterns, breaking and sparring, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. That being said there can also be a few unique categories in specific competitions such as team demonstrations and self-defence. WT (World Taekwondo) competitions are strictly soft-contact affairs, whilst International Taekwon-Do Federation competitions permit some hand attacks aimed at the head. There are in addition a number of multi-discipline contests.

Safety Gear

In all events, matches and competitions being held under the supervision of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as a red or blue body protector (hogu), shin protectors, forearm guards, a red/blue head protector, a groin guard, a mouth guard and hand protectors is mandatory. The kicking techniques which are part of Taekwondo may cause harm and this helps make this sport less risky for its competitors.

In Summary

So, what are you looking to get from Taekwondo? Well, that's a great question, and the answer to that will be different for individual people. Most participants will simply look to meet new people, gain more self-confidence and improve their levels of fitness. We are certainly not all going to reach the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though maybe you will, who knows?