Taekwondo Alton

Taekwondo is typically a lot more demanding physically than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty nimble and fit you might prefer to find something a bit gentler to boost your fitness in Alton. Children are clearly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Alton, with a lot of fast movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts and entails primarily high-kicking movements such as head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks. It started when schools called "kwans" were founded by a group of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to be extremely popular in Alton and all around the world, with more than sixty million practitioners worldwide. Getting started with a local Alton Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved with this activity which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there's no reason why you shouldn't become a master of this thrilling martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

For the people of Alton who want to learn a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. Considering that this is a key principle of Taekwondo, it is easy to see the appeal of this unique sport. With the extra benefit of developing self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for others, getting involved in a local Alton Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never have to be tried and tested outside the regulated environment of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however knowing that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Alton Taekwondo Class

Different Taekwondo schools in Alton will have different guidelines for what learners should be covering on their initial class, but to give you a notion of what you should expect most first Taekwondo classes will incorporate a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning patterns (Poomse), an introduction to hand attacks, stances, blocks and kicks (technical training) and a warm-down to relax tired muscles and get the body back to a state of harmony.

Everybody who is a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Alton or any place else in the UK, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You will be able to read about events, launching a new club, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, coaches and referees, first aid, news, health and safety, clubs and members, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or find out the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are of course, many benefits to be had from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a selection of the ones that might be tempting for you: Strengthen your mind and body by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Improve concentration and self-esteem by intensifying your mental and physical powers, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by way of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Grow in confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Lessen stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Teach you self-defence strategies by showing you how to identify instances where self-defence might be necessary, and allowing you to control these situations to your advantage, Better discipline and willpower by exhaustively educating your body and mind in the doctrines and techniques of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also known as Poomse or patterns) are characterised by specific activities like stance, direction and technique. From the start you will learn a few of the important forms, and so as to advance through the various levels (belts) you'll need to master some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The belt and ranking system can get quite confusing in Taekwondo since there's no standard system across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Similarities can be found though, and generally there are two separate belt groups, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of rankings in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is generally between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior groupings usually has 9 belts or dans.

Tournaments

Competitions are an important aspect of the Taekwondo experience, and all the diverse styles all over the world hold tournaments where Taekwondo masters get together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitive events which primarily comprise breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, while some hand attacks are permitted in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Beginners Classes

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Alton set out as rookies, therefore it's no disgrace to be a complete beginner at Tae kwon do, or for that matter any other activity. The goal of a Taekwondo beginners class is to provide a few basics, improve confidence and build a solid foundation for the future. Most importantly of all is that it should be fun, students having a good time will learn quicker and be better invested.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Tournaments controlled by British Taekwondo guidelines require various items of protective equipment to be worn, these include: red/blue trunk armour, a blue or red head protector, hand protectors, forearm protectors, a gum shield, shin protectors and a groin guard. This is a must owing to the vigorous kicking moves being employed.

Conclusion

So, what do you want from Taekwondo? Well, that's a good question, and the answer to that will be different for individual people. Most participants will purely wish to gain more self-confidence, meet new people and improve their fitness levels. We are definitely not all going to reach the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although perhaps you will, you never know? 👊