Taekwondo Beverley

As a result of its rather more physical attributes, Taekwondo is possibly more appropriate for the younger generation in Beverley and is especially suitable for children because it is excellent for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults may find it somewhat too demanding unless they're particularly fit and active. Even so, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Beverley from a young age will find that they can easily carry it on when they're older. The less nimble of you could consider participating in something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. This later became known as Taekwondo and the main focus of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, in particular jumping/turning kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking techniques. Nowadays Beverley Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million practitioners all around the world, and whilst you may not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you're still able to sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt turn out to be a fascinating and advantageous activity.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and not surprisingly this is one of the primary reasons that folks in Beverley sign up to classes and engage with the sport. There's been a disconcerting increase in violent behaviour in recent years and this is particularly rife in town and city centres throughout East Yorkshire and the nation as a whole. The good thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such widespread qualities in Beverley these days.

With luck you won't ever be required to use your newly acquired Taekwondo skills for defending yourself outside of your local club environment, but it is nice to know it's there if you need it.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never had a go at Taekwondo before, you could be a little apprehensive as to what to expect on your very first class. This will be different from school to school but will usually consist of all or some of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, a little technical training including learning some stances, hand attacks, kicks and blocking techniques, learning some forms (or Poomse), an overview of sparring including the timing of attacks, movement and timing, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

If you would like to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Beverley, you will also have to register with the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By heading to the British Taekwondo website you will be able to discover facts about news, coaching courses, referees and coaching, clubs and members, events, safeguarding and equality, first aid, health and safety, launching a new club, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is famous for its powerful kicking moves, the following are the important ones: Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against the various hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse selection of blocks. Held in various positions, they engage the hand and sections of the arm. Specific attacks call for particular blocks, but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacking movements by linking retaliatory kicks or punches. The primary blocks in Taekwondo include: Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Forms are a pivotal part of Taekwondo and are essential to learn if you are to excel at this popular activity. Some basic forms have to be grasped from the beginning and more complicated forms must be mastered so as to move through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is characterised by a number of variables such as technique, direction and stance.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

With there being a number of types of Taekwondo there has never been any standardized system for allocating belts (promotion). What exists however is quite similar and comprises a couple of belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groupings is split into grades, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and nine for seniors.

Final Thoughts

What you get out of Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you put into it (as is true of life on the whole). Most of you will purely want to make new friends, meet different people and improve your fitness levels, some may wish to take part in competitions or tournaments or maybe even the Olympics. But bear in mind, we can't all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊