Taekwondo Bonnyrigg

Because Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it is perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Bonnyrigg. That isn't to say that the older generation cannot get involved in this kind of activity, but simply that there could be other martial arts that are more suited to the less nimble among us. Tai Chi would be the perfect illustration.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly consists of high-kicking manoeuvres and moves, most notably turning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking methods and head kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea during the 1940's, when a group of martial arts specialists established schools known as "kwans", which merged a variety of martial arts practices.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Bonnyrigg and with over 60 million others worldwide. This sport has even featured in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you want to get involved, joining a local Bonnyrigg Taekwondo club or class is a good place to start. There is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art, even if you do not aspire to Olympic competition.

In these days of ever-increasing violence, it is little surprise that individuals in places like Bonnyrigg are getting involved in self-defence training like Taekwondo to help them feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but at the same time it also promotes self-restraint and a deep respect for others around us, which are disciplines that are often missing in this modern age.

While its great to know they're there when you need them, with any luck you'll never need to use your newly discovered Taekwondo skills for defending yourself outside of your local club environment.

Your First Bonnyrigg Taekwondo Lesson

Different Taekwondo schools in Bonnyrigg will have different ideas about what learners should be covering on their initial class, however to give you an understanding of what you can expect most first Taekwondo lessons will include a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning simple Poomse (forms), an introduction to hand attacks, blocking techniques, kicks and stances (technical training) and a warm-down to stretch tired muscles and get the body back to a state of harmony.

Anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Bonnyrigg must also register with British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the British Isles. You will be able to get a lot of details about members and clubs, equality and safeguarding, starting a new club, coaching courses, news, health and safety, referees and coaching, first aid, events, and more, by visiting British Taekwondo's website.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, quite a few benefits to be had from taking part in Taekwondo, and listed here are just some that may be interesting for you: Help with self-defence strategies by coaching you to identify situations where self-defence could be necessary, and enabling you to manipulate these kinds of scenarios in your favour, Improve feelings of self-esteem by sharpening both mental and physical fitness, Toughen up your mind and body by way of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Supercharge flexibility, stamina and agility by means of intensive cardiovascular exertion, Greater discipline by comprehensively schooling your body and mind in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Beef up confidence by inspiring you to take control of your life and succeed, Reduced stress using advanced breath control.

Competitions and Tournaments

A regular Taekwondo tournament incorporates breaking, sparring and patterns, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. Having said that there can also be some unique categories in certain tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. World Taekwondo tournaments are solely soft-contact events, whilst ITF competitions allow some hand attacks towards the head. There are also several multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Forms

Taekwondo forms (also known as patterns or Poomse) are distinguished by specified activities like direction, stance and technique. From the outset you will learn some of the basic forms, and in order to progress through the various rankings (belts) you'll need to master some more complicated ones.

Taekwondo for Beginners

It does not matter who you are or what you're capable of in the world of Taekwondo, at one time you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing practically nothing. We've all started like this and are only able to learn and improve with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Bonnyrigg are the right place get started on that learning process and to acquire the fundamentals so you can build confidence and proceed with your exciting Taekwondo quest. Most beginner classes are created to be fun and friendly, offering a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and building a solid foundation for the future.

Safety Equipment

In all tournaments, events and contests being staged under the control of British Taekwondo, safety equipment such as a groin protector, hand guards, red/blue body armour (hogu), forearm protectors, a red or blue head guard, shin protectors and a gum shield is obligatory. The fast kicking movements used in Taekwondo could cause injuries and this helps make this sport safer for its competitors.