Taekwondo Bootle

Owing to its rather more physical attributes, Taekwondo is maybe more suitable for the younger generation in Bootle and is particularly suited to kids as it's excellent for developing self-discipline and respect for other people. More elderly people could find it a bit too strenuous unless they are especially fit and active. However, those who persue Taekwondo in Bootle at a young age will discover that they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less nimble of you could think about something gentler like Tai Chi.

Based mainly around high-kicking manoeuvres like jumping/spinning kicks, rapid kicking methods and head kicks, Taekwondo was developed from the techniques of different martial arts, by a group of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" during the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" were given the names Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Songmu Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Bootle and all across the globe, with over 60 million participants worldwide. Signing up for a local Bootle Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to get involved in this sport which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become a maestro of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

People in Bootle take up Taekwondo for many reasons but it is the self-defence aspect that appeals to most. This is not hard to believe when you take into account the high levels of violence experienced in town and city centres on a daily basis. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

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

Your First Lesson

If you have never had a go at Taekwondo before, you might be a little anxious as to what can be expected on your very first lesson. This will be different from club to club but will normally comprise some or all of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training involving learning some hand attacks, stances, blocking techniques and kicks, studying some forms, a quick introduction to sparring including attack timing, timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

Everybody who's a member of a Taekwondo club in Bootle or any place else in the United Kingdom, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official governing body of the sport. You will be able to find loads of details of clubs and members, coaching courses, beginning a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, news, referees and coaching, safe practices, events, first aid, and more, by going to British Taekwondo's website.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

The benefits that can be achieved by taking part in Taekwondo sessions in Bootle are numerous, amongst the most significant are: Teach you self-defence by coaching you to understand scenarios in which self-defence might be necessary, and enabling you to manipulate these scenarios to your advantage, Reduce stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, Increase feelings of self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental health, Empower your body and mind by accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Greater discipline and willpower by methodically training your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Improve stamina, flexibility and agility by means of strenuous cardiovascular work-outs, Grow in confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicking movements that you'll master initially include: Front Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are called Makgi. Held in specific positions, they employ the hands and parts of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacks by combining retaliatory kicks or punches. The main blocks (makgi) include: Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Folks just starting out Taekwondo don't need to worry excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, but they will have to get to grips with some important ones to start with and progress to more difficult "forms" as they move through the belts (dans/grades). A form is indicated by specific areas of Taekwondo including direction, stance and technique. Learning such techniques is a vital part of mastering Taekwondo.

Competitions and Tournaments

There are an array of contests in Taekwondo associated with all the diverse styles. They primarily involve patterns (forms), breaking and sparring with not much hard contact. ITF tournaments do not allow disproportionate contact but may permit hand attacks towards the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style tournaments are also held.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety equipment such as a mouth guard, a red or blue head guard, hand protectors, forearm guards, a groin protector, shin protectors and blue/red trunk armour are worn in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is necessary because of the forceful kicks that are part and parcel of this sport.

Conclusion

Precisely what you acquire from Taekwondo will be directly related to what you put into it (as applies with life in general). Many of you will purely want to improve your fitness levels, make new friends and meet different people, some may aspire to take part in competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympics. But bear in mind, we can't all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.