Taekwondo Oswestry

When talking about Taekwondo, most people in Oswestry consider that this is a pursuit for young kids. Whilst the physical demands of Taekwondo perhaps make it more suited to the younger generation, it can certainly be practiced by people of every age group. You do however need to be fairly agile and fit to fully enjoy all the ins and outs of Taekwondo.

The sport was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not named Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some exciting new schools called "kwans", incorporating various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially rapid kicking strategies, spinning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, roughly meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Today Oswestry Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

With over 60 million people taking part in Taekwondo instruction all around the globe, this has certainly become an extremely popular activity, and if you become really good at this martial art you may even one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

In these modern times of ever-increasing violence, it is hardly surprising that folks in locations like Oswestry are signing up for self-defence techniques such as Taekwondo to help them feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. 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 lacking in this modern age.

Whilst it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are you'll never have to test them outside the regulated setting of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you make your mind up to register for Taekwondo training in Oswestry, the first thing you will be thinking about is what will occur on the very first class and what exactly will the instructor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Oswestry area will compile diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can count on doing a 20 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood coursing, learn some basic Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (hand attacks, stances, kicks and blocking techniques), do some sparring, and last of all, warm-down.

Taekwondo of course also has its own regulating body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Every person wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Oswestry must become members of this organisation. You can read about referees and coaching, news, events, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, clubs and members, health and safety, first aid, beginning a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, or find the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a selection of the best known kicks: Push Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Roundhouse Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to defend against the various attacks, are known as Makgi. They are held in various positions and use the hands with sections of the arm. Each type of attack calls for a particular type of block, counter-attacking moves can be created by combining a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The main blocks (makgi) include: Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Beginners in Taekwondo don't have to stress too much about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, but they will learn some standard ones for starters and move forward to more elaborate forms as they progress up the belts (dans/grades). A "form" is denoted by particular elements of Taekwondo including direction, stance and technique. Getting to grips with such sequences is a crucial part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The belt and ranking system can get quite confusing in Taekwondo since there's no recognised structure throughout the different Taekwondo styles. Parallels do exist however, and typically there are 2 separate belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of rankings in the junior section varies across the disciplines but is generally between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's groupings generally has nine belts or dans.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Tournaments are a significant aspect of the Taekwondo experience, and all of the different styles across the world hold tournaments where Taekwondo exponents band together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these tournaments which primarily incorporate sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and WT tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are tolerated in ITF events.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Tournaments controlled by British Taekwondo rules demand that specific pieces of protective gear be worn, these include: a mouth guard, hand protectors, forearm protectors, a groin guard, a red/blue head guard, a blue or red body guard (hogu) and shin pads. This is necessary on account of the formidable kicking attacks being employed.

In Conclusion

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