Taekwondo Salisbury

While people of every age group in Salisbury can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is especially suited to the younger generation as it can be rather physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. It can sometimes be too taxing for seniors except when they are exceptionally active and fit. Quite a few of the older adults who do Taekwondo in Salisbury, started when they were younger. The less agile of you might find that Tai Chi which is a bit less demanding, is more to your liking.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some schools known as "kwans", incorporating a variety of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly consists of kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking styles, turning/jumping kicks and head kicks.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Salisbury and around the globe, with over sixty million practitioners worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Salisbury Taekwondo class or club is a great way to become involved with this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not have any ambitions to take part in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you shouldn't become a master of this remarkable martial art and have some fun along the way.

In these days of increasing violence, it's no surprise that individuals in areas like Salisbury are taking up self-defence training such as Taekwondo to help them to feel safer and more secure in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for those around us, which are qualities that are frequently absent in 21st century living.

While its good to know they are there if you need them, with any luck you will never be required to use your newly perfected Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club environment.

What to Expect From Your First Class

For those of you who have never done Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first lesson. This will vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce stiffness in the muscles, some technical training covering some kicks, blocks, hand attacks and stances, an introduction to some forms, a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the United Kingdom is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Salisbury must also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can learn about clubs and members, equality and safeguarding, events, news, first aid, coaching courses, health and safety, starting a new club, coaches and tournament referees, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and find out the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a number of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few which might be appealing to you: Better discipline by comprehensively training your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Reduce anxiety using advanced breath control, Increase flexibility, stamina and agility through strenuous cardiovascular effort, Toughen up your body and mind through accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Enhance self-esteem by intensifying your physical and mental powers, Grow in your confidence by helping you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Help with self-defence techniques by showing you how to understand situations where self-defence could be required, and enabling you to control these circumstances to your advantage.

Taekwondo Kicks

There are loads of different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a few of them: Roundhouse Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick. Blocks: To defend against the many hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse range of "blocks". Held in particular positions, they use the hand and sections of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be transformed into counter-attacking movements by the combination of reciprocal punches or kicks. The most important blocks (makgi) include: Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Forms are a key element of Taekwondo and are important if you are to master this captivating sporting activity. Some basic forms must be learned at the beginning and more advanced forms have to be perfected so as to advance through the various belts. A Taekwondo form is characterized by various facets such as technique, stance and direction.