Taekwondo Solihull

Taekwondo is typically far more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and nimble you may prefer to find something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness in Solihull. Younger children are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Solihull, with a lot of fast movements taking place and a great deal of high kicking.

The discipline was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics, combining a number of various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially spinning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking techniques and head-height kicks.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Solihull and with over 60 million others worldwide. Joining a local Taekwondo club or class in Solihull is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. While reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there is no reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

For many people in Solihull, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it really is no surprise that this aspect sits high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect others and practice self-restraint.

These self-defence techniques may at some time come in useful in the outside world, though it is much more likely that you will only be using them within a controlled class environment. Nevertheless it's a nice feeling knowing the fact that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself when you need to.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've never had a go at Taekwondo previously, you might be a bit concerned as to what you can expect on your very first class. This may vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of practical training involving learning some stances, blocks, hand attacks and kicks, discovering a few forms (or Poomse), an introduction to sparring including movement, the timing of attacks and timing, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

The body regulating Taekwondo in Great Britain is British Taekwondo and any person wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Solihull has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can find a lot of facts about members and clubs, coaches and referees, events, first aid, coaching courses, news, safe practices, starting a new club, safeguarding and equality, and more, by checking out British Taekwondo's website.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

There are of course, a number of benefits to be gained from participating in Taekwondo, and listed here are just a few which may be attractive to you: Increase feelings of self-esteem by intensifying your mental and physical health, Develop discipline and willpower by comprehensively training your mind and body in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Reduced stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Teach self-defence strategies by helping you to identify scenarios in which self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these types of situations to your advantage, Grow in confidence by pushing you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Empower your body and mind through enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Improve flexibility, stamina and agility through strenuous cardiovascular effort.

Tournaments and Competitions

A standard Taekwondo tournament includes patterns (forms), breaking and sparring, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. Having said that there may also be a few unique events in particular tournaments such as team demonstrations and self-defence. WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments are purely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions permit some hand attacks aimed at the head. There are in addition several multi-discipline contests.

Beginners Taekwondo Solihull

Even the finest exponents of Taekwondo in Solihull set out as rookies, so there's no disgrace in being a total beginner at Tae kwon do, or any other activity for that matter. The objective of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach a few basics, increase confidence and build a solid base moving forward. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be fun, students having fun are going to learn faster and be more invested.

Safety Gear

Competitions controlled by British Taekwondo guidelines demand that specific items of protective gear be used, these include things like: a gum shield, a blue or red head protector, hand guards, blue or red trunk armour, forearm guards, shin guards and a groin protector. This is a must on account of the formidable kicking actions being employed.