Taekwondo Wokingham

Taekwondo is typically far more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and nimble you might prefer to find something a bit gentler to boost your fitness levels in Wokingham. Children and younger people are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Wokingham, with lots of fast paced movements taking place and a great deal of high kicking.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. Some new schools called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, rapid kicking strategies and spinning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist".Today Wokingham Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular all over the world with some sixty million people routinely attending classes. And it is by joining a Taekwondo class or club that you are able to start your journey of learning this remarkable art.

For many folks in Wokingham, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it's little surprise that this aspect features high up on people's priority lists. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

There's a pretty good likelihood that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be used in the outside world, but it will undoubtedly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you need them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have never tried Taekwondo previously, you could be a bit anxious as to what to expect on your very first class. This varies from club to club but will normally involve all or some of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, a little practical training involving learning some stances, kicks, hand attacks and blocking techniques, discovering a few forms, an introduction to sparring including attack timing, timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax tired muscles.

Everybody who is a member of a Taekwondo class in Wokingham or anywhere else in the UK, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You can read about news, first aid, safeguarding and equality, health and safety, events, members and clubs, referees and coaching, launching a new club, coaching courses, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicks that you'll master to begin with include: Front Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the various attacking movements, are called Makgi. Engaging the hands and different areas of the arm, they're held in various positions. Specific attacks require particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking movements by the combination of retaliatory kicks or punches. The primary blocks (makgi) include: Palm Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Conclusion

What you get out of Taekwondo will be directly related to what you invest in it (as is the case with life in general). Most of you will only want to meet different people, improve your fitness levels and make new friends, some might want to take part in competitions or tournaments or perhaps even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.