Taekwondo Worcester

It's got to be said that Taekwondo can be pretty demanding physically, which can put off the older and less agile people in Worcester from taking this up. To be completely fair, the most frequent people participating in Taekwondo classes are children and younger people, but unquestionably older people who're in decent physical health can easily get involved and benefit from this activity.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, in particular rapid kicking styles, jumping/spinning kicks and head-height kicks are the primary emphasis of Taekwondo, as it ultimately became known. These days Worcester Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners globally, now exceeds 60 million. Ever since the Sydney Games (2000) Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport and if you want to have a go, heading along to a local Worcester Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved. There isn't any reason why you can't reach a high standard in this exciting sport, even if you don't have any desire to take part in the Olympics.

For many people in Worcester, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that is the most interesting. And its not a surprise that this features highly on people's list of priorities when you take into account the ever increasing levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throughout the United Kingdom. The ability to defend yourself while still respecting others and exercising self-restraint is one of the key principles of Taekwondo.

Such self-defence techniques may in due course prove useful in the outside world, although it is far more likely that you'll solely be putting them to the test within a supervised class environment. However it is a wonderful feeling knowing the fact that you'll always be in a position to defend yourself when you need to.

Your First Taekwondo 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. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which Worcester school you attend. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little technical training covering some kicks, stances, blocks and hand attacks, an introduction to forms or patterns, a look at sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

Everybody who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Worcester or any place else in Great Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. You can get plenty of information regarding launching a new club, coaching courses, first aid, events, safe practices, coaches and competition referees, safeguarding and equality, news, clubs and members, and more, by popping along to the British Taekwondo website.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When registering for Taekwondo classes in Worcester you will be looking to get some benefits to make the whole adventure worthwhile. And so let's examine some of the many positive benefits that you might gain through doing and learning Taekwondo. Improve concentration and self-esteem by sharpening your mental and physical powers, Empower your mind and body by accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Learn self-defence by helping you recognise occasions where self-defence could be necessary, and allowing you to turn these types of situations to your advantage, Build up your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Augment flexibility, agility and stamina through extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Lessen stress with controlled breathing, More discipline and willpower by exhaustively training your body and mind in the strategies and doctrines of Taekwondo.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a significant role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a selection of the best known ones ones: Side Kick, Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to repulse the different attacks, are known as Makgi. They are held in specific positions and use the hand with different areas of the arm. Each kind of attack necessitates a particular sort of block, counter-attacks can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The most important blocks include: Palm Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Perfecting the art of Taekwondo will involve learning a number of techniques and disciplines and one of the key aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of direction, stance and technique which need to be memorized in order for pupils to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts

Because there are many different types of Taekwondo there's never been any standardized system for assigning belts (levels). What exists is however pretty similar and involves two belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is divided into grades, eight to twelve colours in the case of juniors and 9 "blacks" for seniors.

Competitions and Tournaments

There are an array of contests in Taekwondo associated with all the various styles. They mainly include patterns, breaking and sparring with little or no hard contact. ITF tournaments do not permit substantial contact but may permit hand attacks aimed at the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic contests allow only sparring. Multi-style contests are also held.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It does not matter what you're ranking is or who you are in Taekwondo, at some point you were a complete novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We have all started out at that point and can only develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Worcester are the right place to start that learning process and to acquire the basics so you can build self-confidence and proceed with your exciting Taekwondo adventure. Most beginner classes are geared up to be friendly and fun, offering a gradual introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and developing a solid base for the future.

Final Thoughts

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't solely about Olympic titles and National Championships. Most of us are happy to make new friends, improve our fitness and meet different people, and that's how it should be. Yet, as with most things in life, what you get from it will be determined by what you put into it. Enjoy! 👊