Taekwondo Andover

It needs to be asserted that Taekwondo can be fairly demanding physically, which might unnerve the older and less nimble folks in Andover from getting involved. To be truthful, the most common participants of Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but of course older people who are in excellent physical condition can easily participate and get benefits from this activity.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and consists of primarily high-kicking movements such as turning/jumping kicks, fast kicking techniques and head-height kicks. It began when schools called "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo is popular with the people of Andover and with over 60 million others worldwide. Joining a local Taekwondo club or class in Andover is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. There is no reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you have no desire to compete in the Olympics.

For the men, women and children of Andover who want to learn a martial art, a big priority is the aspect of self-defence. Considering that this is an important concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the appeal of this specific sport. With the additional bonus of learning self-restraint and having a deep respect for other people, registering for a local Andover Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

These self-defence techniques may sooner or later prove useful in the outside world, though it's more likely that you'll only be testing them within a supervised class setting. However it's a wonderful feeling knowing the fact that you can always successfully defend yourself if you need to.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you come to a decision to register for a Taekwondo club in Andover, the very first thing you'll want to know is what will occur on the first lesson and what exactly will the tutor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in Andover will compile diverse routines for this first introductory lesson but you should be expecting to do a 20 minute warm-up to get the blood pumping and loosen your muscles, learn a couple of Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (stances, hand attacks, blocking techniques and kicks), do a small amount of sparring, and last of all, warm-down.

The governing official body for Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Andover has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. By visiting British Taekwondo's official website you can read details on first aid, events, news, safeguarding and equality, clubs and members, safe practices, starting a new club, coaching courses, referees and coaching, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also called patterns or Poomse) are characterised by specified elements like technique, stance and direction. From the outset you'll learn a few of the basic forms, and in order to move through the grades (belts) you'll need to master some more technical ones.

Competitions and Tournaments

A standard Taekwondo competition incorporates patterns, sparring and breaking, in the Olympics only sparring is included. That said there can also be some extraordinary events in particular competitions such as team demonstrations and self-defence. World Taekwondo competitions are solely soft-contact affairs, while International Taekwon-Do Federation contests allow some hand attacks towards the head. There are in addition several multi-discipline tournaments.

Beginners Taekwondo Andover

Even the best exponents of Taekwondo in Andover set out as rookies, therefore it's no disgrace to be a beginner at Tae kwon do, or for that matter any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach a few of the basics, raise confidence and develop a firm foundation moving forward. Most importantly of all is that it needs to be enjoyable, students having a great time will learn quicker and be better invested.