Taekwondo Ashford

It's got to be asserted that Taekwondo can be quite challenging physically, which can intimidate the older and less nimble people in Ashford from getting involved. To be truthful, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are kids and the younger generation, but certainly older individuals who're in decent physical health can easily get involved and benefit from this activity.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some new schools which they called "kwans", incorporating various martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, largely entails high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly spinning/jumping kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking styles.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million enthusiasts all around the world, and while you might not have any ambitions to be an Olympic Games athlete, you are still able to register for a Taekwondo class or club to master what will undoubtedly prove to be a rewarding and intriguing pastime.

For a lot of folks in Ashford, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it is no surprise that this aspect sits high up on people's priority lists. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you're able to gain more confidence in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect other people and practice self-restraint.

Whilst it will give you peace of mind being aware that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is that you will never be required to test them outside the monitored atmosphere of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

If you have booked your first class but have never done Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Ashford follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce stiffness in the muscles, a bit of technical training comprising some stances, blocking techniques, hand attacks and kicks, an introduction to some Poomse (or forms), a look at sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

The official body governing Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Ashford must also register with British Taekwondo. You will be able to get loads of info on launching a new Taekwondo club, clubs and members, health and safety, events, first aid, news, safeguarding and equality, coaches and referees, coaching courses, and more, by checking out British Taekwondo's official website.

Taekwondo Forms

Mastering Tae kwon do necessitates learning many techniques and one of the pivotal parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as patterns or Poomse). These are sequences of technique, stance and direction which need to be memorized in order for students to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Competitions

Taekwondo competitions and tournaments are held internationally in all of the diverse styles. There's usually not a whole lot of hard contact but breaking, sparring and patterns. Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments comprise only sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) contests specified hand attacks are allowed to the head. Various other organisations stage multi-discipline tournaments.