Taekwondo Barnsley

Because of its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is possibly more suited to the younger person in Barnsley and is particularly suited to kids as it's fantastic for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults may find it somewhat too strenuous unless they are especially active and fit. Even so, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Barnsley from a young age will find they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less nimble of you could consider participating in something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some new schools known as "kwans", merging various martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, mostly involves high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly spinning/jumping kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking techniques.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Barnsley and all around the world, with over sixty million participants worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Barnsley Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to get involved in this sport which has even been a part of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you may not have any aspirations to take part in Olympic competition, there's no reason why you cannot become a master of this intriguing martial art and have some fun in the process.

For many people in Barnsley, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. This isn't hard to believe when you think about the elevated levels of violence experienced in town and city centres day after day. Actually one of the key principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst exercising self-restraint and a respect for others.

Such self-defence techniques may in due course prove useful in your day to day life, though it's more likely you'll solely be using them within a regulated class setting. However it's an amazing feeling knowing that you can always defend yourself if you have to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you'll be wondering what to expect. This can vary depending on which Barnsley school you attend, but will typically involve the following. A warm up of 15-20 minutes to increase your heart rate and loosen your muscles, a bit of technical training comprising some stances, hand attacks, blocking techniques and kicks, some work on patterns or forms, some tips on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and last but not least a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

Anybody wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Barnsley has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the regulating body of the sport in the UK. You can find out about referees and coaching, health and safety, coaching courses, first aid, equality and safeguarding, news, events, members and clubs, starting a new Taekwondo club, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that may be acquired by taking part in Taekwondo instruction in Barnsley are countless, amongst the most advantageous are: Increase stamina, flexibility and agility through intense cardiovascular work-outs, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by elevating your physical and mental fitness, Beef up your confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed, Greater self-discipline by extensively schooling your mind and body in the concepts and strategies of Taekwondo, Reduce anxiety using advanced breath control, Toughen up your mind and body thru accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Teach self-defence tactics by helping you to identify situations in which self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to control such scenarios in your favour.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is possibly best known for its spectacular kicking manoeuvres, listed here are some of the standard kicks you'll learn as a beginner: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To stop and defend against an inbound Taekwondo attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are employed. They're held in various positions and employ the hand with different areas of the arm. Each and every "block" can be coordinated with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each one is appropriate for a particular attack. The most important Taekwondo "blocks" include: Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Low Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Beginners in Taekwondo do not need to fret excessively about forms (Poomse, patterns) at the outset, but they will have to acquaint themselves with some important ones to begin with and advance to more complicated "forms" as they move through the various belts (grades/dans). A form is signified by specific areas of Taekwondo including direction, stance and technique. Getting to grips with such techniques is a crucial part of mastering Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear such as a mouth guard, shin protectors, a red or blue head protector, red/blue body armour, forearm protectors, a groin protector and hand guards are worn in all matches controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is paramount because of the potent kicking that's part and parcel of this activity.

Conclusion

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you put into it (as applies with life on the whole). The majority of you will just wish to make new friends, improve your fitness levels and meet different people, some may aspire to take part in competitions or tournaments or maybe even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊