Taekwondo Bishops Stortford

Taekwondo is an ideal sport for children in Bishops Stortford, because it teaches self-discipline and a respect for others. Its more physical aspects make it more suited to younger people. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and active. However those in Bishops Stortford who take up Taekwondo at a young age, will find that carrying it on into older adulthood is not a problem. If you are less agile you could always try something a bit softer such as Tai Chi or Yoga.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking styles, head-height kicks and turning/jumping kicks.Today Bishops Stortford Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, and whilst you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you're still able to register for a Taekwondo club or class to master what will no doubt turn out to be a fascinating and fulfilling pastime.

For many people in Bishops Stortford, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

These self-defence techniques may sooner or later prove to be useful in your everyday life, though it is much more likely you'll only be putting them to the test within a controlled class environment. Yet it is an amazing feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself if you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have never tried Taekwondo before you may be a little apprehensive as to what to expect on your first class. There may be variations to the following, subject to which Bishops Stortford Taekwondo school you go to, but you can pretty much expect; A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase heart rate and loosen stiff muscles, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, hand attacks, stances and blocking techniques, some work on forms or patterns (Poomse in Korean), some ideas on sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and to round off a warm down to loosen up and stretch muscles.

The body governing Taekwondo in Great Britain is British Taekwondo and anybody wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Bishops Stortford must also become a member of British Taekwondo. By exploring British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to find information about equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, coaches and referees, first aid, events, coaching courses, health and safety, establishing a new Taekwondo club, news, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Novices just starting out Taekwondo don't need to worry too much about forms (patterns, Poomse) at the outset, however they will have to learn some standard ones to begin with and move forward to more challenging forms as they progress up the various belts (dans/grades). A "form" is signified by particular elements of Taekwondo including stance, direction and technique. Learning such techniques is a crucial part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

With there being many different types of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform arrangement for allocating belts (levels). What does exist however is fairly similar and is made up of two belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is split into levels, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and 9 for seniors.

Beginners Classes

As with any sport or activity we have to begin someplace, and Taekwondo's not any different. Even the finest Bishops Stortford Taekwondo exponents were complete novices at one time. So, what can you expect as a total novice at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their students enough instruction to give them the basics and enable them to gain confidence as they progress. A perfect beginners class ought to be enjoyable as well as instructional, when students are having fun they are much more engaged and are going to learn faster.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo rules demand that certain pieces of protective equipment be used, these include: a blue/red head guard, a groin protector, hand guards, a red/blue body protector (hogu), forearm guards, a gum shield and shin protectors. This is necessary on account of the powerful kicking attacks being employed.

In Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we wouldn't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't purely about National Championships and Olympic titles. Most of us are happy to make new friends, meet different people and improve our fitness levels, and that is exactly how it ought to be. However, as with most things in life, what you get out of it will be determined by what you put into it. Good luck and enjoy!