Taekwondo Bloxwich

As Taekwondo has quite high physical demands, it is perhaps more suited to the younger people of Bloxwich. That's not to say that elderly people cannot be involved in this kind of activity, but merely that there could be alternative martial arts which are more suitable for the less nimble of us. Tai Chi is a perfect illustration.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul established some schools known as "kwans", incorporating a variety of martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, mostly consists of high-kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head-height kicks.

Taekwondo has grown to be really popular in Bloxwich and all over the world, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Signing up for a local Bloxwich Taekwondo class or club is a good way to become involved in this sport which has even been included in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you might not have any dreams to take part in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you should not become a maestro of this thrilling martial art and have some fun along the way.

The thing about Taekwondo that appears to most appeal to people in Bloxwich is the self-defence aspect of it. And its not a surprise that this features highly on people's list of priorities when you take into account the rising incidence of violence seen nowadays in city and town centres throughout the UK. Learning to properly defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be tried and tested outside of an actual Taekwondo class, however knowing that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Class

If you have never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your first lesson. There may be variations to the following, depending on which Bloxwich Taekwondo school you attend, but you can roughly expect; A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen muscles and increase heart rate, some technical training including learning some blocks, hand attacks, kicks and stances, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), a few tips on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

Taekwondo also of course has its own governing body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Everybody wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Bloxwich have to become members of this organisation. You can find lots of info on equality and safeguarding, events, news, referees and coaching, launching a new Taekwondo club, first aid, members and clubs, coaching courses, health and safety, and more, by heading to the official British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

You will probably be intrigued to discover exactly what type of benefits could be obtained by attending Bloxwich Taekwondo instruction and partaking fully in its activities. You may expect that you will: Reduced anxiety with controlled breathing, Increase self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental powers, Increase flexibility, stamina and agility by way of intense cardiovascular exertion, Toughen up your mind and body through accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Build up confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Develop discipline by methodically training your body and mind in the doctrines and techniques of Taekwondo, Help with self-defence strategies by training you to understand scenarios where self-defence may be necessary, and enabling you to turn these kinds of scenarios to your advantage.

The Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is well known for its powerful kicking movements, the following are the standard ones: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Blocks: To divert and stop an inbound attack, blocks (known as Makgi) are employed. They're held in particular positions and use the hand with areas of the arm. Each block can be coordinated with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking move, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The most used blocks in Taekwondo include: Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Single Forearm Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Competitions

Tournaments are an important element of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the diverse styles across the globe stage competitions where Taekwondo exponents come together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever permitted in any of these competitive events which primarily incorporate breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, while some hand attacks are permitted in International Taekwon-Do Federation events.