Taekwondo Bournemouth

Images of young children doing energetic kicks and rapid punching manoeuvres, are what spring to mind at the mere mention of Taekwondo. Keeping up with the physical demands of the sport might be easier for the younger and fitter generation, but this doesn't mean that people of every age can participate in, and enjoy the many benefits of this activity. It should however be said that if you are relatively fit and agile you'll definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

With its origins in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently created of the martial arts and consists of mostly high-kicking moves such as spinning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking techniques and head kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were established by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

With over 60 million practitioners worldwide and quite a few in Bournemouth, Taekwondo has become very popular. Joining a local Bournemouth Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While reaching Olympic standard may be aiming a bit high, there is no reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the principal reasons that folks in Bournemouth get involved in classes and take up the sport. There has been a disconcerting escalation of violent behaviour over the last few years and this is particularly prevalent in town and city centres throughout Dorset and Great Britain in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and respect for others, not such familiar qualities in Bournemouth nowadays.

Although it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the likelihood is that you'll never be required to use them outside the controlled environment of an organized Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have decided to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you'll be wondering what will happen. The following will give you an example, but this could vary subject to which Bournemouth school you have signed up for. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen your muscles, a little technical training comprising some hand attacks, kicks, blocking techniques and stances, a look at some Poomse (or forms), a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and to finish off a warm down to stretch tired muscles and relax.

Everyone who's a member of a Taekwondo class in Bournemouth or any place else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the regulating body of the sport. By going to British Taekwondo's official website you can discover info on events, clubs and members, first aid, coaching courses, starting a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, news, safeguarding and equality, coaches and referees, and a lot more Taekwondo related issues.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are of course, many benefits to be had from practicing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few that could be appealing to you: Increase self-esteem and concentration by maximizing both mental and physical powers, Build confidence by encouraging you to seize control of your life and succeed, Strengthen your body and mind by accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, More discipline by exhaustively schooling your mind and body in the techniques and concepts of Taekwondo, Supercharge agility, flexibility and stamina by means of extreme cardiovascular effort, Teach self-defence by showing you how to realize scenarios in which self-defence may be needed, and empowering you to manipulate these kinds of situations in your favour, Reduce anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, listed here is a small selection of the essential kicks: Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the various attacks, are known as Makgi. Engaging the hand and areas of the arm, they're held in specific positions. Each and every "block" can be coupled with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attack, and each is meant for a certain type of attack. The key Taekwondo "blocks" include: Single Forearm Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are essential if you are going to master this captivating activity. A few basic Taekwondo forms need to be learned from the outset and more advanced forms have to be mastered so as to advance through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is characterized by various factors such as technique, stance and direction.

Taekwondo Belts

In Taekwondo there is really no form of standardisation with regards to grades and belts. It all hinges on what style you're considering, as there are so many different Taekwondo rules and styles. However, they're generally separated into two groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with anything from 8 to 12 levels, whilst the black/senior belts usually have 9 rankings.

Taekwondo for Beginners

As with any activity or sport we need to begin somewhere, and Taekwondo is no exception. Even the uppermost Bournemouth Taekwondo exponents were total newbies at one time. So, what can you expect as a complete novice at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their students ample coaching to teach them the basics and enable them to gain self-confidence as they move forward. A perfect beginners class must be enjoyable as well as educational, when folks are enjoying themselves they're much more engrossed and are going to learn faster.

Final Thoughts

So, what are you hoping to get from Taekwondo? Well, that is a good question, and the answer will vary for different people. The majority of participants will simply wish to gain more confidence, improve their levels of fitness and meet new people. We're certainly not all going to scale the dizzy heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although perhaps you will, you never know? 👊