Taekwondo Bradford

It should be asserted that Taekwondo can be fairly challenging physically, which can unnerve the less agile and more elderly people in Bradford from taking this up. To be honest, the most common participants of Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but obviously older people who are in decent physical condition can easily participate and benefit from this sport.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in about 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics set up some new schools which they called "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. The main focus of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially head kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and rapid kicking methods, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, roughly meaning "the way of the foot and fist". Now Bradford Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Bradford and around the globe, with over sixty million participants worldwide. Registering with a local Bradford Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved in this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Though you may not have any ambitions to take part in Olympic competition, there is no reason why you should not become a maestro of this challenging martial art and have some fun in the process.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and doubtless this is one of the principal reasons that people in Bradford join classes and get involved in the sport. There's been a disconcerting escalation of violent practices in recent years and this is especially common in town and city centres throughout West Yorkshire and the British Isles as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such widespread attributes in Bradford nowadays.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never need to be tested outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you have never tried Taekwondo previously, you may be a little anxious as to what can be expected on your first class. This may vary from school to school but will normally consist of some or all of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase your heart rate, a little practical training involving learning some hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances, learning some Poomse (forms), an overview of sparring including timing, attack timing and movement, and lastly a warm down to stretch and relax weary muscles.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organization is mandatory if you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Bradford or nearby. You will be able to find out about equality and safeguarding, first aid, establishing a new club, coaching courses, news, members and clubs, safe practices, events, coaches and referees, and more on British Taekwondo's official website, and find out the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a lot of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and here are just a few which could be tempting for you: Learn self-defence tactics by showing you how to identify instances where self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to control these kinds of scenarios in your favour, Increase your self-esteem by elevating both mental and physical health, More self-discipline by thoroughly schooling your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Empower your body and mind thru enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Lower anxiety and stress using advanced breath control, Augment stamina, flexibility and agility by means of intense cardiovascular effort, Boost your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life.

The Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a key role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a small selection of the more basic ones: Hook or Whip Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the various kicks and hand attacks there are an equally diverse array of blocks (Makgi). Held in specific positions, they engage the hands and sections of the arm. Each form of attack calls for a particular type of block, counter-attacks can be created by combining a block with another kick or punch. The key blocks (makgi) include: Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts

With regards to ranking, belts and promotion there's not actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, since there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique arrangement. There are however analogies and they generally consist of a couple of groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively, . The senior rankings typically have 9 levels and the junior, 8 to 12 ranks.

Tournaments and Competitions

Competitions are a significant aspect of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the various styles around the world hold contests where Taekwondo exponents get together to compete. Hard contact is rarely permitted in any of these competitive events which primarily comprise sparring, breaking and patterns. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are permitted in ITF events.

Beginners Classes

Learners starting out on their Taekwondo experience in Bradford will first of all enroll in a beginners class. Beginners classes are great, because there are no strict demands and things are carried out at a slow and casual pace. Having fun whilst learning is the main objective initially and students who are having fun have a tendency to learn a lot faster and absorb considerably more of what they are being told. Even Taekwondo masters began as naive newbies, so take that initial step and who knows where you'll wind up!