Taekwondo Bury St Edmunds

Taekwondo can be quite physically demanding, which means it may be considered more appropriate for the younger rather than the older generation in Bury St Edmunds. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially good for children. It can sometimes be too tough for seniors unless they are exceptionally active and fit. However those in Bury St Edmunds who take up Taekwondo at an early age, will find that continuing into older adulthood isn't a problem. Tai Chi or something similarly less strenuous might be more suited to the less nimble of you.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently created of the martial arts and involves mainly kicking movements such as head kicks, rapid kicking methods and jumping/spinning kicks. It began when schools called "kwans" were set up by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

With more than sixty million fitness enthusiasts taking part in Taekwondo classes all over the world, this has definitely become an extremely popular activity, and if you really master the martial art you might possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been an integral part since the 2000 Sydney Games.

For many people in Bury St Edmunds, it is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. This is not a surprise when you take into account the ever rising levels of violence seen in city centres nowadays. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with Taekwondo's self-defence principles.

There's a pretty decent likelihood that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will unquestionably give you self-confidence knowing that they're there should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first lesson, you will be wondering what will happen. This could vary from class to class but will generally entail all or most of the following. A warm up of 15-20 minutes to increase heart rate and loosen the muscles, a little technical training which will involve learning some blocking techniques, hand attacks, stances and kicks, an introduction to forms or patterns, a look at sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and to finish off a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent spasms and cramping.

Taekwondo also of course has its own official governing body, and in the British Isles it is British Taekwondo. Anybody wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Bury St Edmunds has to become a registered member of this organisation. You can get loads of info regarding coaches and competition referees, news, equality and safeguarding, safe practices, coaching courses, first aid, events, members and clubs, starting a new Taekwondo club, and more, by dropping by at the British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are categorized by specific aspects such as technique, direction and stance. From the start of your Taekwondo adventure you'll get to grips with a few of the important forms, and so as to progress through the rankings (belts) you will have to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt system can get pretty bewildering in Taekwondo since there isn't any standard system across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found though, and usually there are two distinct belt groups, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (colours). The number of rankings in the junior group varies across the disciplines but is commonly somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior's groupings generally has nine dans or belts.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Tournaments are an important element of the overall Taekwondo legacy, and all the diverse styles across the globe stage competitions and tournaments where Taekwondo exponents get together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitive events which mostly comprise sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Students setting out on their Taekwondo experience in Bury St Edmunds will at first register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are great, because there is not any pressure and everything is carried out at a casual, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the key goals in the early stages and trainees who are having a great time tend to learn much quicker and absorb significantly more of what they are being shown. Even Taekwondo masters started off as naive newbies, so take that very first step and you never know where you'll wind up!

Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about National Championships and Olympic medals. Most of us are happy to meet different people, make new friends and improve our levels of fitness, and that's how it should be. However, as with many matters in life, what you get out of it will be determined by what you invest in it. Good luck and enjoy! 👊