Taekwondo Chelmsford

While not wanting to discourage any particular age group, it should be said that Taekwondo is more suitable for younger people in Chelmsford, being quite physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. It could prove too tough for some seniors, but shouldn't be an issue for those who are already fit and active. Continuing their Taekwondo adventure through into older adulthood should not however be difficult for those who begin when they're younger. If you are less nimble you could always try something a bit softer such as Tai Chi or Yoga.

With its root beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently created of the martial arts and entails mostly kicking moves such as jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking styles and head kicks. It started when schools called "kwans" were set up by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

The number of Taekwondo students worldwide, now exceeds sixty million. This sport has even featured in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you would like to get involved, joining a local Chelmsford Taekwondo class or club is a great place to start. Whilst reaching Olympic standard may be beyond your capabilities, there isn't any reason why you cannot become a Taekwondo master.

For many folks in Chelmsford, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these times of increasing violence, especially in town and city centres, it really is no surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect other people and practice self-restraint.

There's a pretty good chance that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be tested in the outside world, but it will undoubtedly give you reassurance knowing that they're there should you need them.

Your First Chelmsford Taekwondo Lesson

For those of you who've never tried Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know just what to expect from your first class. This can vary depending on which Chelmsford school you go to, but will typically include the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to loosen the muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of technical training comprising some kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocking techniques, learning some Poomse (or forms), some ideas on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and to finish off a warm down with muscle stretching and loosening up.

The United Kingdom's regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you would like to join a Taekwondo club in Chelmsford, you'll also be required to register with this respected organization. You can get plenty of information about referees and coaching, establishing a new club, news, events, first aid, safe practices, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, and more, by heading to the official British Taekwondo website.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is recognized for its powerful kicks, here are the important ones: Hook or Whip Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are implemented. They're held in specific positions and enlist the hands with sections of the arm. Certain attacks call for specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be transformed into counter-attacking movements by combining retaliatory punches or kicks. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Nine Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as patterns or Poomse) are distinguished by specified elements such as technique, stance and direction. From the beginning you'll learn a few of the important forms, and so as to progress through the various grades (belts) you'll need to master some more technical ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In terms of ranking, belts and promotion there isn't actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, as there are a number of styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own system in place. There are however parallels and they typically comprise 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively, . The senior ranks usually have nine tiers and the junior, 8 to 12 tiers.

Tournaments and Competitions

A standard Taekwondo competition features sparring, patterns and breaking, in the Olympics only sparring is involved. That said there can also be some extraordinary categories in particular competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT (World Taekwondo) competitions are strictly soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF contests permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition a few multi-discipline tournaments.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo rules require various pieces of protective gear to be worn, these include things like: hand guards, forearm protectors, shin pads, blue or red body armour, a blue or red head protector, a groin protector and a mouth protector. This is vital because of the vigorous kicking actions being practiced.

Summary

We can practically guarantee that if you take up Taekwondo you are going to improve your fitness, make more friends and gain more confidence. If that's all that you get out of it, then all well and good, you can call it a success! We're not all vying to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you who are, need to begin with the first step. Good luck with your quest!