Taekwondo Chester

While not wanting to discourage any particular age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Chester, being quite physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. The less agile of you might find that Tai Chi which is a bit softer is more suitable.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, South-East Asia, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts and entails mostly high-kicking moves such as head-height kicks, fast kicking methods and jumping/turning kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Chester and around the globe, with over 60 million enthusiasts worldwide. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everybody, and signing up for a local Chester Taekwondo club or class is the most effective way to get yourself involved. Whilst the chances of you reaching Olympic standard are quite slim, there's no reason at all why you cannot master this exciting martial art.

While there is much to be gained by doing Taekwondo, it is the self-defence aspect that most Chester people are interested in. And in these days of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it is no surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point come in useful in your everyday life, although it's more likely you'll only be putting them to the test within a monitored class environment. Yet it is an amazing feeling knowing that you'll always be in a position to successfully defend yourself if you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you come to a decision to register for Taekwondo training in Chester, the first thing you'll wish to know is what will transpire on the very first class and what precisely will the trainer expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in Chester will develop diverse routines for this initial introductory lesson but you should be expecting to do a 15 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood pumping, learn a couple of forms (Poomse), go through some technical training (kicks, blocking techniques, hand attacks and stances), do a bit of sparring, and last of all, a warm-down.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organization is compulsory if you wish to join any Taekwondo club in Chester or nearby. You will be able to find plenty of info on coaches and competition referees, first aid, coaching courses, health and safety, news, launching a new Taekwondo club, members and clubs, equality and safeguarding, events, and more, by checking out the official British Taekwondo website.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

When you are signing up for Taekwondo classes in Chester you will be hoping to get a few benefits to make the whole project worth the effort. Therefore let's examine some of the many positive benefits that you might get by practicing and learning Taekwondo. Empower your body and mind by means of enhanced mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Improve flexibility, stamina and agility by means of intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Greater discipline and willpower by comprehensively schooling your body and mind in the techniques and concepts of Taekwondo, Lower anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Build your confidence by pushing you to take control of your life and succeed, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by heightening your mental and physical health, Teach you self-defence by helping you to recognize circumstances where self-defence might be required, and allowing you to manipulate such scenarios to your advantage.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is probably most recognized for its acrobatic kicks, here are some of the basic kicks you will learn as a beginner: Side Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick. Blocks: To repulse the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse array of "blocks". They're held in particular positions and employ the hand with areas of the arm. Each "block" can be coupled with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attack, and each one is suitable for a certain type of attack. The most used "blocks" include: Low Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Forms are a pivotal element of Taekwondo and are important if you're going to master this thrilling martial art. A few basic forms need to be learned at the start and more advanced forms have to be mastered in order to advance through the various belts. A Taekwondo form is distinguished by various factors such as stance, direction and technique.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

With there being various types of Taekwondo there has never really been any standardized system for assigning belts (grades). What does exist is however pretty similar and is made up of two belt groups "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each of these groupings is split into ranks, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and nine for the seniors.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Taekwondo competitions and tournaments are staged internationally in all the diverse styles. There is usually not a whole lot of hard contact but sparring, patterns and breaking. Olympic and WT competitions only consist of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions specific hand attacks are permitted to the head. Some other organizations hold multi-discipline competitions.