Taekwondo Clevedon

If you asked people in Clevedon what their thoughts were on Taekwondo, nearly all would say it is a pursuit for young children. There's no doubt that the younger and fitter generation are more equipped to cope with the physical demands of this high energy sport, but this isn't to say that people of any age can't participate. You do however need to be fairly agile to fully enjoy all the ins and outs of Taekwondo.

The sport was developed in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. This mixture of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some innovative new schools in Seoul called "kwans", set up by a group of Korean martial artists. In Taekwondo the main focus is on kicking, especially rapid kicking techniques, head kicks and turning/jumping kicks. Nowadays Clevedon Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

With more than sixty million people participating in Taekwondo sessions all around the globe, this has certainly become an extremely popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really good at the martial art you might even one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Clevedon. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

These self-defence techniques may at some point come in useful in your day to day life, though it is much more likely you'll only be using them within a regulated class environment. Nevertheless it's a reassuring feeling knowing that you will always be able to successfully defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you've ever had a go at before, you'll probably be curious about what you should expect from your very first class should you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Clevedon have varying ideas about this but roughly; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you will do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms, you will practice sparring methods and finally you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once again.

The United Kingdom's governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Clevedon, you'll also be required to become a member of this respected organization. By heading to British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to obtain details on launching a new club, first aid, health and safety, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, news, members and clubs, events, referees and coaching, and lots more Taekwondo related issues.

The Eight Basic Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is famous for its powerful kicks, listed here are the basic ones: Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Push Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are known as Makgi. Held in specific positions, they engage the hands and areas of the arm. Certain attacks require particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be changed into counter-attacks by the combination of retaliatory punches or kicks. The most used blocks used in Taekwondo include: Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Rising Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In terms of ranking, promotion and belts there's not actually any standardisation in Taekwondo, because there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own specific system. There are however analogies and they normally consist of two groups of belts "seniors" and "juniors" symbolized by black and coloured belts respectively, . The senior grades generally have nine grades and the junior, between 8 and 12 ranks.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It matters not who you are or what you're ranking is in Taekwondo, at one stage you were a total novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started like this and are only able to learn and improve through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Clevedon are the right place get started on that learning journey and to acquire the basics so that you can gain confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo adventure. Almost all beginner classes are set up to be fun and friendly, offering a slow introduction to the basic Taekwondo values and developing a solid foundation moving forward.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Matches regulated by British Taekwondo policies require various items of protective equipment to be used, these include: hand protectors, a red/blue head guard, a groin protector, a mouth protector, shin guards, forearm protectors and blue or red body armour. This is important due to the potent kicking actions being practiced.

In Summary

We can pretty much guarantee that if you participate in Taekwondo you'll improve your fitness, gain self-confidence and make more friends. If that is all you get out of it, then that is amazing, you can call it an achievement! We're not all striving to be Jade Jones's or Lutalo Muhammad's, but those of you that are, have to start with that first step. Good luck with your adventure! 👊