Taekwondo Deal

Taekwondo is generally a lot more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty agile and fit you might prefer to find something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness levels in Deal. Younger children are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Deal, with lots of fast movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. Some new schools called "kwans" were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics, combining a number of various martial arts techniques. This eventually became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially rapid kicking techniques, head-height kicks and turning/jumping kicks.

With over 60 million students all over the world and quite a few in Deal, Taekwondo has become extremely popular. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everybody, and heading along to your local Deal Taekwondo class or club is the most effective way to get yourself involved. There is no reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this exhilarating sport, even if you haven't any desire to take part in the Olympics.

In these times of ever-increasing violence, it's little surprise that people in locations like Deal are enrolling in self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to help them to feel safer in their everyday life. The self-defence aspect is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for others around us, which are qualities that are often missing in 21st century living.

Whilst it will instill you with self-confidence knowing that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the chances are that you will never need to test them outside of an actual Taekwondo class.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you've decided to learn Taekwondo and are preparing for your first lesson, you will be wondering what will happen. The following will give you a pretty good idea, but this will vary from school to school. Fifteen to twenty minutes of warm up exercises to increase heart rate and loosen stiff muscles, a bit of technical training comprising some hand attacks, stances, blocks and kicks, an introduction to forms or patterns, a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and finally a warm down with muscle stretching and relaxing to prevent cramping and spasms.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organisation is compulsory if you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Deal or nearby. You will be able to read about safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, clubs and members, coaching courses, first aid, events, news, starting a new club, safe practices, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and get the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, lots of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and the following are just a few that might be tempting for you: Lessen anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Teach you self-defence strategies by showing you how to recognize situations in which self-defence could be needed, and allowing you to turn such scenarios in your favour, Toughen up your mind and body by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Greater self-discipline by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the tactics and concepts of Taekwondo, Build your confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life, Increase stamina, flexibility and agility through intense cardiovascular exertion, Improve your self-esteem by raising both mental and physical powers.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicking manoeuvres you will learn initially include: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are called Makgi. They're held in particular positions and employ the hand with areas of the arm. Each block can be coupled with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking manoeuvre, and each "block" is appropriate for a particular attack. The key blocks include: Rising Block, Palm Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Upper Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In Taekwondo there is not really any kind of uniformity in relation to ranking and belts. It all depends upon which style you happen to be reviewing, since there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles. They are however, generally divided into a couple of groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior rankings range from white to red, with anything from 8 to 12 ranks, while the black/senior belts typically have nine rankings.

Conclusion

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't purely about National Championships and Olympic titles. The majority of of us are happy to make new friends, meet different people and improve our fitness levels, and that's precisely how it ought to be. Yet, as with many matters in life, what you get out of it will depend on what you put into it. Enjoy!