Taekwondo Frodsham

It's got to be said that Taekwondo can be fairly demanding physically, which can intimidate the older and less agile people in Frodsham from getting involved. To be completely truthful, the most frequent participants of Taekwondo classes are children and the younger generation, but unquestionably older individuals who're in good physical health can easily take part and benefit considerably from this activity.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics established some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially head kicks, rapid kicking strategies and turning/jumping kicks.

With more than 60 million people participating in Taekwondo classes all around the globe, this has unquestionably become an extremely popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you become really expert at this martial art you might possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

People in Frodsham take up Taekwondo for many reasons but it is the self-defence aspect that appeals to most. You should not be surprised by this, when you take into account the high incidence of violence seen in today's town and city centres. The ability to defend yourself and at the same time exercising self-restraint and a respect for others is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo.

Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will most likely never need to be tried and tested outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however knowing that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you've never tried Taekwondo previously, you could be a bit apprehensive as to what to expect on your very first class. This will vary from club to club but will normally comprise some or all of the following. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little practical training including learning some blocking techniques, stances, kicks and hand attacks, learning a few forms, a quick introduction to sparring including timing, movement and the timing of attacks, and finally a warm down to relax and stretch tired muscles.

Taekwondo of course also has got its own official regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Anybody wishing enroll with a Taekwondo club in Frodsham has to become a member of this organisation. By visiting British Taekwondo's website you can read details of safeguarding and equality, news, clubs and members, coaching courses, health and safety, events, first aid, establishing a new Taekwondo club, referees and coaching, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are needless to say, a number of benefits to be gained from participating in Taekwondo, and here are just some that may be interesting for you: Toughen up your mind and body by means of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Lessen anxiety with controlled breathing, Build up confidence by helping you to take control of your life and succeed, Turbocharge flexibility, stamina and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by maximizing both mental and physical health, Teach you self-defence techniques by showing you how to identify instances where self-defence could be necessary, and allowing you to control these situations in your favour, Better self-discipline by exhaustively training your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a key role in Taekwondo, here are a selection of the best known ones ones: Push Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Front Kick, Roundhouse Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the different attacks, are called Makgi. Held in particular positions, they engage the hand and areas of the arm. Each type of attack calls for a particular kind of block, counter-attacks can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The primary blocks (makgi) include: Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Single Forearm Block, Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Upper Block, Nine Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Perfecting Tae kwon do will involve getting to grips with a number of techniques and disciplines and one of the key aspects of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are types of stance, direction and technique which need to be mastered in order for students to move through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In relation to ranking, promotion and belts there isn't actually any real uniformity in Taekwondo, since there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own specific system. There are however similarities and they generally consist of two groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively, . The senior grades typically have 9 grades and the junior, between 8 and 12 grades.

Competitions and Tournaments

There are a multitude of contests in Taekwondo associated with all the different styles. They largely consist of breaking, patterns and sparring with almost no hard contact. ITF competitions do not permit too much contact but sometimes permit hand attacks towards the head. WT and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style contests are also held.