Taekwondo Godalming

While people of all ages in Godalming can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. Older adults may find it somewhat too taxing unless they are particularly fit and active. 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 consider something softer like Tai Chi.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. Some new schools called "kwans", mixing various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts. Kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking methods and jumping/turning kicks are the primary emphasis of Taekwondo, as it later became known. Nowadays Godalming Taekwondo classes abide by this tradition.

Taekwondo now has more than sixty million students worldwide and has become extremely popular in Godalming and throughout the UK. Heading along to your local Godalming Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even been in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst nobody would seriously expect you to get to Olympic standard, you could certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Godalming.

For the men, women and children of Godalming who like the idea of learning a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. As this is a central concept of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the attraction of this unique sport. With the extra bonus of developing self-restraint and having a deep-rooted respect for those around you, getting involved in a local Godalming Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never need to be proven outside of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you have never done Taekwondo previously, you may be a bit apprehensive as to what can be expected on your first class. This will vary from school to school but will normally comprise all or some of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, some technical training involving learning some stances, kicks, blocking techniques and hand attacks, discovering a few Poomse (forms), an overview of sparring which will include movement, timing and the timing of attacks, and finally a warm down to relax and stretch weary muscles.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo class in Godalming must also register with British Taekwondo which is the official governing body of the sport in the United Kingdom. You'll be able to read about equality and safeguarding, starting a new club, news, events, first aid, coaching courses, clubs and members, coaches and referees, 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

The benefits that can be gained by participating in Taekwondo classes in Godalming are countless, among the most significant are: Improve feelings of self-esteem by maximizing your mental and physical powers, Help with self-defence by helping you realize circumstances where self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to turn these types of circumstances to your advantage, Reduces stress using advanced breath control, Increase flexibility, stamina and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Toughen up your body and mind thru enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Greater self-discipline by exhaustively educating your mind and body in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Build up confidence by pushing you to seize control of your life and succeed.

Taekwondo Belts

With there being a number of disciplines of Taekwondo there has never really been any uniform arrangement for allocating belts (promotion). What exists however is quite similar and is made up of 2 belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each of these groups is split into grades, eight to twelve colours for juniors and nine for seniors.

Competitions and Tournaments

Competitions are an important part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all of the diverse styles around the world hold contests where Taekwondo exponents band together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these contests which primarily comprise breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) events.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

In all contests, tournaments and events being staged under the auspices of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as hand protectors, forearm guards, shin pads, a blue or red trunk protector (hogu), a groin protector, a gum shield and a blue/red head guard is mandatory. The fast kicking manoeuvres employed in Taekwondo may cause serious injuries and this helps to make the sport safer for its competitors.