Taekwondo Hamilton

When most people in Hamilton think about Taekwondo, they imagine younger children doing energetic punching and kicking manoeuvres. The truth is though, that people of any age are able to take part in this sport despite its considerable physical demands. It should however be said that if you are fairly agile you'll definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

The sport was developed in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't named Taekwondo until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some innovative new schools known as "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, mainly involves kicking manoeuvres, in particular jumping/spinning kicks, head kicks and rapid kicking methods. Nowadays Hamilton Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million followers all around the world, and although you may not aspire to be an Olympic Games medalist, you can still register for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt turn out to be a fascinating and rewarding activity.

For a lot of people in Hamilton, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these times of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it's little surprise that this features high up on people's list of priorities. It is a key factor of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

With any luck you will not ever need to use your newly acquired Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club environment, however it is good to know they're there if you need them.

Your First Hamilton Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you've ever had a go at previously, you will likely be wondering what you should expect from your first lesson if you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Hamilton have varying ideas about this but in brief; you'll participate in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some forms, you are going to practice sparring tactics and lastly you'll warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state again.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within Great Britain, and membership of this organisation is compulsory should you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Hamilton or nearby. By viewing British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to read details on coaching courses, health and safety, first aid, events, news, coaches and competition referees, clubs and members, equality and safeguarding, establishing a new club, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

When you're registering for Taekwondo classes in Hamilton you will be wanting to get a few benefits to make the whole project worthwhile. And so we should consider some of the many benefits that you may gain by learning and doing Taekwondo. Teach you self-defence strategies by showing you how to understand occasions in which self-defence might be required, and enabling you to control such circumstances to your advantage, Boost confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Improve self-esteem and concentration by elevating both mental and physical powers, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility through intensive cardiovascular exertion, Toughen up your body and mind through improved physical coordination and mental discipline, Develop discipline and willpower by comprehensively schooling your mind and body in the concepts and strategies of Taekwondo, Lessen stress using advanced breath control.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is possibly best known for its spectacular kicking manoeuvres, listed here are a selection of the basic kicks you will learn as a novice: Roundhouse Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Side Kick, Push Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the various attacking movements, are known as Makgi. Held in diverse positions, they use the hand and different parts of the arm. Specific attacks require specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be turned into counter-attacking movements by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The key blocks include: Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Palm Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also called patterns or Poomse) are characterized by particular aspects like technique, stance and direction. From the start of your Taekwondo experience you will get to grips with some of the important forms, and so as to progress through the various rankings (belts) you will need to master some more complex ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The belt and ranking system can get very complicated in Taekwondo because there isn't any standard structure throughout the different Taekwondo styles. Analogies do exist however, and commonly there are two distinct belt groups, represented as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of rankings in the junior groupings varies through the disciplines but is generally between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior's group normally has 9 belts or dans.

Safety Gear

In all tournaments, events and matches being held under the supervision of British Taekwondo, safety equipment like forearm guards, a red/blue head guard, hand guards, red or blue trunk armour (hogu), a mouth protector, shin guards and a groin protector is mandatory. The fast kicking tactics which are part of Taekwondo could cause injury and this all helps to make this activity less risky for its competitors.