Taekwondo Harwich

The mere mention of Taekwondo, brings to mind images of energetic young children performing punching and kicking exercises. While the younger generation might find it easier to cope with the physical demands of Taekwondo, people of all ages can and do practice the sport. Being relatively fit is however a requirement of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts devotees set up some schools which they called "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it later became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, in particular rapid kicking methods, turning/jumping kicks and head kicks. Now Harwich Taekwondo classes adhere to this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million followers all over the world, and even though you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you're still able to register for a Taekwondo class or club to master what will no doubt prove to be a rewarding and intriguing activity.

In these modern times of ever-increasing violence, it is little surprise that folks in locations like Harwich are taking up self-defence classes like Taekwondo to help them to feel safer in their everyday life. The self-defence element is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also encourages self-restraint and a deep respect for those around us, which are traits that are frequently absent in this modern age.

Hopefully you will not ever have the need to use your newly acquired Taekwondo skills for defending yourself outside of your local club environment, but it is good to know they're there if you need them.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

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

If you would like to join a Taekwondo club in Harwich, you will also have to become a member of the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You can get loads of details on news, health and safety, starting a new club, clubs and members, referees and coaching, events, first aid, equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, and more, by viewing the British Taekwondo website.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, quite a few benefits to be had from taking part in Taekwondo, and here are just a few which could be of interest to you: Lower anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Augment stamina, flexibility and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Better self-discipline by exhaustively educating your mind and body in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Increase feelings of self-esteem by intensifying both physical and mental health, Strengthen your body and mind by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Beef up your confidence by pushing you to succeed and to take control of your life, Teach you self-defence techniques by showing you how to recognize circumstances where self-defence may be needed, and allowing you to control these types of scenarios to your advantage.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicks that you will master initially include: Side Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Crescent Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Hook or Whip Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacking movements, are called Makgi. They're held in various positions and use the hands with sections of the arm. Specific attacks require particular blocks, but "blocks" can also be transformed into counter-attacks by linking reciprocal kicks or punches. The principal Taekwondo blocks (makgi) include: Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Tournaments

A typical Taekwondo tournament includes sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. That said there are also some special categories in particular competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT (World Taekwondo) contests are purely soft-contact events, while ITF tournaments permit some hand attacks aimed at the head. There are in addition a number of multi-discipline tournaments.

Summary

The benefits that you acquire from Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you put into it (as applies with life in general). Most of you will simply want to meet different people, improve your fitness levels and make new friends, some may aspire to move on to competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad.