Taekwondo Hastings

Taekwondo is typically much more demanding physically than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and nimble you may prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness levels in Hastings. Children are definitely an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Hastings, with a lot of fast paced movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul founded some schools which they called "kwans", combining various martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, mainly entails kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking strategies, spinning/jumping kicks and head kicks.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million practitioners worldwide, and while you may not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games medalist, you can still sign up for a Taekwondo club or class to learn what will no doubt turn out to be a rewarding and fascinating pastime.

Though there's much to be gained by doing Taekwondo, it's the aspect of self-defence that most Hastings people are interested in. This is no surprise when you consider the ever rising levels of violence seen in city centres nowadays. It's a key principle of Taekwondo that you can be confidently able to defend yourself yet learn to respect others and exercise self-restraint.

There is a pretty good likelihood that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be used in the outside world, but it will certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever need them.

Your First Hastings Taekwondo Class

If you elect to register for a Taekwondo class in Hastings, the very first thing you'll wish to know is what will occur on the very first lesson and just what will the teacher be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in Hastings will contrive diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can expect to do a 15 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood flowing, learn a few Poomse (forms, go through some technical training (blocking techniques, stances, kicks and hand attacks), do a certain amount of sparring, and lastly, a warm-down.

The United Kingdom's regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Hastings, you will also be required to register with this organization. You will be able to read about events, coaching courses, clubs and members, news, equality and safeguarding, referees and coaching, safe practices, first aid, establishing a new club, and more on the British Taekwondo website, and find the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Popular Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps most recognized for its acrobatic kicks, here are a few of the basic kicks you will learn as a rookie: Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi). Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacks, are called Makgi. They're held in various positions and enlist the hand with sections of the arm. Each and every "block" can be merged with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attacking move, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The main blocks in Taekwondo include: Low Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Upper Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also known as patterns or Poomse) are identified by particular activities like stance, direction and technique. From the beginning you will learn some of the important forms, and so as to advance through the various grades (belts) you will need to master some more complex ones.

Beginners Taekwondo Hastings

As with any activity or sport we have to begin somewhere, and Taekwondo is exactly the same. Even the best Hastings Taekwondo exponents were total rookies at one point. So, exactly what can you expect as a total novice at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their students sufficient training to give them the basics and allow them to build self-confidence as they move forward. The ideal beginners class needs to be enjoyable as well as instructional, when folks are enjoying themselves they are far more committed and are going to learn much faster.

To Summarize

So, what are you looking to get from Taekwondo? Well, that is a great question, and the answer to that will vary for different people. Most participants will just look to gain more confidence, improve their fitness and meet new people. We are not all going to reach the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though perhaps you will, who knows?