Taekwondo Hessle

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical requirements, it's possibly more suitable for the younger people of Hessle. That isn't to say that older people can't take part in this particular activity, but just that there may be alternative martial arts that are more suitable for the less nimble among us. Tai Chi would be a perfect example.

Taekwondo is a martial art that primarily consists of high-kicking moves and manoeuvres, in particular head-height kicks, rapid kicking techniques and spinning/jumping kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a group of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools called "kwans", which combined a variety of martial arts techniques.

With over sixty million people engaged in Taekwondo instruction all around the globe, this has definitely become a popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you become really good at this martial art you may possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it has been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and doubtless this is one of the principal reasons that folks in Hessle sign up to classes and take up the sport. There's been a troubling increase in violent practices in recent years and this is especially rife in town and city centres throughout East Yorkshire and the country as a whole. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such common characteristics in Hessle nowadays.

There's a fairly good chance that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

Your First Class

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you will be wondering what to expect. This may vary from school to school but will normally involve all or some of the following. An initial warm up lasting 15 to 20 minutes, some technical training which will involve learning some hand attacks, stances, blocks and kicks, an introduction to some forms, a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to stretch tired muscles and relax.

British Taekwondo is the official governing body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organisation is mandatory if you would like to join any Taekwondo class in Hessle or nearby. You'll be able to learn about health and safety, news, launching a new Taekwondo club, events, members and clubs, referees and coaching, equality and safeguarding, first aid, coaching courses, and more on the British Taekwondo website, and find the latest news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

You'll no doubt be intrigued to find out about exactly what kind of benefits could be gained by attending Hessle Taekwondo classes and partaking fully in its practices. You could expect that you will: Strengthen your mind and body via increased mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Reduced stress with controlled breathing, More discipline by comprehensively schooling your mind and body in the techniques and principles of Taekwondo, Grow in your confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed, Teach you self-defence by helping you recognize circumstances where self-defence might be needed, and allowing you to control these scenarios in your favour, Increase your self-esteem by maximizing your mental and physical powers, Increase flexibility, stamina and agility through intense cardiovascular effort.

The Taekwondo Kicks

One of the key aspects of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a small selection of the standard kicks: Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: To defend against the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse range of blocks (Makgi). Engaging the hand and different areas of the arm, they're held in specific positions. Each and every "block" can be coordinated with a kick or punch to create a counter-attack, and each block is appropriate for a certain type of attack. The primary Taekwondo blocks (makgi) include: Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The ranking and belt system can get rather complicated in Taekwondo since there isn't any standard system across the different Taekwondo styles. Likenesses can be found though, and normally there are two separate belt groups, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of ranks in the junior groupings varies across the disciplines but is normally between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's group usually has nine dans or belts.

Tournaments and Competitions

A standard Taekwondo tournament incorporates sparring, breaking and patterns, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is included. That said there are also some special events in particular competitions such as self-defence and team demonstrations. World Taekwondo contests are purely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF contests permit some hand attacks to the head. There are also several multi-discipline contests.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear such as a mouth protector, red or blue body armour (hogu), hand guards, shin protectors, a red or blue head guard, forearm protectors and a groin guard have to be worn in all contests supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is vital due to the potent kicking that is an integral part of this activity.