Taekwondo Kingston upon Thames

Because Taekwondo has pretty high physical requirements, it is perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Kingston upon Thames. That's not to say that older individuals can't get involved in this activity, but merely that there might be other martial arts that are more suitable for the less nimble among us. Tai Chi would be the perfect illustration.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently created of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea in 1945. A number of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some schools which they called "kwans", combining many different martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, primarily entails high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly head kicks, jumping/spinning kicks and fast kicking strategies.

Ever since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has added to its popularity throughout the world with some sixty million people or more routinely attending classes. And it's by enrolling in a Taekwondo club or class that you can start your quest of mastering this exciting activity.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most appeal to people in Kingston upon Thames is the self-defence aspect of it. This is not hard to believe when you take into account the high levels of violence experienced in town and city centres on a daily basis. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

With any luck, outside your local Taekwondo club environment, you will never need to apply your newly acquired skills to defend yourself.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo lesson, you'll be wondering what to expect. The following will give you an idea, but this will vary from school to school. An initial warm up lasting 15 to 20 minutes, a little technical training comprising some hand attacks, kicks, stances and blocking techniques, a look at forms or patterns, a few ideas on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to loosen up and stretch weary muscles.

The UK regulating body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you would like to sign up with a Taekwondo class in Kingston upon Thames, you'll also be required to become a member of this respected organization. By heading to British Taekwondo's official website you can find details about events, coaching courses, first aid, news, clubs and members, launching a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, safeguarding and equality, coaches and competition referees, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

There are of course, a lot of benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and listed here are just some which could be appealing to you: Teach you self-defence tactics by coaching you to realize scenarios where self-defence might be needed, and empowering you to control such scenarios in your favour, Develop self-discipline by methodically schooling your body and mind in the doctrines and tactics of Taekwondo, Toughen up your mind and body by means of improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Boost your confidence by motivating you to take control of your life and succeed, Lower stress with controlled breathing, Increase concentration and self-esteem by elevating both mental and physical health, Increase agility, stamina and flexibility through extreme cardiovascular effort.

The Taekwondo Kicks

There are loads of different Taekwondo kicks, here are just a selection of them: Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To divert and stop an inbound Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. Engaging the hand and different sections of the arm, they're held in particular positions. Each and every "block" can be combined with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attack, and each block is meant for a certain type of attack. The key blocks include: Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Low Block and Single Forearm Block.

Competitions

Tournaments and competitions are an important element of the Taekwondo experience, and all of the diverse styles across the globe hold contests where Taekwondo masters band together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these tournaments which mostly incorporate breaking, sparring and patterns. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo tournaments, while specified hand attacks are permitted in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.