Taekwondo Knutsford

Because of its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is possibly more suited to the younger person in Knutsford and is especially suitable for children because it's wonderful for developing self-discipline and respect for other people. More elderly individuals could find it a bit too demanding unless they're especially active and fit. Even so, those who take up Taekwondo in Knutsford from a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you could think about something softer like Tai Chi.

With its origins in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently established of the martial arts and involves mostly kicking moves such as fast kicking methods, spinning/jumping kicks and head kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were established by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over sixty million enthusiasts worldwide, and whilst you may not have any ambitions to be an Olympic Games sportsman, you are still able to join a Taekwondo club or class to master what will undoubtedly prove to be a rewarding and fascinating pastime.

For a lot of people in Knutsford, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has 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 priority lists. It is a key element of Taekwondo that you are able to become more confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be proven outside the controlled atmosphere of an organised Taekwondo class, however knowing that you have them will instill you with confidence.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never done Taekwondo before you may be a little concerned as to what to expect on your first class. The following will give you an idea, but this may vary from school to school. A warm up lasting fifteen to twenty minutes, a little technical training involving learning some blocks, stances, kicks and hand attacks, an introduction to some forms, a few ideas on sparring including good movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

British Taekwondo is the governing body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organisation is mandatory if you wish to join any Taekwondo club in Knutsford or nearby. You will be able to find lots of facts about safeguarding and equality, clubs and members, coaches and competition referees, first aid, events, news, health and safety, launching a new club, coaching courses, and more, by checking out British Taekwondo's website.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

You will doubtless be intrigued to discover precisely what type of benefits might be achieved by attending Knutsford Taekwondo lessons and participating 100% in its practices. You could expect to: Reduced stress and anxiety using advanced breath control, More discipline and willpower by comprehensively schooling your body and mind in the concepts and techniques of Taekwondo, Increase your self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental health, Teach self-defence by helping you to understand instances in which self-defence could be required, and empowering you to turn these types of situations in your favour, Grow in your confidence by motivating you to seize control of your life and succeed, Improve stamina, agility and flexibility by way of intense cardiovascular work-outs, Toughen up your body and mind by way of increased physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicks that you will master initially include: Whip or Hook Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: To repulse the various hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse range of blocks. They are held in various positions and enlist the hand with parts of the arm. Specific attacks require particular "blocks", but "blocks" can also be transformed into counter-attacking manoeuvres by the combination of retaliatory punches or kicks. The key blocks (makgi) include: Nine Block, Low Block, Palm Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Perfecting Tae kwon do necessitates learning a number of disciplines and one of the key parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also known as Poomse or patterns). These are types of technique, direction and stance which need to be mastered in order for students to move through the various dans (belts/grades).

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

Because there are various styles of Taekwondo there has never really been any recognised arrangement for allocating belts (promotion). What does exist however is fairly similar and involves two belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groupings is split into grades, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and nine for the seniors.