Taekwondo Ledbury

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger person in Ledbury and is particularly suitable for children as it is great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too taxing. However those who take up Taekwondo in Ledbury at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. This blend of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some schools in Seoul called "kwans", set up by a group of Korean martial artists. Kicking movements, in particular head kicks, rapid kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks are the main focus of Taekwondo, as it later became known. Now Ledbury Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has become really popular in Ledbury and all across the globe, with over 60 million students worldwide. Signing up for your local Ledbury Taekwondo club or class is a great way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst noone would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Ledbury.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the principal reasons that people in Ledbury sign up to classes and get involved in the sport. There has been a troubling increase in violent practices over the last few years and this is particularly common in city and town centres throughout Herefordshire and Britain in general. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such familiar qualities in Ledbury these days.

Your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never have to be put to the test outside the monitored setting of an actual Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Ledbury Taekwondo Lesson

Different Taekwondo schools in the Ledbury area will have different thoughts on what enrollees should be covering on their very first class, however to give you an understanding of what you should expect most first Taekwondo classes will include things like a warm-up, a bit of sparring, learning patterns (Poomse), a quick introduction to stances, kicks, hand attacks and blocking techniques (technical training) and a final warm-down to stretch weary muscles and return the body to a state of balance.

The body regulating Taekwondo in the UK is British Taekwondo and anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Ledbury must also register with British Taekwondo. You can read about equality and safeguarding, events, health and safety, coaching courses, beginning a new Taekwondo club, news, coaches and referees, members and clubs, first aid, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and find the latest news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, plenty of benefits to be gained from doing Taekwondo, and listed here are just some that may be interesting for you: Increase your self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental health, Supercharge flexibility, stamina and agility by means of intense cardiovascular effort, Reduces stress using advanced breath control, Teach you self-defence tactics by showing you how to recognise scenarios where self-defence may be needed, and allowing you to manipulate such circumstances to your advantage, Develop discipline by extensively schooling your mind and body in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Build your confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life, Toughen up your body and mind by means of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline.

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different kinds of Taekwondo kicks, listed here are just eight of them: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to defend against the different attacks, are known as Makgi. Using the hands and sections of the arm, they are held in specific positions. Every block can be merged with a punch or kick to create a counter-attack, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The most important "blocks" (makgi) include: Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block and Palm Block.

Taekwondo Forms

Folks just starting out Taekwondo do not have to stress excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) in the early days, however they'll have to get to grips with some basic ones to start with and move on to more difficult "forms" as they progress through the belts (dans/grades). A "form" is denoted by specified elements of Taekwondo including direction, technique and stance. Getting to grips with these techniques is an important part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In Taekwondo there is really no form of uniformity in regards to grades and belts. It is all subject to what style you're reviewing, since there are so many different Taekwondo styles and rules. They are however, generally divided into 2 groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks consist of white to red, with from eight to twelve levels, whilst the black/senior belts commonly have nine levels.

Tournaments and Competitions

Contests are an important element of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the various styles around the world hold competitions where Taekwondo exponents get together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these tournaments which mostly incorporate breaking, sparring and patterns. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, while specified hand attacks are permitted in ITF events.

Taekwondo for Beginners

It matters not what you're capable of or who you are in Taekwondo, at one stage you were a total novice, fearing failure and knowing practically nothing. We have all started at that point and are only able to learn and develop through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Ledbury are the place to begin that learning journey and to pick up the fundamentals so you can build self-confidence and proceed with your Taekwondo quest. Most beginner classes are geared up to be fun and friendly, providing a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo principles and building a firm foundation for the future.

Safety Gear

Safety gear like hand protectors, a blue or red trunk protector (hogu), shin pads, a mouth protector, forearm protectors, a red/blue head guard and a groin protector have to be worn in all contests controlled by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is necessary thanks to the formidable kicks which are part and parcel of this activity.