Taekwondo Leighton Buzzard

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is maybe more suitable for the younger generation in Leighton Buzzard and is particularly suited to children as it is excellent for developing self-discipline and respect for other people. Older adults may find it somewhat too strenuous unless they are particularly fit and active. However, those who take up Taekwondo in Leighton Buzzard at a young age will find that they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less agile of you could think about something softer like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently established of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial artists in Seoul established some new schools which they called "kwans", combining many different martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, largely involves high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly rapid kicking methods, turning/jumping kicks and head kicks.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Leighton Buzzard Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Leighton Buzzard.

For a lot of folks in Leighton Buzzard, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these times of increased violence, especially in town and city centres, it is little surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your capability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect others and practice self-restraint.

There is a very good chance that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will unquestionably give you reassurance knowing that they are sitting in the background should you ever be in need of them.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have not tried Taekwondo before you will likely be a bit anxious as to what you should expect on your first lesson. The following will give you an example, but this could vary depending on which Leighton Buzzard school you have signed up for. An initial warm up lasting 15 to 20 minutes, a bit of technical training such as learning some kicks, hand attacks, blocking techniques and stances, a look at some forms (Poomse), some ideas on sparring including movement, timing and the targeting of attacks, and last but not least a warm down with muscle stretching and loosening up.

Anyone who joins a Taekwondo club in Leighton Buzzard has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the United Kingdom. You can find plenty of information regarding health and safety, starting a new Taekwondo club, equality and safeguarding, events, coaching courses, referees and coaching, first aid, members and clubs, news, and more, by going to British Taekwondo's official website.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Forms are a key part of Taekwondo and are important to learn if you're to excel at this intriguing martial art. Some basic "forms" must be learned from the outset and more elaborate forms have to be mastered in order to progress through the various ranks. A Taekwondo form is characterized by a number of factors such as stance, direction and technique.

Tournaments

A standard Taekwondo tournament incorporates breaking, sparring and patterns, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. That being said there may also be a few extraordinary events in specific competitions such as team demonstrations and self-defence. WT (World Taekwondo) competitions are solely soft-contact affairs, whilst ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions permit some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition a number of multi-discipline contests.

Beginners Classes

It doesn't matter who you are or what you're capable of in Taekwondo, at one stage you were a total novice, knowing nothing and fearing failure. We've all started like this and are only able to develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Leighton Buzzard are the right place to start that learning process and to pick up the fundamentals so you can gain self-confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo adventure. The majority of beginner classes are geared up to be friendly and fun, offering a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and developing a solid base moving forward.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear such as a mouth protector, a groin guard, shin protectors, a blue/red head protector, blue or red body armour (hogu), forearm protectors and hand guards have to be used in all competitions regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is vital because of the vigorous kicking that's part and parcel of this activity.

In Conclusion

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo are going to be proportional to what you invest in it (as is the case with life on the whole). The majority of you will purely wish to make new friends, improve your fitness and meet different people, some might want to move on to competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympic Games. But remember, we cannot all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊