Taekwondo Madeley

Taekwondo is typically a lot more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty nimble and fit you may prefer to find something a little gentler to improve your fitness in Madeley. Children and younger people are certainly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Madeley, with a lot of fast movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo started in Korea in 1945. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts founded some exciting new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a blend of martial arts techniques. Kicking manoeuvres, in particular head kicks, rapid kicking techniques and turning/jumping kicks are the primary emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known. Nowadays Madeley Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

With over sixty million individuals taking part in Taekwondo classes all over the world, this has certainly become a popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master the martial art you may possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part since the 2000 Sydney Games.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Madeley. And its not surprising that this is on people's list of priorities when you consider the rising levels of violence seen these days in town and city centres throught the United Kingdom. However, exercising self-restraint and a respect for others goes hand in hand with the self-defence principles of Taekwondo.

There is a very good chance that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be proven in the outside world, but it will undoubtedly give you peace of mind knowing that they are there should you need them.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo is not a sport that you've ever tried previously, you'll probably be wondering what to expect from your very first class should you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Madeley have different ideas about this but in brief; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do some technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring strategies and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a state of relaxation.

Any individual who joins a Taekwondo club in Madeley must also register with British Taekwondo which is the official governing body of the sport in Britain. You can find lots of information about news, coaching courses, coaches and tournament referees, safeguarding and equality, first aid, events, members and clubs, beginning a new club, safe practices, and more, by viewing the British Taekwondo website.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that can be achieved by participating in Taekwondo lessons in Madeley are many and varied, among the most noteworthy are: Augment agility, flexibility and stamina by way of intense cardiovascular effort, Empower your body and mind via accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Reduces stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Teach self-defence by helping you identify circumstances in which self-defence might be required, and empowering you to control these situations to your advantage, Improve feelings of self-esteem by elevating your physical and mental health, Greater discipline by comprehensively educating your body and mind in the tactics and doctrines of Taekwondo, Beef up your confidence by motivating you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Some Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main features of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a small selection of the basic kicking manoeuvres: Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacks, are called Makgi. Held in diverse positions, they employ the hands and parts of the arm. Every "block" can be coordinated with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attack, and each is appropriate for a particular attack. The key blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block and Double Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Taekwondo forms (also known as patterns or Poomse) are characterized by specific elements such as stance, technique and direction. From the outset you are going to get to grips with a few of the basic forms, and in order to advance through the grades (belts) you'll need to master some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The belt and ranking structure can get rather bewildering in Taekwondo because there isn't any standard system throughout the different Taekwondo styles. Similarities do exist though, and normally there are two distinct belt groups, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of ranks in the junior group varies across the styles but is usually between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior group normally has nine belts or dans.

Taekwondo Tournaments

A regular Taekwondo tournament features breaking, patterns and sparring, as far as the Olympics is concerned only sparring is included. Having said that there can also be a few special events in specific tournaments such as team demonstrations and self-defence. World Taekwondo contests are strictly soft-contact events, whilst ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions permit some hand attacks towards the head. There are also several multi-discipline competitions.

Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo matches call for certain safety equipment to be worn to protect competitors from injury as a result of the forceful kicking that transpires. This safety equipment includes: hand protectors, a groin guard, shin pads, a red/blue head guard, a mouth guard, forearm guards and blue or red body armour.