Taekwondo Neath

While not wanting to discourage any particular age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Neath, being quite physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. It can sometimes be too taxing for older adults unless they are exceptionally fit and active. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. If you consider yourself among the less agile, you could try something like Tai Chi which is much softer.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is certainly one of the more recently established of the martial arts and involves mostly high-kicking moves such as rapid kicking techniques, head-height kicks and jumping/spinning kicks. It started when schools known as "kwans" were set up by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to become extremely popular in Neath and all around the world, with over sixty million participants worldwide. Joining a local Neath Taekwondo class or club is an excellent way to become involved with this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games in 2000. Whilst you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you should not become a maestro of this remarkable martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

Of all the many benefits of doing this sport, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that the people of Neath find most appealing. 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. Learning to defend yourself while at the same time applying self-restraint and a respect for others is a key benefit of Taekwondo.

There is a pretty decent chance that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your everyday life, but it will most certainly give you peace of mind knowing that they're there should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Neath Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo isn't something that you have ever tried before, you will probably be wondering what you should expect from your very first lesson if you make up your mind to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Neath have varying thoughts on this but roughly; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring tactics and lastly you'll warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state once more.

Everybody who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Neath or any place else in the UK, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the governing body of the sport. By going to the official British Taekwondo website you'll be able to find facts about events, launching a new Taekwondo club, first aid, coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, coaches and tournament referees, health and safety, news, clubs and members, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a key role in Taekwondo, here are a selection of the more basic ones: Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi). Blocks: To repulse the various hand attacks and kicks there are a similarly diverse range of blocks. Employing the hands and sections of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Each "block" can be combined with a kick or punch to create a counter-attack, and each one is suitable for a specific attack. The principal "blocks" (makgi) include: Rising Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Forms are a key element of Taekwondo and are important if you're going to excel at this popular sport. Several basic "forms" must be grasped from the outset and more complex forms have to be perfected in order to move through the various levels. A Taekwondo form is distinguished by a number of facets such as technique, direction and stance.

Taekwondo Belts

In Taekwondo there is not really any standardization when it comes to belts and ranking. It all hinges on which style you're looking at, because there are such a diversity of Taekwondo styles. They are however, commonly separated into two groups "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The colour/junior ranks range from white to red, with from eight to twelve grades, while the senior/black belts usually have 9 grades.