Taekwondo Portslade

Owing to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is possibly more suitable for the younger person in Portslade and is especially suitable for kids as it is wonderful for developing respect for others and self-discipline. Older adults could find it a bit too strenuous unless they're especially active and fit. Even so, those folks who persue Taekwondo in Portslade at a young age will discover they can easily carry it on when they are older. The less nimble of you could consider something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul established some new schools which they called "kwans", combining various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly fast kicking strategies, head-height kicks and spinning/jumping kicks.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners worldwide, now exceeds 60 million. Joining a local Portslade Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While the chances of you getting to Olympic standard are pretty slim, there is no reason at all why you cannot master this thrilling martial art.

For the men, women and children of Portslade who are keen on the idea of learning a martial art, a top priority is the aspect of self-defence. As this is a key principle of Taekwondo, it isn't difficult to appreciate the attraction of this particular sport. With the additional benefit of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for those around you, signing up for a local Portslade Taekwondo class seems to be an easy decision.

While its good to know they're there when you need them, hopefully you will never need to use your newly perfected Taekwondo skills for defending yourself outside of your local club surroundings.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never done Taekwondo before, you might be a little anxious as to what should be expected on your very first class. This will be different from club to club but will usually comprise some or all of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, a little practical training including learning some blocks, stances, hand attacks and kicks, discovering a few forms, a brief introduction to sparring which will include timing, movement and the timing of attacks, and lastly a warm down to relax and stretch weary muscles.

The official body governing Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and anybody wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Portslade must also register with British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about health and safety, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, first aid, events, news, launching a new Taekwondo club, members and clubs, referees and coaching, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You will probably be interested to find out about precisely what sort of benefits may be obtained by attending Portslade Taekwondo training and partaking 100% in its activities. You can expect that you will: Improve flexibility, agility and stamina by means of strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by maximizing both physical and mental fitness, Reduced stress with controlled breathing, Build up confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Help with self-defence techniques by helping you to recognise occasions where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to control these situations in your favour, Develop discipline by extensively schooling your body and mind in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Strengthen your body and mind via improved physical coordination and mental discipline.

The Eight Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are loads of different sorts of Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick, Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Axe Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to defend against the different attacking movements, are called Makgi. Held in various positions, they employ the hand and sections of the arm. Each "block" can be combined with a kick or punch to establish a counter-attack, and each one is suitable for a particular attack. The most used "blocks" (makgi) include: Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Palm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Competitions and Tournaments

Tournaments are a significant part of the Taekwondo legacy, and all the different styles across the globe stage tournaments where Taekwondo masters band together to battle it out. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these competitive events which mainly comprise sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is permitted in Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments, while certain hand attacks are tolerated in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) events.