Taekwondo Rowley Regis

While not wanting to discourage any particular age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Rowley Regis, being quite physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. Older adults trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too taxing, unless they have kept themselves active. Quite a few of the older adults who do Taekwondo in Rowley Regis, started when they were younger. If you consider yourself among the less agile, you could try something like Tai Chi which is much softer.

The discipline was developed in Korea in 1945, though it was not given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics established some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/turning kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head-height kicks.Today Rowley Regis Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

With over 60 million practitioners worldwide and quite a few in Rowley Regis, Taekwondo has become very popular. Joining a local Taekwondo club or class in Rowley Regis is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. While nobody would expect you to get to Olympic standard, you can certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Rowley Regis.

In these modern times of increasing violence, it's little surprise that people in places like Rowley Regis are enrolling in self-defence techniques like Taekwondo to help them to feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also encourages self-restraint and a respect for those around us, which are characteristics that are frequently absent in modern day life.

There's a pretty decent likelihood that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never have to be used in your day to day life, but it will undoubtedly give you reassurance knowing that they are there should you need them.

Your First Lesson

For those of you who have never done Taekwondo before, you will no doubt be interested to know what to expect from your first class. The following will give you an idea, but this may vary from school to school. A fifteen to twenty minute warm up, a bit of technical training comprising some hand attacks, blocks, stances and kicks, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), a look at sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping.

Taekwondo of course also has its own governing body, and in the UK it is British Taekwondo. Anyone wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Rowley Regis must become a registered member of this organisation. You'll be able to find out about beginning a new club, news, coaches and referees, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, events, coaching courses, first aid, and more on British Taekwondo's website, or find out the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

You'll undoubtedly be intrigued to discover precisely what kind of benefits might be obtained by taking part in Rowley Regis Taekwondo instruction and participating fully in its activities. You could expect that you will: Increase concentration and self-esteem by raising your physical and mental health, Help with self-defence techniques by showing you how to recognize situations where self-defence might be necessary, and allowing you to manipulate these kinds of scenarios in your favour, Augment flexibility, agility and stamina by means of intense cardiovascular exertion, Strengthen your mind and body thru increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Beef up confidence by motivating you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Reduced stress with controlled breathing, Greater discipline and willpower by thoroughly educating your mind and body in the techniques and doctrines of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Forms

Perfecting Taekwondo necessitates learning a number of techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of direction, technique and stance which have to be mastered in order for participants to progress through the different dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Belts

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit bewildering in Taekwondo because there isn't any standard system throughout the various Taekwondo styles. Parallels can be found though, and typically there are 2 separate belt groups, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of grades in the junior section varies through the styles but is commonly between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior groupings commonly has 9 belts or dans.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are a multitude of contests in Taekwondo involving all the various styles. They primarily consist of breaking, sparring and patterns (forms) with almost no "hard contact". International Taekwon-Do Federation tournaments don't allow substantial contact but sometimes permit hand attacks aimed at the head. World Taekwondo and Olympic tournaments only allow sparring. Multi-style tournaments also take place.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety gear like a red or blue head protector, hand guards, shin pads, a mouth guard, blue or red trunk armour (hogu), forearm guards and a groin protector have to be worn in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is imperative on account of the powerful kicks which are an integral part of this sport.

In Summary

What you get out of Taekwondo are going to be directly related to what you put into it (as applies with life on the whole). Many of you will simply want to improve your fitness levels, meet different people and make new friends, some might wish to move on to tournaments and competitions or possibly even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊