Taekwondo Saffron Walden

On account of its more physical attributes, Taekwondo is maybe more suited to the younger generation in Saffron Walden and is especially suited to kids as it's excellent for developing self-discipline and respect for other people. Older adults could find it somewhat too demanding unless they are particularly fit and active. Even so, those folks who take up Taekwondo in Saffron Walden from a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. The less nimble of you might consider something gentler like Tai Chi.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently formulated of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial artists in Seoul founded some schools known as "kwans", merging many different martial arts practices. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, largely consists of high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly fast kicking techniques, jumping/turning kicks and head-height kicks.

With more than sixty million people taking part in Taekwondo instruction all over the world, this has certainly become a popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really good at the martial art you might possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

It is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Saffron Walden. 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. The ability to defend yourself and at the same time exercising self-restraint and a respect for others is one of the key benefits of Taekwondo.

Your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will more than likely never have to be tested outside the controlled atmosphere of a dedicated Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you've never done Taekwondo previously, you could be a bit anxious as to what to expect on your first class. This will vary from school to school but will usually involve some or all of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen muscles, a little practical training involving learning some blocks, kicks, hand attacks and stances, learning a few forms, an overview of sparring including timing, the timing of attacks and movement, and finally a warm down to relax and stretch weary muscles.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the British Isles, and membership of this organisation is mandatory if you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Saffron Walden or nearby. By going to the British Taekwondo website you'll be able to read information about events, first aid, clubs and members, news, coaches and competition referees, beginning a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, safe practices, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

When enrolling in Taekwondo classes in Saffron Walden you will be looking to get a few benefits to make the whole venture worth the effort. Therefore let us look into a few of the many benefits that you could acquire from practicing and learning Taekwondo. Lower anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Empower your body and mind by way of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Increase stamina, flexibility and agility by means of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Increase your self-esteem by elevating your mental and physical fitness, Build up confidence by motivating you to succeed and to take control of your life, Learn self-defence strategies by helping you to identify occasions where self-defence could be needed, and allowing you to turn such situations to your advantage, More discipline and willpower by comprehensively training your mind and body in the strategies and doctrines of Taekwondo.

The 8 Basic Taekwondo Kicks

There are a lot of different kicking techniques which are used when practicing Taekwondo. The following are a selection of the most widely known: Side Kick, Axe Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Crescent Kick, Push Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: To repulse the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse range of "blocks" (Makgi). Employing the hands and sections of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Each and every "block" can be merged with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attacking movement, and each block is meant for a particular attack. The main blocks (makgi) include: Low Block, Rising Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Belts

In the art of taekwondo there is not really any uniformity in regards to ranking and belts. It's all depending on what style you are considering, since there are such a lot of Taekwondo styles and rules. They are however, typically separated into two groupings "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior ranks consist of white to red, with from 8 to 12 grades, whilst the senior/black belts typically have nine rankings.

Final Thoughts

So, what are you looking to get from doing Taekwondo? Well, that is a good question, and the answer will be different for individual people. The majority of participants will purely wish to gain more self-confidence, meet new people and improve their fitness levels. We're not all going to scale the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, although maybe you will, who knows? 👊