Taekwondo Stanford-le-Hope

Many people in Stanford-le-Hope would assume that the fast punching, high kicking movements demanded by Taekwondo are more suitable for young children. While the younger generation may find the physical demands of Taekwondo easier to contend with, there is nothing to stop people of any age taking part. It should however be said that if you are fairly fit and agile you will definately get more enjoyment out of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its beginnings in Korea in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul established some schools which they called "kwans", incorporating many different martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, mostly consists of high-kicking manoeuvres, especially jumping/turning kicks, fast kicking strategies and head kicks.

With more than sixty million students across the world and a fair few in Stanford-le-Hope, Taekwondo has become very popular. This sport has even featured in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you want to get involved, heading along to your local Stanford-le-Hope Taekwondo class or club is a good place to start. There is no reason why you can't become a master of this exhilarating martial art, even if you don't aspire to Olympic competition.

For many people in Stanford-le-Hope, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which has the most appeal. And in these times of increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it's little surprise that this sits high on people's priority lists. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you're able to become more confident in your capability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and learn self-restraint.

Your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will most likely never need to be proven outside the monitored environment of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will instill you with confidence.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never tried Taekwondo before, you may be a bit concerned as to what should be expected on your very first class. This will vary from club to club but will typically consist of some or all of these. A 15-20 minute warm up to loosen up muscles and increase heart rate, a bit of practical training including learning some kicks, blocking techniques, hand attacks and stances, discovering some Poomse (forms), a quick introduction to sparring including timing, the timing of attacks and movement, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax weary muscles.

British Taekwondo is the official governing body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organisation is compulsory if you want to sign up with any Taekwondo class in Stanford-le-Hope or nearby. By checking out the official British Taekwondo website you can read info on equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, events, first aid, beginning a new club, news, coaches and referees, clubs and members, health and safety, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the best known Taekwondo kicks you will master initially include: Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To fend off the numerous hand attacks and kicks there are an equally diverse array of "blocks" (Makgi). Held in diverse positions, they engage the hands and parts of the arm. Each kind of attack calls for a specific style of block, counter-attacks can be created by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The most important blocks used in Taekwondo include: Double Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Nine Block, Upper Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Low Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments are held around the world in all the various styles. There's normally not a lot of hard contact but sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) tournaments consist only of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions certain hand attacks are permitted to the head. Some other organizations stage multi-discipline competitions.

Safety Gear

British Taekwondo controlled competitions call for specific safety equipment to be worn to protect contenders from personal injury as a result of the forceful kicking that occurs. This safety equipment includes: forearm guards, hand protectors, a red/blue trunk protector (hogu), a blue/red head guard, a gum shield, shin pads and a groin protector.