Taekwondo Sunderland

Owing to its more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Sunderland and is particularly suitable for children as it's great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. More elderly people could find it somewhat too challenging unless they're especially fit and active. Even so, those folks who persue Taekwondo in Sunderland from a young age will discover that they can easily continue with it into older adulthood. The less agile of you might think about something gentler like Tai Chi.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and involves primarily high-kicking movements such as rapid kicking techniques, spinning/jumping kicks and head kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were founded by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Sunderland and around the globe, with more than 60 million participants worldwide. Enrolling in a local Sunderland Taekwondo club or class is a great way to get involved with this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games ever since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there's no reason why you shouldn't become an expert at this intriguing martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

People in Sunderland learn Taekwondo for many purposes but it is the self-defence aspect that interests most. And if you consider the increased levels of violence in city and town centres nowadays, this is not surprising. It is a key principle of Taekwondo that you can become confident in your ability to defend yourself yet respect others and exercise self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time prove to be useful in the outside world, though it's more likely you'll only be using them within a regulated class setting. Yet it is a nice feeling knowing the fact that you can always successfully defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If you decide to register for Taekwondo training in Sunderland, the first thing you'll be thinking about is what is going to happen on the initial class and precisely what will the trainer be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Sunderland area will contrive differing routines for this first lesson but you can count on performing a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood coursing, learn some simple Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (stances, blocks, kicks and hand attacks), do a certain amount of sparring, and to finish, a warm-down.

The regulating body for Taekwondo in the UK is British Taekwondo and anybody wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Sunderland has to also register with British Taekwondo. You can find plenty of details on events, news, coaching courses, first aid, members and clubs, launching a new Taekwondo club, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, coaches and competition referees, and more, by dropping by at British Taekwondo's official website.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You will probably be interested to learn about exactly what type of benefits might be achieved by taking part in Sunderland Taekwondo instruction and participating 100% in its practices. You can expect that you will: Teach you self-defence strategies by coaching you to realize circumstances where self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to turn such circumstances in your favour, Reduces stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Increase agility, flexibility and stamina by means of strenuous cardiovascular work-outs, Toughen up your mind and body thru increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Greater discipline by exhaustively schooling your mind and body in the principles and tactics of Taekwondo, Improve feelings of self-esteem by intensifying both mental and physical fitness, Build up confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

Some of the basic Taekwondo kicks you will master initially include: Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick, Side Kick, Whip or Hook Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to fend off the different attacking moves, are called Makgi. Employing the hand and parts of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Each type of attack necessitates a particular style of block, counter-attacking moves can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory kick or punch. The main blocks (makgi) include: Upper Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Palm Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo for Beginners

With any sport or activity we need to begin somewhere, and Taekwondo's exactly the same. Even the the best of the Sunderland Taekwondo exponents were total novices at one time. So, what can you expect as a complete beginner at Taekwondo? A beginners class should give its students sufficient coaching to teach them the fundamentals and allow them to develop self-confidence as they progress. The ideal beginners class needs to be enjoyable as well as educational, when folks are enjoying themselves they're far more engaged and are going to learn much faster.

Safety Gear

Competitions controlled by British Taekwondo policies require various items of protective gear to be worn, these include: a mouth protector, a groin protector, forearm guards, shin guards, hand protectors, a red or blue head protector and a red/blue body protector (hogu). This is a must because of the forceful kicking attacks being employed.