Taekwondo Thornaby

Because of its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is possibly more suited to the younger generation in Thornaby and is especially suitable for children as it is great for nurturing self-discipline and respect for others. Seniors who are not all that fit and active might find it a tad too challenging. People in Thornaby who take up Taekwondo when they are young find it simple to continue when they become older. Something a bit less demanding like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less nimble of you.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not used until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking styles, jumping/turning kicks and head kicks.Today Thornaby Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Thornaby and all across the globe, with more than sixty million practitioners worldwide. Joining a local Thornaby Taekwondo class or club is a good way to get involved in this sporting activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Although you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there's certainly no reason why you should not become a maestro of this remarkable martial art and have some fun along the way.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and obviously this is one of the main reasons that individuals in Thornaby join classes and get involved in the sport. There has been a worrying escalation of violent practices in recent years and this is particularly rampant in town and city centres throughout North Yorkshire and the UK in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such common qualities in Thornaby nowadays.

There's a very good chance that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be proven in your day to day life, but it will unquestionably give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

Your First Thornaby Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't something that you have ever done before, you'll probably be wondering what to expect from your first class if you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Thornaby have different ideas about this but in brief; you'll take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you will learn some forms, you will practice sparring methods and last but not least you'll perform a warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state once again.

If you want to join a Taekwondo class in Thornaby, you'll also have to register with the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. By viewing British Taekwondo's official website you'll be able to find information regarding first aid, clubs and members, events, news, coaches and referees, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, beginning a new Taekwondo club, coaching courses, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

The Basic Taekwondo Kicks

One of the key parts of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a small selection of the most widely used kicks: Axe Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Roundhouse Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the various attacking movements, are called Makgi. Held in diverse positions, they involve the hand and different parts of the arm. Every block can be merged with a kick or punch to create a counter-attacking movement, and each one is meant for a certain type of attack. The most important "blocks" include: Palm Block, Low Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Single Forearm Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Belts

Since there are many different disciplines of Taekwondo there's never been any uniform arrangement for assigning belts (ranks). What does exist however is quite similar and involves a couple of belt groupings "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groupings is divided into ranks, 8 to 12 colours for juniors and nine "blacks" for the seniors.

Taekwondo Competitions

There are a wide variety of competitions in Taekwondo involving all the different styles. They mainly comprise sparring, breaking and patterns with little or no "hard contact". ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions do not allow substantial contact but do allow hand attacks towards the head. World Taekwondo (WT) and Olympic contests only allow sparring. Multi-style tournaments also take place.

Beginners Taekwondo Thornaby

It matters not what you're capable of or who you are in Taekwondo, at some point you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We've all started at that point and are only able to develop and learn through practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Thornaby are the best place to start that learning process and to acquire the fundamentals so that you can build confidence and proceed with your exciting Taekwondo quest. Nearly all beginner classes are geared up to be friendly and fun, delivering a gradual introduction to the basic Taekwondo values and building a solid foundation for the future.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Safety equipment such as a mouth protector, forearm protectors, a groin guard, a red or blue head protector, hand guards, a blue or red trunk guard (hogu) and shin guards have to be used in all contests supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is paramount owing to the powerful kicking that's an integral part of this activity.