Taekwondo Truro

Because Taekwondo has quite high physical requirements, it is perhaps more suitable for the younger people of Truro. That is not to say that the older generation cannot participate in this popular activity, but simply that there could be other martial arts which are more suited to the less nimble among us. Tai Chi is the perfect example.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mainly consists of kicking moves and manoeuvres, most notably rapid kicking techniques, spinning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks. It began in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a group of martial arts enthusiasts founded schools known as "kwans", which combined a variety of martial arts techniques.

Taekwondo has become extremely popular in Truro and around the globe, with over 60 million participants worldwide. Joining a local Truro Taekwondo club or class is a good way to become involved with this sporting activity which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. Whilst you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there's certainly no reason why you cannot become an expert at this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.

For many folks in Truro, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that holds the most appeal. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in town and city centres, it really is no surprise that this aspect features high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary element of Taekwondo that you are able to gain more confidence in your capacity to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

Such self-defence techniques may at some point come in handy in the outside world, although it's more likely that you'll only be using them within a controlled class environment. However it is an amazing feeling knowing that you can always defend yourself if you need to.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you have not attempted Taekwondo before you will likely be a bit anxious as to what you should expect on your first lesson. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which Truro school you have signed up for. 15 to 20 minutes of warm up exercises to loosen stiff muscles and increate your heart rate, a little technical training comprising some hand attacks, blocking techniques, kicks and stances, a look at some forms (Poomse), some tips on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent muscle spasms and cramping,

British Taekwondo is the governing body of the sport within the UK, and membership of this organisation is compulsory should you wish to join any Taekwondo class in Truro or nearby. You'll be able to find out about first aid, coaching courses, clubs and members, news, coaches and tournament referees, establishing a new club, equality and safeguarding, events, health and safety, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or get the latest Taekwondo news reports on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

When you're getting started with Taekwondo classes in Truro you'll be aiming to get a few benefits to make the entire project worth the effort. Therefore why don't we look into a few of the positive benefits that you might acquire from practicing and learning Taekwondo. Help with self-defence by showing you how to identify occasions where self-defence may be necessary, and empowering you to control these types of situations to your advantage, Better discipline and willpower by exhaustively schooling your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Increase concentration and self-esteem by sharpening both physical and mental health, Grow in confidence by inspiring you to take control of your life and succeed, Strengthen your body and mind by way of enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline, Supercharge agility, flexibility and stamina through intensive cardiovascular effort, Lessen anxiety using advanced breath control.

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

People just starting out Taekwondo do not need to fret excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) at the outset, but they'll get to grips with some standard ones to begin with and move on to more complicated "forms" as they progress up the various belts (grades/dans). A form is denoted by specific aspects of Taekwondo including stance, direction and technique. Learning such sequences is a vital part of mastering Taekwondo.

Competitions

A regular Taekwondo competition includes patterns (forms), sparring and breaking, where the Olympics is concerned only sparring is involved. Having said that there may also be a few special categories in specific tournaments such as self-defence and team demonstrations. WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments are purely soft-contact affairs, while ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) competitions allow some hand attacks to be aimed at the head. There are in addition some multi-discipline competitions.

In Conclusion

Precisely what you get from Taekwondo will be proportional to what you invest in it (as is true of life in general). The majority of you will merely want to make new friends, improve your fitness and meet different people, some may wish to move on to competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympics. But remember, we can't all be a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊