Taekwondo Urmston

Taekwondo is typically far more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty fit and agile you may prefer to find something a bit gentler to improve your fitness in Urmston. Younger children are clearly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Urmston, with lots of fast movements taking place and a great deal of high kicking.

The sport was first practiced in Korea in around 1945, though the name Taekwondo was not coined until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. In Taekwondo the emphasis is on kicking, especially jumping/turning kicks, head kicks and fast kicking methods. Today Urmston Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

Popular all over the world Taekwondo now has over 60 million practitioners. Now an Olympic sport, Taekwondo is accessible to everyone, and joining a local Urmston Taekwondo club or class is the best way to get yourself involved. There is no reason why you cannot reach a high standard in this thrilling sport, even if you have no desire to compete in the Olympics.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and naturally this is one of the primary reasons that individuals in Urmston join classes and get involved in the sport. There's been a troubling increase in violent conduct over the last few years and this is particularly rife in town and city centres around Greater Manchester and the British Isles in general. The beauty of Taekwondo though, is that it also teaches self-discipline and a deep respect for others, not such widespread characteristics in Urmston nowadays.

There's a very good chance that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never have to be proved in your everyday life, but it will most certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are there should you need them.

Your First Class

If you have booked your first class but have not done Taekwondo before, you will be wondering what to expect. This can vary subject to which Urmston school you attend, but will usually involve the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce any stiffness in the muscles, some technical training covering some hand attacks, blocking techniques, kicks and stances, learning some forms (or Poomse), some ideas on sparring including timing, movement and the targeting of attacks, and finally a warm down to stretch muscles and loosen up.

British Taekwondo is the regulating body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organization is mandatory if you wish to sign up with any Taekwondo class in Urmston or nearby. You can learn about members and clubs, events, referees and coaching, news, coaching courses, establishing a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, equality and safeguarding, first aid, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find the latest Taekwondo news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are needless to say, quite a few benefits to be gained from doing Taekwondo, and here are just a hint of the ones that could be attractive to you: Toughen up your mind and body via accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Lower stress using advanced breath control, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by way of intensive cardiovascular exertion, Increase self-esteem by raising your physical and mental fitness, Help with self-defence tactics by helping you recognize situations where self-defence may be needed, and empowering you to control these types of situations in your favour, Grow in your confidence by helping you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Greater self-discipline by thoroughly training your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo.

The Main Taekwondo Kicks

There are numerous different Taekwondo kicking manoeuvres, here are just a selection of them: Front Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", which are used to fend off the different attacks, are known as Makgi. They are held in specific positions and employ the hands with areas of the arm. Specific attacks require specified "blocks", but blocks can also be changed into counter-attacking movements by the combination of retaliatory punches or kicks. The main Taekwondo "blocks" include: Rising Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block and Upper Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The belt and ranking system can get a bit confusing in Taekwondo because there's no recognised arrangement across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Likenesses can be found however, and usually there are 2 distinct belt groups, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (colours). The number of grades in the junior section varies over the disciplines but is normally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior section usually has nine belts or dans.

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo matches call for specific safety equipment to be worn to protect contenders from personal injury due to the vigorous kicking that takes place. These safety items include: a groin guard, hand guards, forearm protectors, shin pads, blue or red trunk armour, a blue/red head protector and a mouth guard.