Taekwondo Waltham Abbey

Taekwondo is typically much more demanding physically than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and agile you may prefer to find something a little gentler to improve your fitness levels in Waltham Abbey. Younger children are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Waltham Abbey, with a lot of fast paced movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently established of the martial arts, with its root beginnings in Korea in 1945. A number of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some new schools which they called "kwans", merging various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it ultimately became known as, largely entails high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly head kicks, rapid kicking techniques and turning/jumping kicks.

Taekwondo has grown to be very popular in Waltham Abbey and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Becoming a member of a local Waltham Abbey Taekwondo club or class is an excellent way to become involved with this sport which has even been a feature of the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. While you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there's certainly no reason why you cannot become an expert at this exhilarating martial art and have some fun in the process.

For many folks in Waltham Abbey, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these times of increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it is little surprise that this aspect sits high up on people's priority lists. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you are able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect those around you and learn self-restraint.

While it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the odds are that you will never be required to test them outside the regulated atmosphere of an organized Taekwondo class.

Your First Waltham Abbey Taekwondo Lesson

If you decide to register for Taekwondo training in Waltham Abbey, the first thing you'll wish to know is what is going to occur on the initial lesson and what precisely will the tutor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in Waltham Abbey will devise diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can count on performing a 15 minute warm-up to get the blood flowing and loosen your muscles, learn several Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (blocking techniques, kicks, stances and hand attacks), do some sparring, and finally, warm-down.

British Taekwondo is the official regulating body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organisation is compulsory if you want to join any Taekwondo class in Waltham Abbey or nearby. You can find out about coaches and referees, first aid, clubs and members, news, starting a new Taekwondo club, safe practices, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, events, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You will no doubt be interested to discover exactly what type of benefits could be gained by taking part in Waltham Abbey Taekwondo instruction and participating fully in its activities. You could expect that you will: Build up confidence by helping you to succeed and to take control of your life, More discipline by exhaustively training your mind and body in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Strengthen your mind and body by increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by elevating your physical and mental health, Learn self-defence by helping you to realize scenarios where self-defence might be required, and enabling you to turn such situations in your favour, Increase agility, flexibility and stamina by way of intense cardiovascular effort, Lessen anxiety with controlled breathing.

Taekwondo Kicks

Kicks play a major role in the art of Taekwondo, here are a small selection of the best known ones ones: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi). Blocks: To divert and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are used. Using the hands and different parts of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Each and every "block" can be combined with a punch or kick to create a counter-attack, and each one is appropriate for a certain type of attack. The main Taekwondo blocks (makgi) include: Double Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Low Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Rising Block, Palm Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Perfecting Taekwondo will involve learning many disciplines and one of the pivotal parts of Taekwondo is its forms (also called patterns or Poomse). These are sequences of stance, direction and technique which need to be memorized in order for pupils to progress through the various dans (grades/belts).

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Taekwondo competitions are held across the globe in all of the various styles. There is usually not a whole lot of hard contact but sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Olympic and World Taekwondo competitions comprise only sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) contests specific hand attacks are allowed to the head. Various other organisations stage multi-discipline contests.

Beginners Classes

Trainees setting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Waltham Abbey will initially register for a beginners class. Beginners classes are fabulous, since there is not any pressure and things are done at a slow and casual pace. Having fun while learning is the principal goal to start with and students who are enjoying themselves tend to learn a lot quicker and digest considerably more of what they're being told. Even Taekwondo masters started out as inexperienced newbies, so take that initial step and you never know where you will wind up!

Taekwondo Safety Equipment

Safety equipment like a groin protector, blue or red body armour, forearm guards, hand guards, a mouth protector, shin protectors and a red or blue head guard are used in all competitions supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is vital thanks to the powerful kicks which are part and parcel of this sport.

Summary

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo isn't solely about Olympic titles and National Championships. The majority of of us are happy to meet different people, make new friends and improve our levels of fitness, and that is exactly how it ought to be. Yet, as with many things in life, what you get out of it will depend on what you invest in it. Good luck and enjoy! 👊