Taekwondo Wickford

As Taekwondo has fairly high physical demands, it is perhaps more suited to the younger generation in Wickford. That's not to say that the older generation can't get involved in this kind of activity, but simply that there could be alternative martial arts that are more suitable for the less agile among us. Tai Chi is the perfect example.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul established some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a combination of martial arts techniques. This eventually became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially turning/jumping kicks, fast kicking strategies and head kicks.Today Wickford Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million enthusiasts worldwide, and whilst you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games athlete, you're still able to join a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt prove to be a worthwhile and interesting activity.

It is the self-defence element of Taekwondo that generally has the most appeal to people in Wickford. This is not surprising when you consider the ever rising levels of violence seen in city centres these days. Actually one of the key principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst exercising self-restraint and a respect for others.

While its good to know they are there if you need them, with a bit of luck you will not ever be required to use your newly acquired Taekwondo techniques for defending yourself outside of your local club surroundings.

Your First Lesson

If you come to a decision to register for a Taekwondo club in Wickford, the first thing you'll be thinking about is what will occur on the very first lesson and what will the instructor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Wickford area will devise diverse routines for this first lesson but you can anticipate doing a 20 minute warm-up to get the blood flowing and loosen your muscles, learn a few Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (hand attacks, blocks, kicks and stances), do some sparring, and to finish, warm-down.

If you would like to join a Taekwondo club in Wickford, you will also have to register with the sport's official regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about coaching courses, equality and safeguarding, beginning a new Taekwondo club, clubs and members, coaches and tournament referees, safe practices, events, news, first aid, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, or find the latest news reports on their Facebook or Twitter page.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll doubtless be fascinated to learn about exactly what kind of benefits could be obtained by taking part in Wickford Taekwondo instruction and engaging fully in its activities. You could expect that you will: Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by means of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Improve self-esteem by sharpening your physical and mental fitness, Lessen anxiety and stress using advanced breath control, Beef up your confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to seize control of your life, Teach you self-defence strategies by helping you to realize circumstances in which self-defence may be required, and allowing you to turn these kinds of scenarios to your advantage, Empower your mind and body via accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Greater discipline and willpower by exhaustively training your body and mind in the strategies and principles of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Forms are a key part of Taekwondo and are crucial if you're to excel at this intriguing sport. Some basic "forms" should be learned from the beginning and more elaborate forms must be perfected in order to move through the various ranks. A Taekwondo form is characterized by a number of aspects such as direction, technique and stance.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

In Tae kwon do there is really no uniformity in relation to grades and belts. It all hinges on what style you're considering, because there are so many different Taekwondo styles and rules. They are however, normally split into a couple of groupings "junior (colour) belts and "senior" (black) belts. The colour/junior rankings range from white to red, with from 8 to 12 rankings, whilst the black/senior belts typically have 9 rankings.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Even the finest exponents of Taekwondo in Wickford had to start as rookies, so it is no disgrace to be a total beginner at Tae kwon do, or for that matter any other activity. The aim of a Taekwondo beginner class is to teach a few basics, increase confidence and build a solid foundation for the future. Most important of all is that it must be fun, trainees having a good time are going to learn quicker and be more engaged.

Safety Equipment

Safety equipment such as a blue or red head guard, hand protectors, forearm guards, shin protectors, a groin protector, a mouth protector and a blue/red trunk guard (hogu) must be used in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is needed on account of the powerful kicks that are an integral element of this sport.

In Summary

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo will be directly related to what you invest in it (as is true of life in general). The majority of you will simply wish to improve your fitness, make new friends and meet different people, some might want to take part in competitions or tournaments or possibly even the Olympic Games. But bear in mind, we can't all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊