Taekwondo Wilmslow

While people of all ages in Wilmslow can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. It can sometimes be too taxing for older adults unless they are exceptionally fit and active. However those who take up Taekwondo in Wilmslow at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. If you consider yourself among the less agile, you could try something like Tai Chi which is much softer.

The name Taekwondo has only been used since the 1950's, although the discipline started life in Korea in 1945. This combination of various martial arts techniques were practiced in some new schools in Seoul called "kwans", founded by a group of Korean martial artists. Kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks are the main emphasis of Taekwondo, as it eventually became known.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular around the world with some 60 million people routinely participating in classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo club or class that you are able to begin your quest of mastering this thrilling martial art.

For the people of Wilmslow who wish to learn a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Since this is a central principle of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to appreciate the attraction of this unique sport. With the added reward of learning self-restraint and having a deep respect for others, getting involved in a local Wilmslow Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

There's a fairly good likelihood that your newly mastered Taekwondo skills will never have to be used in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you a secure feeling knowing that they are there should you need them.

Your First Wilmslow Taekwondo Lesson

If you have made up your mind to learn Taekwondo and are heading to your first class, you will be wondering what will happen. The following will give you an example, but this will vary depending on which Wilmslow school you attend. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to loosen your muscles and increase your heart rate, a bit of technical training which will involve learning some stances, blocking techniques, hand attacks and kicks, learning some forms (or Poomse), a look at sparring including movement, timing and attack targeting, and lastly a warm down to stretch muscles and relax.

The United Kingdom's governing body of the sport is British Taekwondo and if you wish to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Wilmslow, you will also be required to become a member of this respected organization. You'll be able to read about first aid, news, clubs and members, coaches and referees, events, coaching courses, beginning a new club, safeguarding and equality, safe practices, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are categorized by specific activities like direction, technique and stance. From the beginning you'll get to grips with some of the important forms, and in order to move through the rankings (belts) you'll need to learn some more technical ones.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

The ranking and belt system can get a bit confusing in Taekwondo because there's no standard system throughout the various Taekwondo disciplines. Parallels can be found however, and typically there are two distinct belt groupings, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (colours). The number of grades in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is normally somewhere between eight and twelve belts, whilst the senior group generally has nine belts or dans.

Taekwondo Tournaments

Taekwondo competitions are staged internationally in all the various styles. There's usually not much hard contact but breaking, patterns and sparring. Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) competitions consist only of sparring, in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) contests specific hand attacks are allowed to the head. Various other organisations stage multi-discipline events.

Beginners Taekwondo Wilmslow

Students starting out on their Taekwondo adventure in Wilmslow will at first sign up for a beginners class. Beginners classes are fantastic, because there's not any pressure and things are done at a casual, slow pace. Learning and having fun are the primary aims at first and trainees who are enjoying themselves have a tendency to learn much quicker and digest considerably more of what they're being taught. Even Taekwondo masters started off as naive newbies, so take that very first step and you never know where you will wind up!