Taekwondo Yeadon

Taekwondo is typically far more demanding physically than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty fit and nimble you may prefer to partake in something a little bit gentler to boost your fitness levels in Yeadon. Children are clearly the perfect participants for Taekwondo classes in Yeadon, with a lot of fast movements going on and a great deal of high kicking.

With its beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts and consists of mostly kicking moves such as head-height kicks, rapid kicking styles and jumping/turning kicks. It started when schools called "kwans" were founded by a bunch of Korean martial artists in Seoul, South Korea.

These days an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has over 60 million enthusiasts all around the world, and even though you might not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games athlete, you are still able to join a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt prove to be a fascinating and advantageous pastime.

The thing about Taekwondo that appears to most appeal to people in Yeadon is the self-defence element of it. This is not a surprise when you consider the rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. However, exercising a good helping of self-restraint and having respect for others goes hand in hand with Taekwondo's self-defence principles.

There's a fairly decent likelihood that your eagerly mastered Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your everyday life, but it will most certainly give you reassurance knowing that they're there should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Yeadon Taekwondo Lesson

Different Taekwondo clubs in the Yeadon area will have different ideas about what students should be covering on their very first class, however to give you a concept of what you should expect most initial Taekwondo lessons will include a warm-up, some sparring, learning simple forms (Poomse), an introduction to hand attacks, stances, kicks and blocking techniques (practical training) and a warm-down to stretch weary muscles and get the body back to a state of relaxation.

If you want to join a Taekwondo club in Yeadon, you'll also have to register with the sport's official governing body, namely British Taekwondo. You'll be able to learn about starting a new club, news, equality and safeguarding, first aid, coaches and competition referees, health and safety, members and clubs, events, coaching courses, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Twitter or Facebook page.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You will probably be interested to discover precisely what type of benefits could be gained by taking part in Yeadon Taekwondo training and partaking fully in its activities. You may expect to: More discipline and willpower by thoroughly educating your body and mind in the strategies and principles of Taekwondo, Teach self-defence by training you to recognize instances in which self-defence could be necessary, and enabling you to control these types of scenarios in your favour, Supercharge agility, flexibility and stamina through strenuous cardiovascular exertion, Enhance feelings of self-esteem by intensifying your physical and mental health, Strengthen your body and mind by means of increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Reduced stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Build up your confidence by pushing you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the primary features of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a small selection of the best known kicking moves: Axe Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: To stop and deflect an inbound Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. They are held in particular positions and use the hands with parts of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate particular "blocks", but blocks can also be turned into counter-attacks by the combination of reciprocal kicks or punches. The most important "blocks" (makgi) include: Single Forearm Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Palm Block, Nine Block, Rising Block, Double Knife Hand Block and Low Block.

Taekwondo Belts

The belt and ranking system can get pretty complicated in Taekwondo because there's no recognised structure across the different Taekwondo styles. Similarities can be found however, and commonly there are 2 separate belt groupings, signified as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of ranks in the junior section varies through the disciplines but is usually between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior groupings commonly has nine dans or belts.

Conclusion

What you get from Taekwondo will be directly related to what you put into it (as is true of life on the whole). Many of you will simply want to make new friends, meet different people and improve your fitness, some might wish to take part in tournaments and competitions or maybe even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊