Falmouth Taekwondo (TR11): Originally developed in Korea during the 1940's and 50's, Taekwondo is a fast combatative sport that has become increasingly popular over the last 30 years or so. For those of you who wish to learn a bit of self-defence, boost your confidence, strengthen your body and mind and bolster your self-esteem, Taekwondo could be the ideal hobby or fitness activity.
The mere mention of Taekwondo, invokes images of energetic young children doing kicking and punching exercises. While the younger generation should find it easier to contend with the physical demands of Taekwondo, people of any age can and do practice the sport. Being relatively agile does however help you to enjoy all the intricacies of Taekwondo.
The sport was formulated in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't named Taekwondo until the 1950's. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts devotees founded some exciting new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a mix of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it eventually became known as, mostly involves kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks. These days Falmouth Taekwondo classes comply with this tradition.
Taekwondo has become very popular in Falmouth and all around the world, with over 60 million practitioners worldwide. Joining a local Falmouth Taekwondo club or class is a good way to get involved in this sport which has even featured in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games of 2000. While you may not aspire to Olympic competition, there is no reason why you cannot become a master of this exciting martial art and have some fun along the way.
In these times of increasing violence, it is hardly surprising that people in places like Falmouth are taking up self-defence classes like Taekwondo to help them feel safer in their local environment. The self-defence aspect is one of the key factors of Taekwondo but it also teaches self-restraint and a respect for other people, which are disciplines that are largely missing in modern day life.
Your First Falmouth Taekwondo Class: If you've just booked your very first Taekwondo class, you will be wondering what to expect. There might be variations to the following, subject to which Falmouth Taekwondo school you go to, but you can more or less expect; A warm up of 15 to 20 minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce any stiffness in the muscles, a little technical training covering some hand attacks, stances, blocking techniques and kicks, some work on patterns or forms, some tips on sparring including good timing, precise movement and the accurate targeting of attacks, and to finish off a warm down with muscle stretching and loosening up to prevent spasms and cramping.
The Taekwondo Kicks: There are many different Taekwondo kicks, here are just eight of them: Hook or Whip Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi), Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi).
Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments: Competitions are an important part of the overall Taekwondo experience and all of the different styles all over the world hold tournaments where Taekwondo masters come together to compete. Hard contact is rarely allowed in any of these competitions which mainly incorporate sparring, patterns and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, while some hand attacks are tolerated in ITF events.
Safety Gear: British Taekwondo matches require certain safety equipment to be worn to protect competitors from injury due to the powerful kicks being used. This safety gear includes: hand protectors, a blue/red head guard, a mouth protector, blue/red body armour, a groin protector, shin pads and forearm guards.
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