Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts in the world, there’s a reason why it’s so popular and that’s because it’s so effective.
It’s a Korean martial art that employs kicking and punching techniques, and many people love it because of the benefits it has to offer, like becoming more skilled in self-defense and the health benefits associated with it.
If you’re unsure about taking a taekwondo class, or if you’re not sure it’s for you, don’t worry. We will be looking at what makes taekwondo so great and the benefits associated with it.
What Is Taekwondo?
The name taekwondo translates as the way of the foot and the fist. Tae’ means to attack or break with the foot, kwon’ means to break or attack with the fist and do’ translates as the way.
It is one of the most systematic and scientific Korean martial arts, it was founded in the 1940s in, you guessed it – Korea.
It consists of punching and kicking techniques with some elements of grappling, it’s a dynamic art and active movements are constantly employed that include a mirage of foot skills.
It began as a defensive martial art but has now developed into a way of training the mind and body, it promotes harmonious growth and improvements of life through its unique movements.
In a competition setting, fighters of the same sex and weight category will compete against each other, this is to ensure the match is as fair as possible.
Once the match has begun, the competitors will try to score points by attacking their opponent, one point is usually given for a basic attack to the torso, two for a spinning kick to the opponent’s torso and three for a spinning kick to the head and there will be three two minute rounds played.
After the match has ended, the person with the most points will be awarded the win and if both fighters have the same amount of points then a golden point round’ will commence, and the first person to score a point is declared the winner.
Is Taekwondo Effective For Self-Defense?
As we mentioned earlier, it began as a defensive martial art and it teaches great techniques and usually teaches you to utilize your legs as a weapon since your legs are longer than your arms which will stop any attackers from getting close to you.
As well as using your legs, you’ll learn how to effectively use dynamic movements, punches, sweeps and trips to ward off an attacker.
These are usually seen as a backup to using your legs in a fight, so you’ll spend most of your time in a taekwondo class learning how to deliver different types of spinning and jumping kicks.
It may seem tedious at first, as you’ll most likely be breaking boards and bricks and sparring with people more experienced than you.
But if you keep at it, it’ll improve your fitness levels and also give you the skills and experience to defend yourself and others if you ever find yourself in a situation that warrants your training.
The Benefits Of Taekwondo
Taekwondo has many benefits, we will discuss a few in this section so that you can see for yourself.
It’s Great For The Mind And Body
Taekwondo is great for your physical and mental health. It increases your self-esteem and confidence whilst also giving you self-discipline and helping you to focus better.
It’s a great way of exercising to improve your cardiovascular health, you’ll do many types of training that will get your blood pumping and your heart racing which will ultimately lead to you losing weight and becoming more toned as your muscles are worked.
Your stamina and fitness levels will improve too, in your first taekwondo class you may feel tired within the first five minutes if you’re not used to high intensity training, but as you push on and train harder you’ll see yourself becoming a lot fitter and you’ll soon be able to get through the hour long taekwondo sessions in no time.
Taekwondo also utilizes a lot of meditation exercises to keep your mind calm and focused and it will teach you how to stay calm in the heat of the moment so that you can think clearly.
You can have tons of skill and be able to spar amazingly, but it means nothing if you’d panic and freeze up if faced with a real life situation where you’d need to defend yourself.
Taking part in taekwondo classes will also make you a lot more flexible and agile, you’ll have to perform spinning and jump kicks that will force you to outstretch your leg as far as you can.
It Relieves Stress
Joining a taekwondo class can be great for relieving any stress, it’s a form of exercise so it releases serotonin which is known to alleviate stress.
Regular exercise also releases a type of chemical called dopamine, which will improve not only your mood but also gives you more motivation which will make you feel good and feel less stressed.
You’ll often be spending a lot of time kicking and punching a bag as you learn how to strike properly, this can be great for getting your anger and frustrations out which will bring your stress levels down.
What’s better than getting rid of your stress by hitting a defenseless bag?
Final Thoughts
Taekwondo is a highly effective martial art that promotes good values and self-discipline.
Not only will it do wonders for your confidence and self-esteem but it’ll also keep your cardiovascular health in check by helping you lose weight and helping to tone your muscles.
It will also keep you agile and help you become more flexible with the high kicks you’ll learn.
If you’re thinking about taking up taekwondo, you should definitely go for it. It’s no wonder why a lot of people say that taekwondo changed their lives, the benefits it has to offer are seriously impressive!
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