What has Tae Kwon Do got to offer?
Training in Tae Kwon Do can be great fun for everyone including all members of your family. As well as helping you to defend yourself, Tae Kwon Do will help you to improve fitness, stamina, flexibility, focus, concentration & general well being. HED TKD provides a safe, fun environment for you to learn and enjoy the art of Tae Kwon-Do.
Even if Tae Kwon Do is practiced for exercise alone, the enjoyment derived will justify the time invested and spent. As an exercise it is equally suitable for most people including boys, girls, children, families, ladies & gentlemen regardless of age. Tae Kwon-Do is also very popular with families who already enjoy practicing together with us at our clubs.
Self Defence, Confidence, Fitness, Flexibility, FUN !
Tae Kwon Do is the Korean Art of self-defence and means ‘Art of Hand and Foot’. It is a version of an ancient form of unarmed combat practised for many centuries in the Orient. Tae Kwon-Do was perfected in its present form in Korea. Translated from Korean, “Tae” literally means to jump, kick or smash with the foot. “Kwon” denotes a fist, chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist. “Do” means art, way or method.
Tae Kwon Do indicates the technique of unarmed combat for self-defence. Hopefully you can simply avoid any conflict. However if it’s un-avoidable, TKD provides you with the ability to use skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks, dodges and interception with the hand, arms and feet to rapidly dissuade or subdue the opponent.
Club Sessions
During the class you will be guided by your instructor as you learn new and exciting skills both individually with partners & using proven set systems and also new innovative drills. Your instructors try to make sessions fun, interesting different and inspiring. Here are a few of the many things you might practice.
Pad Work
Combinations and drills using pads and safety equipment enable you to develop speed and precision.
Flexibility and Coordination
Whatever your level of fitness and flexibility, this will improve as you practice. Many people find that the classes help you to improve general health and well being.
Self Defence Techniques
Although all aspects of Tae Kwon-Do are geared to help you defend yourself (or simply avoid physical conflict), your instructor will help you to develop techniques and skills to help you to avoid conflict more easily.
Patterns
A set of fundamental movements, mainly defence and attack, set in a logical sequence to deal with one or more imaginary opponents. Patterns help us to improve our Tae Kwon-Do techniques, develop sparring techniques, improve flexibility of movement, master body-shifting, develop muscles, balance and breath control. They also enable us to acquire techniques which cannot be obtained from other forms of training.
Set sparring
We also teach you pre-arranged combinations so you can practice your skills, learning their application to help you defend yourself should the need arise.
Free Sparring
As you progress through the grades you may be introduced to free sparring which is practised in many forms. This is one of the best ways to practice the application of basic or advanced techniques that you have learned putting them into real action. It also brings everything together including blocking, punching, dodging and kicking techniques.
Competitions
Entering competitions is not mandatory, but it’s great fun to participate or just go along to spectate and support your friends and club mates. It is not all about fighting. There are various events and categories where you can demonstrate your skills in a safe and fun way.
Depending on the event, each person competes with others of the similar age, grade and category. In sparring categories, all competitors wear the relevant protective equipment.
For those who want to compete with or just enjoy watching TKD exponents from all over the world, the TAGB hosts some of the best national and international championship tournaments right here in the UK.
Enjoy your Tae Kwon-Do even more
During your training towards Black Belt, you can enjoy advanced techniques drills and training.
Learn more advanced techniques of tae Kwon-do including learning more about how to neutralize your opponent without injury including avoidance to maximise your potential to stay safe and well.
Destruction
Destruction is the name given to the action of breaking various objects and material using different attacking tools. Usually consisting of breaking wooden boards (or re-breakable practice boards), it is used to demonstrate good technique, speed and power. Primarily used at demonstrations but studied and taught by your instructors, they can help you to develop good technique and confidence in this part of the art so that you can participate when you are qualified and ready to try this aspect.
Demonstrations
Demonstrating is usually great fun and is a free way to express yourself and your knowledge and enjoyment of the art of Tae Kwon-Do’s. Public displays and demonstrations are usually open to all students/grades and are purely voluntary.
Knowledge
There are many publications about Tae Kwon-Do, including books, CD's, Videos and Knowledge / Resources on our website & the internet. However there is absolutely no substitute for studying TKD with your instructor in the Dojang (training hall) because there is much more fun and authenticity to learning an art from a great instructor than just reading about it or watching movies. Your instructors will impart more of their knowledge to help you develop within the modern art of Tae Kwon-Do.
