Beginner's guide

What is taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a modern martial art, characterised by it's fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name taekwondo. The sport was founded in Korea and is one of the popular modern martial arts.

Objectives of Taekwondo
to develop an appreciation for Taekwondo as a sport and as an art
to achieve physical fitness through positive participation
to improve mental discipline and emotional equanimity
to learn self-defense skills
to develop a sense of responsibility for one self and others.

Taekwondo for kids
Taekwondo has no age limits and is a very good sport for children. They learn fast reactions through games, learn to respect others and learn to know their abilities and disabilities. Competition rules are a bit different for children then they are for adults. Although children wear full body protection (preferably thicker than the protection for adults) only kicks and punches to the body are allowed, no kicks to the head.

Is Taekwondo dangerous?
Although WTF Taekwondo is a full contact sport where it is allowed to kick to the head (throwing punches to the head are not allowed), it is not very dangerous to practice Taekwondo. During training, there is no need to actually win. During competition, full protection is used to protect the competitors.

Other FAQs (Frequently asked questions)

Q: I am not flexible at all, can I still learn taekwondo?
A: Yes you can. Flexibility is very practical for high kicks but it is not an absolute must. Speed has a big influence as well. You will see that with using proper technique and speed, you will reach pretty high standard, even if you are not the most flexible in your class!

Q: I am not very fit... Will that be a problem?
A: No, start training right away! Taekwondo will help you to become fit in a (relative) short amount of time.

Q: How much are lessons?
A: If you train twice a week, it could be as little as £5 per session. You will have to purchase uniforms and other optional equipment yourself

Q: I have already reached the age of xx. Am I not too old to start taekwondo?
A: You are never too old to start taekwondo, as long as you are physically able to train. Of course, the older you get, the more difficult it will be to win in competitions for instance, but taekwondo is much broader than sparring, something which people often tend to forget. The most important aspect of a training is that you feel good about the training and that you make progress on both physical and mental level.