Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art best known for its kicks — high, fast, spinning and jumping. Punches and blocks are part of it, but the legs do most of the work. There are two main branches: World Taekwondo (WT), whose sparring is an Olympic sport, and the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), with its own patterns and rules. It is taught in groups to children and adults.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”- Flexibility, especially in the hips and legs, and balance on the move.
- Speed, agility and endurance.
- Coordination and body control: kicks are aimed with precision.
- Discipline, respect and confidence, with belt grades to work towards.
- The basics of self-defence.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”- A dobok, the white uniform, and a belt in the colour of your grade. Sports clothes are fine for the first classes.
- You train barefoot on mats.
- For sparring: a body protector, headgear, forearm and shin guards, a groin guard and a mouthguard. ITF sparring uses padded gloves and foot protectors; in WT competition, electronic protectors and sensor socks count the points.
- Kicking pads, targets and mats are at the club.
How training goes
Section titled “How training goes”- 60–90 minutes. It starts and ends with a bow, and many clubs count and name techniques in Korean.
- A warm-up and plenty of stretching, then the basics: stances, blocks, punches and kicks, repeated in lines.
- Kicking drills on pads and targets — front, roundhouse, side, back and spinning kicks — often with footwork.
- Patterns: set sequences of moves, called poomsae in WT and tul in ITF.
- Sparring in protection, at a level that suits you; some clubs also practise breaking boards.
- Belts go from white through coloured grades (gup) to the black belt (dan). You move up at a grading exam. The club usually says whether it follows WT or ITF.
Who it suits best
Section titled “Who it suits best”- Children: many clubs take them from an early age, and the belts and structure suit them.
- Teenagers and adults who enjoy fast, athletic movement.
- Anybody who wants to become more flexible — stretching is part of every session.
- People who want a sport path, from local tournaments to Olympic-style competition.
- It is less suited to anybody with knee, hip or lower-back problems, as kicks load these joints. With an injury or a condition that rules out blows to the head, ask a doctor and tell the coach.