What is Taekwondo? – A Beginner’s Guide
If you’re looking for self-defence classes for yourself or a child, you’ve probably come across the word Taekwondo along with a bunch of others, all under the blanket term of martial arts. Taekwondo is certainly a martial art, but what does that actually mean?
What is a martial art?
Put simply, a martial art is a fighting system that has a structured syllabus, with a grading system leading to a qualification, which itself expresses a level of ability and ultimately expertise. But there are lots of different types of martial arts: striking, kicking, grappling and even arts that only seek to deflect without aggression.
So, what is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is the striking and kicking kind of martial art, developed in South Korea in the 1950s and with its roots ultimately in the martial arts of neighbouring Japan, particularly Karate. At the core of Taekwondo is the wish to protect the person from attack, and the culture of Taekwondo as a martial art is very much bedded in not being aggressive.
Why learn punches and kicks?
Why, then, do we learn all these punches and kicks? We do so in the belief that it is better to know how to respond to an attack than not to, in the hope of never needing to. That is the martial art side of Taekwondo. Another side is the sport side of Taekwondo, in which students compete and spar with each other to develop their skills in as realistic a way as possible.
Self-defence, sport and confidence
But martial arts and sports and self-defence are not the same thing. Context is everything. In studying Taekwondo, students learn to assess their circumstances and surroundings and behave in a way that reflects the danger or otherwise of their situation. In Taekwondo we learn restraint and respect for ourselves and other people at the same time as building a store of proven self-defence techniques, which can give us confidence in potentially harmful scenarios. And confidence is key in Taekwondo: confidence that we have studied and practised to the point of effective self-defence.
Why train with us?
So why come to North West London Schools of Taekwondo (NWLST) to learn Taekwondo? We believe that learning to defend ourselves is one thing, but being in a club that offers a space to take part in a vigorous, fun physical activity that builds muscle and agility is a valuable opportunity. At our club there is a chance to look up from all those screens and games and mix with people you might never otherwise meet and form bonds. Yes, there is study and concentration and lots to learn – nobody is given a belt for nothing – but there is also a lot of fun and excitement and physical and mental development.
Your first class is a trial, so it’s easy to give it a go. See our class times to find the right class for you or your child.
