Martial Movement started as a small Taekwondo club. Over time the focus changed to the training of martial arts movements in general. Whilst still retaining a core of Taekwondo training and following a Taekwondo belt promotion syllabus, aspects of Wushu, Capoeira, Western Fencing, and Aikido are all incorporated into general training. The purpose of this is two-fold. First, students will not be limited to one style, and can draw upon different movements needed for whatever situation they find themselves. Second, we want students to enjoy training! By mixing various extra elements into a Taekwondo curriculum, it allows for playing around with different ideas and gives the students more ways to enjoy what they are doing.

Classes in Haedong Kumdo (Korean swordsmanship) were also offered separately, however sword work has now been incorporated into Taekwondo/Martial Movement classes.

Taekwondo

People take up new physical or mental activities for many reasons - meeting new people, learning something they’ve always wanted to learn but never had the time for, relieving their stress, or simply just to have fun. More and more, those taking up Taekwondo are finding out that training incorporates all of the things above and much more.

Whilst Taekwondo is a popular martial art around the world, there are still many who are in the dark as to what Taekwondo actually is. So, what is Taekwondo? Taekwondo is an exercise, an art, a form of self defence, a discipline and a sport. To put it succinctly, Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that puts its emphasis on kicking techniques. The Korean word ‘Taekwondo’ translates into ‘the way of the hand and foot’. Weapon training does not play a large part in Taekwondo, which focuses on using the body’s natural weapons of the hands and feet to accomplish its goals.

The new practitioner will soon find out that Taekwondo’s emphasis on kicking techniques gives them a great aerobic workout as well as improving their balance and co-ordination. But these aren’t the only things that will improve. Self-evaluation is an important part of Taekwondo, resulting in the realisation of the student’s physical and, more importantly, their mental strengths and weaknesses. These, along with the increased self-discipline, will help the practitioner increase their level of confidence which will be evident in their life outside of Taekwondo. And of course, Taekwondo is an excellent way to learn self-defence.