Good Morning Everyone
Did you know that Taekwondo and Martial Arts training is an excellent way of developing coordination? For both children and adults but particularly for children?! Yup it sure does. Our classes teach children to use their bodies in ways that most other activities do not even begin to explore. Having to coordinate your feet in many different stances while performing various strikes, blocking techniques, and chambers all at once. At any given moment you could be moving all four limbs, tighten every muscle in your body, moving and turning in various directions while maintaining eye contact with your opponent or training partner. And to top it all off you have to maintain excellent balance. All of this requires good coordination of not only the body but the focusing of the mind and spirit as well. Children are taught to truly connect the coordination of the mind and body and focus on one outcome or intention.
This seems like a lot for both children and adults does it not? In a snapshot perhaps. However our instructors here at Cobourg Tae Kwon Do are excellent at breaking down every movement and working on the individual components of each technique so the student can grasp and learn very quickly. Through very specific skill training and carefully chosen drills the students learn how to use their bodies very efficiently. They learn their rights and lefts which is not an easy task even for the advance adult athlete sometimes. In a very short time the student’s coordination improves quick rapidly and allows them to excel in other areas of their life from school to sports, and any other activities they are involved in. Improved coordination at this level does show an improvement in one’s self confidence. So the earlier a student learns Taekwondo the better.
Okay now here is a quick workout video we filmed yesterday morning in the adult Taekwondo class. I ran the evening adult Taekwondo class through the same workout. It is excellent for cardio endurance and explosive power training. Check it out. Give it a try!
Master Jonathan Field