Club opening its doors for everyone to try

On Saturday, the Olympic Taekwondo events start in Tokyo before National Taekwondo Day follows on the Sunday when Jade Jones, Bianca Walkden and Bradley Sinden may fight for Olympic Gold for Team GB in their respective categories.

Bath Sky Olympic Taekwondo Club is based at the prestigious dojo at the Sport Training Village of the University of Bath. All of their instructors are certified by British Taekwondo, the national governing body for Taekwondo in UK.

On Saturday, the club is inviting everyone to a free event from 10.30am-12.30pm in Victoria Park. The club will introduce participants to Olympic style taekwondo, and demonstrate aspects of Kyruogi (competitive sparring), Poomsae (Patterns), Hammadang (board breaking) and self defence, as well as inviting people to participate in learning basic techniques and have fun in doing so.

During the Olympics emphasis is placed on the sparring between elite athletes competing for gold and glory. However, taekwondo can be practiced by young and old alike and is also a Para-olympic sport.

Taekwondo is a martial art which in turn is a system of learning in which we learn about ourselves, our opponents and the world around us.

Taekwondo originated in Korea in the Middle Ages and it enabled their people to survive for hundreds of years and cultivate an attitude of impeccable virtuousness within their culture.

Taekwondo has great health benefits to all in terms of fitness development, improvement in breathing and stretching and improved confidence and emotional wellbeing and strength.

The five tenets of taekwondo are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. The club harnesses theses ideals in training and their approach to each other and it leads to them being the best they can be at all times.

For details and updates on the event please follow their Facebook page www.facebook.com/bathskytaekwondo or go to their website www.bathskytaekwondo.com.