Taekwondo is a form of martial arts that originated in Korea. It is a combat sport with the modern form of Taekwondo officially recognized in 1955. Taekwondo is an intense martial art that needs a lot of practice in order to be successful.
Since Taekwondo requires a lot of practice, many people often wonder what is the best age to start learning Taekwondo. The answer to this question varies depending on the person you are talking to.
If you want to know what age Taekwondo should be started, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we are going to walk you through what is to be expected for each age group that starts Taekwondo, so you will be able to make a judgment about what age you should start Taekwondo (see also? How Fast Can You Learn Taekwondo?).
Is There A Specific Age You Should Start Taekwondo?
The answer to this question is no. There is no set age you must start learning Taekwondo. There is the argument that the earlier the better, however, there are benefits to starting Taekwondo later in life.
So there is no real age that is the best time to start learning Taekwondo, but there might be advantages and disadvantages to starting Taekwondo at specific ages.
Starting Taekwondo As A Toddler
It might seem strange to consider allowing a toddler to join Taekwondo. Especially, when you consider the fact that Taekwondo is a combat sport, which heavy stress on kicking and strikes.
However, it is quite popular for parents to want to start their children learning Taekwondo as young as they can. Most believe that by starting the children to learn Taekwondo at a young age, they will be able to master it quickly.
A major reason why many parents enroll their children in Taekwondo classes is because of the self-defense aspect. However, when it comes to signing up toddlers for self-defense isn’t usually something that they need to learn right away.
Also, when starting as a toddler, it is not likely that they will be taught the self-defense skills from Taekwondo until they are older.
Another reason people might want to enroll toddlers in Taekwondo classes is to help them learn discipline. This is something that toddlers might pick up, but most of the discipline they learn is enforced at home.
Some positive aspects of having toddlers start learning Taekwondo is that it can help with their motor skills. Toddlers might learn to balance and have better coordination in Taekwondo classes.
However, toddlers lose interest easily so having them start Taekwondo at this age doesn’t benefit them much more than if you were to wait.
Starting Taekwondo As A Young Child
Starting a child who is at least 8 years old or older at Taekwondo classes, is a wonderful age to begin the training.
The great thing about children who are this age is that they are much more enthusiastic about learning Taekwondo. They will also be able to understand more about what Taekwondo is and the rules that come with learning it.
Children this age are able to learn some of the basic movements of Taekwondo as they have more control over their movements.
The main disadvantage of starting to train young children in Taekwondo is that they can become distracted.
This can lead to them not enjoying training anymore. In fact, of those children that do start Taekwondo as a child, a large percentage of them drop it before they reach high school.
However, the young children who do manage to continue with their training are much more likely to Taekwondo for a while.
Starting Taekwondo As A Teenager
Some might argue that starting Taekwondo as a teenager is too late. However, we believe that it is never too late to start learning Taekwondo. In fact, there are many benefits to starting Taekwondo as a teenager.
During the teenage years, teenagers are developing rapidly. Taekwondo can help them with this development. One benefit of starting Taekwondo as a teenager is it can help to strengthen their muscles.
Teenagers have the benefit of already having their muscles more developed, meaning that the training involved with Taekwondo will not cause damage to them, as long as they do not overdo it.
Self-discipline is something that can become increasingly harder to do as a teenager. This is why starting Taekwondo lessons as a teenager is beneficial.
Teenagers are able to learn self-discipline from Taekwondo training and are old enough to fully grasp the meaning of it. This can also help teenagers in other areas of their lives such as school.
People often believe that teenagers are not going to be flexible enough to be able to perform the movements and techniques taught in Taekwondo. However, the great thing about Taekwondo is that you become more flexible as you practice.
Starting Taekwondo As An Adult
As mentioned before, Taekwondo is often believed to be better suited for those younger. The intensity of Taekwondo is often what deters those older from joining.
However, adults can succeed at Taekwondo. In fact, there are a number of benefits to starting Taekwondo as an adult.
One of the most common benefits of starting Taekwondo as an adult is that it can help improve your posture, stamina, and your overall health.
In terms of starting Taekwondo to compete in competitions, it will take time and training but adults have the benefit of being able to choose how much time they dedicate to training.
Adults also have the benefit of being able to learn new things about themselves if they start Taekwondo.
If that doesn’t make you believe adults can learn Taekwondo at a later age, then it is worth mentioning that Chuck Norris learned martial arts as an adult.
Conclusion
There is no right age that you should start Taekwondo training. The age you start Taekwondo completely depends on what you are looking for.
If you want to master Taekwondo early, then starting as a young child or teenager is the way to go. If you wish to improve your overall health then starting as an adult can help.
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