Martial arts seem full of eastern promise but do these classes still cut it in 2001 or should they be relegated to the archives along with Kung Fu B-movies from the seventies?

Angelina Lombardo went along to find out if there's more to Tae Kwon Do than baggy white pyjamas. NOWADAYS it seems like people are fascinated by all things Eastern. But one Eastern import -- the martial arts -- has been hip for several decades at least.

It seemed to start with the Bruce Lee films -- the impact these films made on the Western male psyche gave rise to a raft of martial arts classes where men played out their action hero fantasies.

In today's politically correct world, of course, women have their own high-kicking role models. But is there really a place for martial arts outside of gangster fantasy?

I went along to Michael Parchment's Tae Kwon Do club at Bolton School to find out more.

Korean

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art with a 2,000 year history. Michael, a black belt and TAGB (Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain) qualified instructor, has a shorter but well-established track record.

With both British and European titles to his name he has represented England at various world championships and has won gold medals at Russian, Australian, German, Spanish, Polish and Dutch team championships.

This club has been going for little more than two years. I arrived part way through the juniors' class although I was due to join the later seniors' session.

Watching the youngsters practise their moves I was struck by their confidence and respect for one another. And I pondered that this type of training would teach self-discipline and the importance of give and take as well as self-defence skills.

The name Tae Kwon Do means "the art of unarmed combat". Like other forms of martial arts, individuals can work their way up through grades. As they achieve various levels they earn different coloured belts.

Tae Kwon Do is based around disciplined and repeated moves, referred to as the foot and hand martial art, is was originally a fighting skill used for self-defence.

The TAGB literature claims it has evolved into an art, a sport and a winning way of life.

With this in mind I was curious to experience it for myself.

My partner for the evening, Lorraine Fisher, 26, has been training at the club for about two years. Out-of-breath but always smiling, she told me she is now fitter and much more flexible.

She added: "Every week is different. I'd like to try other activities as well, but after just two years I feel I still have so much to learn."

Lorraine looked pretty proficient to me.

As we practised combinations and individual techniques Michael explained that Tae Kwon Do relies not on strength but on the good execution of the technique to do the work.

As I aimed a punch to the head and a kick to the groin area Lorraine stepped to the side, blocked and countered with a strike to the ribs.

Luckily these classes are non-contact and there's a real ethos of discipline. The form is based around disciplined and repeated moves so when it comes to partner work you know you're not going to get hurt.

Cool

It's easy to see how this type of training not only teaches you how to defend yourself but will get the mind and body working as one.

Not only will reaction times improve with drills like these but you will undoubtedly learn to stay cool in a crisis.

When someone aims a punch or a kick at your head it creates a crisis that has to be managed instantly.

By confronting this week after week, martial art techniques of crisis management will rub off into everyday situations.

The trick is to deal with the initial rush of adrenalin. If you're not used to it, this can contribute to the confusion of the situation.

Regular exposure enables you to harness the big advantage that adrenalin brings -- it enhances perception.

And you'll develop the flexibility of a cat!

This class included a mix of preparatory and developmental stretches.

Preparatory stretches are usually included as part of a warm-up and held for between six and 10 seconds with the aim of taking muscles and joints through their optimum range of motion.

The aim of developmental stretches is to increase range of motion.

And the stretching was a combination of active -- where you are in control of how far you stretch -- and passive -- where your partner gently helps you stretch that little bit further. Stretches like these will lead to a longer, leaner body shape.

I'm quite bendy myself, but not compared to the super-flexible people in this class.

But Tae Kwon Do isn't just a way of getting a toned, supple body and a calm frame of mind.

Any instructor knows there's strength in numbers. People tend to work harder and stick to exercise when they feel part of a group. Martial arts groups seem to take this principle one step further, there's a real ethos of support and encouragement -- it's like being part of a team.

Improved confidence and self-defence skills are another advantage of learning Tae Kwon Do. And this type of training will improve your ability to stay focused and cope with stress.

In fact, this ancient art represents an ideal remedy for life in the twenty-first century.

Classes run on Mondays and Wednesdays. Juniors train from 6.30pm to 7.30pm and adults from 7.30pm to 8.30pm. For more information contact Michael Parchment on 01204-841781. RATINGS Cardiovascular ***

Flexibility *****

Strength ***

Endurance ***

Fun ***

Feelgood ****