Taekwondo Glenrothes

Taekwondo is typically a lot more physically demanding than for example Tai Chi, so unless you are pretty nimble and fit you might prefer to find something a bit gentler to boost your fitness levels in Glenrothes. Children and younger people are certainly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Glenrothes, with a lot of fast paced movements taking place and plenty of high kicking.

With its root beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts and entails primarily high-kicking movements such as fast kicking techniques, head kicks and jumping/spinning kicks. It began when schools called "kwans" were established by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

With over sixty million fitness enthusiasts engaged in Taekwondo sessions all over the world, this has certainly become a popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really good at this sport you may possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it has been a part since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

A key element of Taekwondo is self-defence, and obviously this is one of the principal reasons that folks in Glenrothes join classes and engage with the sport. There has been a troubling escalation of violent behaviour in recent times and this is particularly rife in city and town centres around Scotland and the nation as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also encourages self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such familiar qualities in Glenrothes nowadays.

While it will instill you with self-confidence being aware that you have these self-defence skills tucked away inside you, the chances are you will never be required to test them outside of an organised Taekwondo class.

Your First Lesson

If you elect to register for Taekwondo training in Glenrothes, the very first thing you'll be thinking about is what will transpire on the first lesson and just what will the teacher expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Glenrothes area will devise diverse routines for this initial lesson but you can anticipate performing a 20 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood circulating, learn a couple of Poomse (forms, cover some practical training (stances, blocking techniques, kicks and hand attacks), do a certain amount of sparring, and to finish, a warm-down.

The official body regulating Taekwondo in the UK is British Taekwondo and any individual wanting to join a Taekwondo club in Glenrothes must also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can get plenty of details on news, first aid, beginning a new club, health and safety, safeguarding and equality, coaching courses, coaches and referees, members and clubs, events, and more, by going to British Taekwondo's official website.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits that can be acquired by participating in Taekwondo lessons in Glenrothes are many and varied, amongst the most noteworthy are: Greater self-discipline by comprehensively educating your body and mind in the concepts and tactics of Taekwondo, Lower anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Empower your body and mind by way of improved mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Augment stamina, agility and flexibility by way of extreme cardiovascular work-outs, Learn self-defence by helping you to identify situations where self-defence may be required, and allowing you to turn these types of scenarios to your advantage, Beef up your confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed, Improve feelings of self-esteem by elevating both physical and mental powers.

Taekwondo Kicks

In the realm of martial arts, Taekwondo shines as the one with the most kicking strategies. The following are just some standard ones: Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Front Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Side Kick, Push Kick, Back Kick. Blocks: To defend against the many kicks and hand attacks there are a similarly diverse range of blocks. Engaging the hand and sections of the arm, they are held in diverse positions. Each "block" can be coupled with a kick or punch to produce a counter-attack, and each is suitable for a particular attack. The main "blocks" (makgi) in Taekwondo include: Palm Block, Low Block, Rising Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block and Nine Block.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

Even the finest exponents of Taekwondo in Glenrothes had to start as rookies, therefore there is no disgrace in being a total beginner at Tae kwon do, or any other activity for that matter. The purpose of a Taekwondo beginner class is to teach a few basics, increase confidence and develop a firm base moving forward. Most importantly of all is that it must be enjoyable, trainees having a great time are going to learn quicker and be more invested.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear such as a red or blue trunk guard (hogu), a red or blue head protector, a groin guard, forearm protectors, a mouth guard, hand guards and shin protectors are worn in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is important on account of the vigorous kicks that are an integral part of this activity.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

In terms of ranking, belts and promotion there isn't actually any real standardization in Taekwondo, because there are many different styles of Taekwondo which each have their own specific system. There are however analogies and they generally consist of a couple of groupings of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior ranks generally have 9 tiers and the junior, eight to twelve tiers.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are known as "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, just like the vast majority of the martial arts is denoted by a range of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary belts with stripes, specifically white with a yellow stripe, yellow with a green stripe, green with a blue stripe, blue with a red stripe and red with a black stripe. Students in Glenrothes getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the colours until they accomplish the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Glenrothes are known as "black belt candidates" once they have succeeded with this challenge, and they'll then have to move through another nine ranks (Dans) if they plan to achieve the greatest distinction of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. So, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the 3 principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group are; 6th (Green), 5th (Green With Blue Stripe), 4th (Blue), 3rd ( Blue With Red Stripe), 2nd (Red), and 1st (Red With Black Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Black group range from 1st to 9th Dan, a qualification process that will take many years.

Taekwondo Forms

Novices just starting out Taekwondo do not need to fret excessively about forms (Poomse, patterns) at the outset, however they'll have to get to grips with some standard ones for starters and advance to more complex "forms" as they move up the belts (grades/dans). A "form" is denoted by certain aspects of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Getting to grips with such sequences is a crucial part of perfecting Taekwondo.