Taekwondo Broxburn

As Taekwondo has quite high physical demands, it is possibly more suitable for the younger generation in Broxburn. That isn't to say that older individuals cannot take part in this activity, but merely that there may be other martial arts which are more suitable for the less agile of us. Tai Chi would be the perfect illustration.

Taekwondo was only developed quite recently in Korea (1945). A group of Korean martial arts enthusiasts in Seoul founded some new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a mixture of martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which it later became known as, mostly involves kicking movements, especially spinning/jumping kicks, head-height kicks and rapid kicking styles. Nowadays Broxburn Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

The number of Taekwondo enthusiasts globally, now exceeds 60 million. Heading along to a local Taekwondo class or club in Broxburn is a good way to get involved with this activity which is now an Olympic sport. Whilst noone would expect you to reach Olympic standard, you could certainly be one of the best Taekwondo exponents in Broxburn.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and of course this is one of the primary reasons that individuals in Broxburn sign up to classes and take up the sport. There has been a disconcerting escalation of violent behaviour over the last few years and this is especially prevalent in city and town centres throughout Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and respect for other people, not such familiar characteristics in Broxburn these days.

There's a fairly good chance that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in the outside world, but it will certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they're there should you ever need them.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If you have booked your first class but have never done Taekwondo before, you may be wondering what to expect. Most Taekwondo schools in Broxburn follow a similar pattern, but there may be variations to the following. A warm up of fifteen to twenty minutes to increase your heart rate and reduce stiffness in the muscles, a little technical training comprising some kicks, stances, hand attacks and blocks, an introduction to some forms (Poomse), a look at sparring including good timing, movement and targeting attacks, and lastly a warm down to prevent cramping and muscle spasms.

Taekwondo also of course has got its own regulating body, and in Great Britain it is British Taekwondo. Every person wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Broxburn must become members of this organisation. You will be able to find out about safe practices, events, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, news, establishing a new Taekwondo club, coaches and tournament referees, coaching courses, first aid, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and get the latest Taekwondo news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Forms

Beginners in Taekwondo do not need to worry excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, however they'll have to familiarise themselves with some basic ones to begin with and advance to more elaborate forms as they move up the belts (dans/grades). A form is denoted by particular areas of Taekwondo including technique, stance and direction. Learning these sequences is a vital part of mastering Taekwondo.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, a number of benefits to be had from taking part in Taekwondo, and listed here are just a hint of the ones that may be of interest to you: Teach self-defence by helping you to realize instances in which self-defence may be needed, and allowing you to control such scenarios in your favour, More discipline and willpower by methodically educating your body and mind in the tactics and principles of Taekwondo, Reduce stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Improve feelings of self-esteem by maximizing both physical and mental fitness, Improve flexibility, stamina and agility through intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Strengthen your body and mind by means of accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Boost your confidence by encouraging you to take control of your life and succeed.

Taekwondo Belts (Ranking)

With there being various disciplines of Taekwondo there's never really been any uniform system for allocating belts (promotion). What does exist is however quite similar and consists of 2 belt groups "senior" and "junior" (black and colour), each one of these groups is split into ranks, 8 to 12 colours in the case of juniors and nine for seniors.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo which are generally known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is Tenth Kup and the highest is First Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a number of different colours, so that the ranks can be easily recognised. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, namely - 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 Broxburn starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they earn the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Broxburn are considered as "black belt candidates" after they have successfully completed this process, and they'll then be faced with progressing through a further nine ranks (called Dans) if they aim to achieve the consummate distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three classifications; Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Junior division Taekwondo Belts are; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior division of Taekwondo Belts are; Green (Sixth), Green With a Blue Stripe (Fifth), Blue (Fourth), Blue With a Red Stripe (Third), Red (Second), and Red With a Black Stripe (First). The Black division of Taekwondo Belts comprise First to Ninth Dan rankings, and will involve many years of dedication.