Taekwondo Grangemouth

While not wanting to discourage any specific age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suitable for younger people in Grangemouth, being rather physically demanding. Its teachings of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. Older adults trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too tough, unless they've continually kept themselves active. People in Grangemouth who take up Taekwondo when they are young find it easy to continue when they become older. Tai Chi or something similarly less strenuous might be more suited to the less nimble of you.

The name Taekwondo has only been used since the 1950's, although the discipline started life in Korea in 1945. In Seoul, a group of Korean martial arts fanatics established some new schools which they named "kwans", practicing a combination of martial arts techniques. The emphasis of the discipline was on kicking manoeuvres, especially head-height kicks, fast kicking strategies and spinning/jumping kicks, and it was later given the name; Taekwondo, meaning "the way of the foot and fist".Today Grangemouth Taekwondo classes follow this tradition.

At present an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million practitioners worldwide, and even though you may not have any aspirations to be an Olympic Games athlete, you are still able to sign up for a Taekwondo class or club to learn what will no doubt turn out to be a worthwhile and interesting activity.

For many people in Grangemouth, it is the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that is the most appealing. And in these times of increased violence, particularly in town centres, it's no real surprise that this sits prominently people's list of priorities. In fact one of the main principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst respecting others and exercising a degree of self-restraint.

Whilst it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have those self-defence skills in your locker, the likelihood is that you will never be required to test them outside the controlled setting of a dedicated Taekwondo class.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo is not an activity that you have ever had a go at before, you will most likely be wondering what to expect from your very first lesson should you decide to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Grangemouth have different thoughts on this but roughly; you will take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you will practice sparring strategies and lastly you will perform a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state once more.

If you would like to sign up to a Taekwondo class in Grangemouth, you will also have to become a member of the sport's regulating body, namely British Taekwondo. By viewing British Taekwondo's website you can obtain details about clubs and members, news, beginning a new Taekwondo club, coaching courses, coaches and referees, first aid, health and safety, events, equality and safeguarding, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll doubtless be intrigued to understand exactly what type of benefits may be achieved by attending Grangemouth Taekwondo sessions and partaking 100% in its activities. You can expect to: Increase your self-esteem by heightening both mental and physical powers, Supercharge stamina, flexibility and agility by means of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Empower your mind and body thru accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Boost your confidence by helping you to take control of your life and succeed, Reduces anxiety and stress with controlled breathing, Develop self-discipline by methodically schooling your body and mind in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Teach you self-defence strategies by showing you how to identify occasions where self-defence might be necessary, and enabling you to turn these scenarios to your advantage.

Safety Gear

Safety gear like hand guards, a groin guard, a blue/red head guard, blue/red trunk armour (hogu), forearm protectors, a gum shield and shin pads have to be worn in all competitions regulated by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is crucial due to the forceful kicks which are part and parcel of this sport.

Taekwondo Belts

The ranking and belt structure can get quite confusing in Taekwondo as there isn't any uniform arrangement throughout the diverse Taekwondo styles. Analogies do exist however, and typically there are two separate belt groupings, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of rankings in the junior group varies through the styles but is generally somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior's group commonly has 9 dans or belts.

In the UK Taekwondo has a set of ranks (belts) which are generally known as "Kup", these ranks range from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you are curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is denoted by a range of colours i.e. 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Grangemouth will begin with the White Belt (Tenth Kup), and proceed through the different colours until they earn the Red With Black Stripe Belt (First Kup)

After this training has been accomplished, Grangemouth Taekwondo students become known as "black belt candidates", and they then have to earn an additional nine ranks if they are to achieve the title of Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate accolade in this sport. Therefore, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order. The Junior group of 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 and training.

Summary

So, what are you hoping to get from doing Taekwondo? Well, that's a good question, and the answer will vary for different people. Most participants will just wish to meet new people, gain more self-confidence and improve their fitness levels. We are certainly not all going to scale the heights of Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, though perhaps you will, who knows? 👊