Taekwondo Kinross

Due to its rather more physical aspects, Taekwondo is perhaps more suited to the younger person in Kinross and is particularly suitable for children as it is great for developing self-discipline and respect for others. Older adults may find it somewhat too taxing unless they are particularly fit and active. For those people who take up Taekwondo when they are younger, continuing the experience into adulthood should not be a problem. The less agile of you might consider something softer like Tai Chi.

Based mainly around kicking manoeuvres and moves like head kicks, spinning/jumping kicks and fast kicking styles, Taekwondo was devised from the practices of various diverse martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" during the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" were given the names Chungdo Kwan, Songmu Kwan, Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan and Changmu Kwan.

Nowadays an Olympic sport, Taekwondo has more than 60 million practitioners worldwide, and though you might not aspire to be an Olympic Games medalist, you're still able to sign up for a Taekwondo club or class to learn what will no doubt prove to be a fulfilling and fascinating pastime.

A key aspect of Taekwondo is self-defence, and obviously this is one of the primary reasons that folks in Kinross sign up to classes and take up the sport. There has been a disturbing escalation of violent practices in recent times and this is especially common in city and town centres around Scotland and the nation in general. The fantastic thing about Taekwondo though, is that it also promotes self-discipline and a deep respect for other people, not such familiar qualities in Kinross these days.

There's a pretty decent chance that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never see the light of day in your day to day life, but it will certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are there should you ever need them.

Your First Kinross Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't an activity that you've ever tried before, you will probably be curious about what you should expect from your initial class if you decide to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Kinross area have different thoughts on this but in brief; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you'll learn some forms, you will practice sparring strategies and finally you will do a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state again.

Anybody who joins a Taekwondo class in Kinross has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the governing body of the sport in the UK. You can learn about members and clubs, coaching courses, beginning a new Taekwondo club, news, health and safety, coaches and tournament referees, events, first aid, equality and safeguarding, and more on the official British Taekwondo website, and find out the latest Taekwondo news on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Beginners in Taekwondo do not have to worry excessively about forms (patterns, Poomse) initially, however they will learn some basic ones to begin with and advance to more complex "forms" as they move through the various belts (grades/dans). A "form" is signified by specified areas of Taekwondo including technique, direction and stance. Learning such techniques is a key part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Competitions and Tournaments

Competitions and tournaments are an important element of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all of the different styles across the world stage tournaments where Taekwondo exponents gather together to battle it out. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitive events which mainly incorporate sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT tournaments, whilst some hand attacks are permitted in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) events.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is perhaps best known for its nimble-footed kicking, here are some of the basic kicks that you will learn as a novice: Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Axe Kick. Blocks: To stop and deflect an incoming Taekwondo attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are employed. Engaging the hand and different areas of the arm, they're held in diverse positions. Certain attacks require specified "blocks", but "blocks" can also be transformed into counter-attacking moves by linking retaliatory punches or kicks. The most important blocks (makgi) include: Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block and Double Knife Hand Block.

Benefits to be Gained From Taekwondo

You will no doubt be interested to find out about precisely what sort of benefits may be gained by attending Kinross Taekwondo instruction and participating 100% in its activities. You could expect to: Develop discipline and willpower by extensively training your body and mind in the techniques and concepts of Taekwondo, Improve your self-esteem by elevating your mental and physical powers, Lower stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Help with self-defence by training you to realize instances where self-defence could be required, and enabling you to manipulate these types of situations in your favour, Toughen up your mind and body by accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Boost confidence by inspiring you to succeed and to take control of your life, Turbocharge agility, stamina and flexibility by way of intensive cardiovascular exertion.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

Since there are a number of kinds of Taekwondo there has never really been any recognised arrangement for assigning belts (grades). What exists however is relatively similar and consists of 2 belt groups "junior" and "senior" ("colour" and "black"), each one of these groups is divided into levels, eight to twelve colours for juniors and nine "blacks" for seniors.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is portrayed by a number of colours, so 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. The 10th Kup (White Belt) is what Taekwondo beginners in Kinross will commence with, they can then advance through the colours, finally reaching the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup), which will probably take approximately three to four years.

When this training has been successfully completed, Kinross Taekwondo students become known as "black belt candidates", and they then need to earn a further 9 ranks if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the supreme distinction in this sport. So, to put it simply, there are 3 primary sections in the Taekwondo belt order, namely Junior, Senior and Black Belts. The Junior group of Taekwondo Belts comprise; White (Tenth), White With a Yellow Stripe (Ninth), Yellow (Eighth), and Yellow With a Green Stripe (Seventh). The Senior group 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 demands many years of dedicated training.

Conclusion

The benefits that you get out of Taekwondo will be directly related to what you invest in it (as applies with life in general). The majority of you will just wish to meet different people, improve your fitness and make new friends, some might want to take part in tournaments and competitions or maybe even the Olympics. But remember, we cannot all end up being a Jade Jones or a Lutalo Muhammad. 👊