Taekwondo Newton Mearns

While not wanting to discourage any particular age group, it has to be said that Taekwondo is more suited to younger people in Newton Mearns, being quite 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 taxing, unless they have kept themselves 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 mostly around high-kicking moves and manoeuvres like head-height kicks, fast kicking styles and jumping/spinning kicks, Taekwondo was devised from the techniques of various diverse martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" in the nineteen forties and fifties. These "Kwans" were given the names Songmu Kwan, Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan and Mooduk Kwan.

With more than sixty million people taking part in Taekwondo sessions all over the world, this has definitely become an extremely popular and worthwhile 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.

In these times of increasing violence, it's little surprise that individuals in areas like Newton Mearns are enrolling in self-defence classes like Taekwondo to enable them to feel safer and more secure in their local environment. The self-defence element is one of the primary benefits of Taekwondo but at the same time it also teaches self-restraint and a deep respect for those around us, which are characteristics that are frequently lacking in 21st century living.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never have to be proven outside the controlled environment of an actual Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will instill you with self-confidence.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo is not something that you've ever had a go at previously, you'll most likely be wondering what you should expect from your very first class should you make your mind up to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Newton Mearns have different thoughts on this but roughly; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do some technical training, you will learn some forms, you are going to practice sparring strategies and finally you will do a warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation once more.

Any person who joins a Taekwondo class in Newton Mearns must also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official governing body of the sport in the UK. You can read about events, members and clubs, coaching courses, safe practices, first aid, coaches and competition referees, news, beginning a new club, safeguarding and equality, and more on the British Taekwondo website, or get the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt system can get rather confusing in Taekwondo because there's no standardized system throughout the different Taekwondo disciplines. Likenesses can be found though, and typically there are two separate belt groupings, denoted as "juniors" (colours) and "seniors" (black dans). The number of grades in the junior section varies over the styles but is typically between 8 and 12 belts, whilst the senior group normally has nine belts or dans.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are called "Kup". The lowest is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. If you are curious about the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is indicated by a range of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" belts with stripes, 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. Beginners in Newton Mearns getting started in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the coloured belts until they reach the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

After this has been completed, Taekwondo trainees in Newton Mearns are considered as "black belt candidates" which requires them to proceed through yet another nine ranks (Dans) right up until they eventually achieve the distinction of "Black Belt". So, Junior, Senior and Black Belt are the three primary divisions in the Taekwondo belt order. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division comprise; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior division 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 go from 1st to 9th Dan, a process that will take a considerable number of years.

Taekwondo Kicks

As martial arts go, Taekwondo stands out as the one with the most kicking manoeuvres. These are just some standard ones: Axe Kick, Side Kick, Hook or Whip Kick, Front Kick, Crescent Kick, Back Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick. Blocks: To stop and defend against an inbound attack, blocks (called Makgi) are employed. Held in specific positions, they use the hands and different sections of the arm. Specific attacks necessitate particular blocks, but blocks can also be transformed into counter-attacking moves by the combination of reciprocal kicks or punches. The principal "blocks" include: Low Block, Upper Block, Nine Block, Palm Block, Single Forearm Block, Double Forearm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Rising Block and Knife Hand Block.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Mastering Tae kwon do calls for getting to grips with a number of techniques and one of the key elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of technique, direction and stance which have to be mastered in order for pupils to move through the various dans (belts/grades).