Taekwondo Ballingry

Taekwondo is generally much more physically demanding than for instance Tai Chi, so unless you're pretty nimble and fit you might prefer to find something a little bit gentler to improve your fitness levels in Ballingry. Younger children are certainly an ideal participants for Taekwondo classes in Ballingry, with a lot of fast paced movements going on and plenty of high kicking.

Based largely around kicking moves and manoeuvres like rapid kicking methods, head-height kicks and jumping/turning kicks, Taekwondo was formulated from the practices of various martial arts, by a number of Seoul martial arts experts in new schools known as "Kwans" during the 1940's and 1950's. These "Kwans" were given the names Mooduk Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Songmu Kwan and Jido Kwan.

Taekwondo has become very popular in Ballingry and all over the world, with over sixty million practitioners worldwide. Signing up for a local Ballingry Taekwondo club or class is a great way to become involved with this activity which has even been included in the Olympic Games since the Sydney Games in 2000. Although you might not aspire to Olympic competition, there is certainly no reason why you cannot become an expert at this exhilarating martial art and have a bit of fun in the process.

For a lot of people in Ballingry, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And in these days of increased violence, particularly in town and city centres, it is no surprise that this sits high up on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you're able to become more confident in your capacity to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect others and practice self-restraint.

While it is good to know that you can defend yourself whenever you need to, it's hoped that you never need to test this outside of your local Taekwondo club environment.

What to Expect From Your First Lesson

If you make your mind up to register for a Taekwondo club in Ballingry, the first thing you'll wish to know is what is going to transpire on the very first class and precisely what will the instructor expect to see from you. Different Taekwondo masters in the Ballingry area will devise diverse routines for this initial introductory lesson but you can expect to do a 15-20 minute warm-up to get the blood coursing and loosen your muscles, learn a couple of forms (Poomse), cover some practical training (hand attacks, kicks, blocks and stances), do a certain amount of sparring, and last but not least, a warm-down.

Everyone who's a registered member of a Taekwondo club in Ballingry or any place else in the British Isles, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official regulating body of the sport. By visiting British Taekwondo's website you will be able to read info regarding news, first aid, coaching courses, starting a new club, events, clubs and members, safeguarding and equality, referees and coaching, safe practices, and many more Taekwondo related issues.

The Many Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits which may be gained by taking part in Taekwondo classes in Ballingry are countless, among the most advantageous are: Improve flexibility, agility and stamina through intense cardiovascular work-outs, Reduced stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Beef up confidence by inspiring you to seize control of your life and succeed, Improve your self-esteem by elevating both mental and physical health, Teach you self-defence strategies by helping you realize circumstances in which self-defence may be necessary, and allowing you to control these scenarios in your favour, More discipline by exhaustively schooling your body and mind in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Empower your mind and body via enhanced physical coordination and mental discipline.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

In regards to promotion, ranking and belts there isn't actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are many different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own unique arrangement. There are however likenesses and they typically consist of two groupings of belts "seniors" and "juniors" represented by black and coloured belts respectively. The senior ranks usually have 9 grades and the junior, 8 to 12 ranks.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are symbolized by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest rank is Tenth Kup. As is the case with many of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is denoted by a number of different colours, so the ranks are easily recognised. These colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with transitional belts with stripes in-between, 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 Ballingry will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they attain the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

After this training has been accomplished, Ballingry Taekwondo students advance to "black belt candidates", and they then need to progress through a further 9 Dans or ranks if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the consummate accolade. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be grouped into 3 sections; Junior, Senior and Black Belt. 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 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 involves many years of dedication.

Taekwondo Forms

Beginners in Taekwondo do not need to fret too much about forms (Poomse, patterns) in the early days, however they will learn some standard ones to start with and progress to more complicated "forms" as they move through the belts (grades/dans). A form is indicated by specific aspects of Taekwondo including stance, direction and technique. Getting to grips with these sequences is a crucial part of perfecting Taekwondo.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Contests regulated by British Taekwondo guidelines demand that various pieces of protective gear be used, these include: forearm guards, shin protectors, hand guards, a red/blue trunk guard (hogu), a mouth guard, a red or blue head protector and a groin protector. This is necessary because of the powerful kicking attacks being practiced.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

There are a wide variety of competitions and tournaments in Taekwondo associated with all the different styles. They mainly include breaking, patterns (forms) and sparring with not much "hard contact". ITF competitions don't allow disproportionate contact but sometimes allow hand attacks to be aimed at the head. WT (World Taekwondo) and Olympic competitions only allow sparring. Multi-style competitions also take place.

Summary

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about National Championships and Olympic medals. The majority of of us are happy to improve our levels of fitness, meet different people and make new friends, and that is precisely how it ought to be. Yet, as with most things in life, what you get out of it will hinge on what you put into it. Good luck!