Taekwondo Elgin

It's got to be said that Taekwondo can be fairly physically demanding, which may discourage the less agile and more elderly people in Elgin from getting involved. To be honest, the most common people participating in Taekwondo classes are children and younger people, but of course older individuals who are in excellent physical condition can easily be involved and benefit considerably from this sport.

Taekwondo was only developed fairly recently in Korea (1945). Some schools called "kwans", blending various martial arts techniques were established in Seoul by a group of Korean martial arts fanatics. The emphasis of Taekwondo, as it ultimately became known, is on kicking manoeuvres, in particular turning/jumping kicks, rapid kicking strategies and head kicks. Now Elgin Taekwondo classes stick to this tradition.

With over 60 million individuals taking part in Taekwondo instruction all over the world, this has unquestionably become a popular pastime, and if you really master the sport you may possibly one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part ever since the Sydney Games in the year 2000.

For the men, women and children of Elgin who are keen on the idea of learning a martial art, a top priority is the element of self-defence. Because this is a key concept of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the appeal of this unique sport. With the additional benefit of developing self-restraint and having a deep respect for those around you, registering for a local Elgin Taekwondo class would seem to be an easy decision.

Such self-defence techniques may at some time prove useful in your everyday life, although it's far more likely you'll only be testing them within a supervised class environment. However it is a wonderful feeling knowing that you can always defend yourself when you have to.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you have ever tried before, you'll doubtless be wondering what you should expect from your very first class if you make your mind up to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in Elgin have different thoughts on this but in brief; you will take part in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you'll learn some patterns (forms), you are going to practice sparring strategies and lastly you will do a warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state again.

British Taekwondo is the official governing body of the sport within the United Kingdom, and membership of this organisation is mandatory should you wish to sign up with any Taekwondo club in Elgin or nearby. By checking out British Taekwondo's official website you will be able to read details on equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, first aid, events, coaches and referees, news, establishing a new Taekwondo club, coaching courses, health and safety, and a lot more Taekwondo related facts.

Tournaments

Taekwondo tournaments and competitions are held all over the world in all the diverse styles. There is usually not a whole lot of hard contact but sparring, patterns (forms) and breaking. Olympic and World Taekwondo (WT) competitions only consist of sparring, in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) contests specified hand attacks are allowed to the head. Some other organisations hold multi-discipline competitions.

Taekwondo Forms (Poomse)

Perfecting Taekwondo will involve getting to grips with many disciplines and techniques and one of the pivotal elements of Taekwondo is its forms (also called Poomse or patterns). These are sequences of stance, direction and technique which have to be mastered in order for pupils to progress through the various dans (belts/grades).

Safety Equipment

In all competitions, events and matches being staged under the auspices of British Taekwondo, safety gear such as a groin protector, a red/blue head guard, shin protectors, forearm guards, hand guards, a gum shield and a blue/red trunk guard (hogu) is compulsory. The fast kicking tactics which are part of Taekwondo could cause harm and this helps make this sport less risky for its competitors.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is probably best known for its fast-moving kicks, here are just a few of the fundamental kicks that you will learn as a beginner: Roundhouse Kick, Front Kick, Axe Kick, Push Kick, Side Kick, Back Kick, Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick. Taekwondo Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the different attacks, are called Makgi. Employing the hands and areas of the arm, they are held in particular positions. Each kind of attack necessitates a specific sort of block, counter-attacking manoeuvres can be produced by integrating a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The key Taekwondo blocks include: Rising Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Knife Hand Block, Nine Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In relation to belts, promotion and ranking there is not actually any uniformity in Taekwondo, because there are various different styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific arrangement. There are however similarities and they normally comprise two groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior ranks typically have nine grades and the junior, 8 to 12 grades.

In the UK there are a set of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest 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 range of different colours, so that the ranks are 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 Elgin starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the colours until they reach the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Elgin are considered to be "black belt candidates" once they have succeeded with this challenge, and they will then have to proceed through an additional 9 ranks (Dans) if they want to achieve the ultimate distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. So, to put it simply, there are three principal groups in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Junior Taekwondo Belts are; White (10th), White With Yellow Stripe (9th), Yellow (8th), and Yellow With Green Stripe (7th). The Senior Taekwondo Belts are; Green (6th), Green With Blue Stripe (5th), Blue (4th), Blue With Red Stripe (3rd), Red (2nd) and Red With Black Stripe (1st). The Black Taekwondo Belts go from 1st to 9th Dan which will take many years to successfully progress through.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It matters not what you're standing is or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at some time you were a total novice, fearing failure and knowing practically nothing. We have all started out like this and are only able to develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Elgin are the right place to begin that learning process and to acquire the basic principles so that you can gain confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo experience. Most beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, delivering a slow introduction to the basic Taekwondo principles and building a firm base moving forward.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

You'll doubtless be intrigued to learn about precisely what kind of benefits may be obtained by taking part in Elgin Taekwondo training and participating 100% in its practices. You could expect to: Supercharge stamina, agility and flexibility through extreme cardiovascular exertion, Reduced stress and anxiety with controlled breathing, Toughen up your body and mind via increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Teach self-defence techniques by showing you how to recognize instances in which self-defence might be needed, and enabling you to manipulate these circumstances in your favour, Better discipline and willpower by thoroughly training your body and mind in the doctrines and strategies of Taekwondo, Beef up confidence by helping you to take control of your life and succeed, Enhance concentration and self-esteem by elevating your mental and physical health.