Taekwondo Forfar

Because Taekwondo has pretty high physical requirements, it's possibly more suitable for the younger people of Forfar. That's not to say that elderly people cannot be involved in this activity, but merely that there may be other martial arts which are more suited to the less agile of us. Tai Chi would be a perfect illustration.

The discipline was formulated in Korea in 1945, though it wasn't given the name Taekwondo until the 1950's. A group of Korean martial arts fanatics in Seoul founded some innovative new schools called "kwans", where they practiced a blend of martial arts techniques. This ultimately became known as Taekwondo and the main emphasis of the discipline was on kicking movements, especially fast kicking strategies, jumping/spinning kicks and head-height kicks. Nowadays Forfar Taekwondo classes observe this tradition.

With more than 60 million individuals taking part in Taekwondo instruction all over the world, this has certainly become an extremely popular and beneficial pastime, and if you become really good at the martial art you may possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

It appears that the most interesting element of Taekwondo is self-defence. And in these days of increasing violence, particularly in city and town centres, it is no real surprise that this features prominently people's priority list. Being able to defend yourself is a key factor of Taekwondo, but this is tempered by exercising self-restraint and respecting others.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will most likely never have to be proven outside of an organised Taekwondo class, however being aware of the fact that you have them will give you peace of mind.

Your First Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you've ever had a go at before, you'll most likely be curious about what you should be expecting from your first class should you decide to sign up. Different Taekwondo schools in the Forfar area have varying ideas about this but roughly; you'll take part in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you'll do a bit of technical training, you will learn some forms, you'll practice sparring methods and last but not least you'll do a warm-down to get your body back into a relaxed state again.

The governing body for Taekwondo in Britain is British Taekwondo and any person wanting to join a Taekwondo class in Forfar has to also become a member of British Taekwondo. You can get a lot of information on referees and coaching, beginning a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, events, news, first aid, clubs and members, equality and safeguarding, coaching courses, and more, by checking out the British Taekwondo website.

Taekwondo Tournaments and Competitions

Competitions are an important aspect of the overall Taekwondo experience, and all the diverse styles around the world stage competitions and tournaments where Taekwondo masters come together to compete. Hard contact is hardly ever allowed in any of these competitive events which mainly comprise breaking, patterns and sparring. Sparring only is allowed in Olympic and WT (World Taekwondo) tournaments, whilst specified hand attacks are permitted in ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) events.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

The ranking and belt structure can get a bit confusing in Taekwondo as there's no recognised structure across the various Taekwondo disciplines. Analogies do exist though, and commonly there are 2 separate belt groupings, signified as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (colours). The number of grades in the junior groupings varies through the styles but is usually somewhere between eight and twelve belts, while the senior's groupings typically has 9 belts or dans.

In the UK Taekwondo has a series of ranks (belts) that are referred to as "Kup", these ranks go from 10th (lowest) to 1st (highest). If you are interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is denoted by a number of colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with "in-between" 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. Students in Forfar starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and advance through the colours until they accomplish the 1st Kup (Red With Black Stripe Belt).

Once this training regime has been completed, Forfar Taekwondo students become "black belt candidates", and they then need to progress through a further nine Dans (ranks) if they're to achieve the Taekwondo "Black Belt", which of course is the supreme accolade in this sport. Therefore, the Taekwondo belt order can be put into three classifications; Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior division are; 10th (White), 9th (White With Yellow Stripe), 8th (Yellow), and 7th (Yellow With Green Stripe). The Taekwondo Belts in the Senior group 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 qualification process which will take a number of years. (Tags: Taekwondo Belt Order, Order of Belts in Taekwondo, Taekwondo Belts Forfar, Taekwondo Rankings Forfar).

Taekwondo Forms (Patterns)

Taekwondo forms (also called patterns or Poomse) are categorized by certain facets like stance, technique and direction. From the outset you are going to get to grips with a few of the standard forms, and in order to move through the levels (belts) you'll have to master some more advanced ones.

Beginners Taekwondo Forfar

It doesn't matter who you are or what you're standing is in the world of Taekwondo, at one point you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing nothing. We have all started out at that point and can only learn and improve with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Forfar are the place to begin that learning journey and to acquire the necessary basics so that you can build confidence and move forward in your exciting Taekwondo quest. Almost all beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, delivering a slow introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo values and developing a solid base moving forward.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is famous for its formidable kicks, here are the basic ones: Crescent Kick, Whip or Hook Kick, Axe Kick, Back Kick, Front Kick, Push Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Side Kick. Blocks: Taekwondo "blocks", that are used to repulse the different attacking movements, are known as Makgi. They are held in specific positions and use the hands with different sections of the arm. Each kind of attack calls for a specific kind of block, counter-attacks can be produced by combining a block with a retaliatory punch or kick. The key "blocks" (makgi) include: Nine Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Single Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Upper Block, Double Forearm Block and Rising Block.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety equipment such as shin guards, a groin protector, forearm protectors, hand protectors, a blue or red trunk guard (hogu), a blue or red head guard and a gum shield are used in all contests overseen by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is needed owing to the powerful kicks which are an integral element of this sport.

In Conclusion

We can't all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I guess we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not solely about National Championships and Olympic titles. The majority of of us are happy to make new friends, improve our levels of fitness and meet different people, and that's exactly how it should be. Yet, as with most matters in life, what you get from it will be determined by what you invest in it. Good luck and enjoy!