Taekwondo Forres

Since Taekwondo has quite high physical demands, it's perhaps more suited to the younger people of Forres. That's not to say that older individuals can't be involved in this kind of activity, but just that there could be alternative martial arts which are more suitable for the less agile of us. Tai Chi is the perfect illustration.

With its early beginnings in 1940's Korea, Taekwondo is obviously one of the more recently developed of the martial arts and involves mainly kicking movements such as fast kicking strategies, turning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks. It began when schools known as "kwans" were established by a group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul, South Korea.

The total number of Taekwondo practitioners globally, now exceeds sixty million. This sport has even featured in the Olympic Games since 2000, and if you want to get involved, joining your local Forres Taekwondo club or class is a great place to start. There's no reason why you cannot reach an advanced standard in this thrilling sport, even if you don't have any desire to compete in the Olympics.

For the people of Forres who wish to learn a martial art, a big priority is the element of self-defence. Since this is an important principle of Taekwondo, it's not difficult to see the attraction of this unique sport. With the added benefit of learning self-restraint and having a degree of respect for those around you, getting involved in a local Forres Taekwondo class seems to be a no brainer.

While it is great to practice and master these self-defence skills in the protected environment of your local Forres Taekwondo club, with any luck you will never need to use them in the outside world.

Your First Taekwondo Class

If Taekwondo isn't something that you have ever had a go at previously, you will likely be curious about what to expect from your first lesson should you make up your mind to join. Different Taekwondo schools in the Forres area have varying ideas about this but in brief; you will participate in a 15-20 minute warm-up, you will do a certain amount of technical training, you will learn some patterns (forms), you are going to practice sparring techniques and last but not least you will perform a warm-down to help your body get back into a relaxed state again.

Taekwondo also of course has its own official regulating body, and in the United Kingdom it is British Taekwondo. Everyone wishing to sign up with a Taekwondo club in Forres must become registered members of this organisation. You can learn about health and safety, coaches and referees, starting a new Taekwondo club, safeguarding and equality, first aid, coaching courses, events, clubs and members, news, and more on British Taekwondo's website, and find out the latest news stories on their Facebook or Twitter page.

Taekwondo Belts

In Tae kwon do there is not really any kind of uniformity with regards to grades and belts. It is all determined by what style you are reviewing, as there are so many different Taekwondo rules and styles. They are however, typically separated into 2 groupings "junior" or "colour" belts and "senior" or "black" belts. The junior/colour ranks range from white to red, with from eight to twelve grades, while the senior/black belts generally have nine rankings.

In the UK Taekwondo has a set of ranks (belts) which are generally known as "Kup", these ranks go from Tenth (lowest) to First (highest). As is the case with most of the martial arts, the Taekwondo belt order is indicated by a range of different colours, so the ranks are easily identified. 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. Beginners of Taekwondo in Forres will commence with the White Belt (10th Kup), and progress through the various colours until they accomplish the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

When this training has been completed, Forres Taekwondo students are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they must then progress through an additional nine Dans (ranks) if they are to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the supreme accolade. So, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main divisions in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Junior Taekwondo Belts comprise; 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 takes a considerable number of years to progress through.

Taekwondo Beginners Classes

It matters not what you're capable of or who you are in the world of Taekwondo, at one stage you were a complete novice, fearing failure and knowing absolutely nothing. We have all started like this and can only develop and learn with practice. Beginner Taekwondo classes in Forres are the right place to begin that learning journey and to pick up the basics so you can build self-confidence and proceed with your exciting Taekwondo adventure. Most beginner classes are created to be friendly and fun, providing a gradual introduction to the fundamental Taekwondo principles and building a solid foundation moving forward.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

The benefits which may be gained by taking part in Taekwondo instruction in Forres are countless, among the most advantageous are: Enhance self-esteem and concentration by raising both mental and physical powers, Reduces stress and anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises, Strengthen your body and mind via increased physical coordination and mental discipline, Learn self-defence tactics by showing you how to recognize scenarios in which self-defence could be needed, and empowering you to control these circumstances in your favour, Build up confidence by helping you to take control of your life and succeed, Better discipline by methodically schooling your body and mind in the principles and strategies of Taekwondo, Augment flexibility, stamina and agility through strenuous cardiovascular effort.

In Summary

We cannot all be like Jade Jones or Lutalo Muhammad, and I reckon that we don't all want to be. Taekwondo is not just about Olympic titles and National Championships. Most of us are content to improve our levels of fitness, meet different people and make new friends, and that's precisely how it ought to be. However, as with many matters in life, what you get out of it will hinge on what you invest in it. Enjoy!