Taekwondo Inverkeithing

While not intending to be in any way ageist, Taekwondo can be rather physical and is generally more suited to younger people in Inverkeithing, it is especially good for children who will learn to be self-disciplined and respecting of others. It could prove too taxing for some older adults, but shouldn't be a problem for those who are already fit and 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.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently introduced of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A group of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul established some schools which they called "kwans", merging many different martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was eventually called, mostly involves high-kicking manoeuvres, especially fast kicking techniques, turning/jumping kicks and head-height kicks.

With over 60 million fitness enthusiasts engaged in Taekwondo instruction all around the globe, this has definitely become a popular and worthwhile pastime, and if you really master the sport you might possibly one day be eligible for the Olympic Games, of which it's been a part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

The thing about Taekwondo that seems to most interest people in Inverkeithing is the self-defence aspect of it. This is no great surprise when you take into account the ever rising levels of violence seen in town and city centres these days. Actually one of the primary principles of Taekwondo is learning to defend yourself whilst exercising a degree of self-restraint and having respect for others.

There is a fairly decent likelihood that your newly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be used in your day to day life, but it will unquestionably give you a secure feeling knowing that they're there should you ever be in need of them.

Your First Inverkeithing Taekwondo Lesson

If you come to a decision to register for Taekwondo training in Inverkeithing, the very first thing you'll wish to know is what is going to happen on the initial class and precisely what will the instructor be expecting of you. Different Taekwondo masters in Inverkeithing will put together differing routines for this initial lesson but you can expect to do a 20 minute warm-up to loosen your muscles and get the blood flowing, learn a couple of forms (Poomse), go through some practical training (kicks, blocks, stances and hand attacks), do a bit of sparring, and last but not least, a warm-down.

Anyone wishing to join a Taekwondo club in Inverkeithing has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official regulating body of the sport in the UK. You will be able to find lots of details about events, coaching courses, referees and coaching, first aid, health and safety, members and clubs, news, starting a new club, equality and safeguarding, and more, by dropping by at British Taekwondo's official website.

Taekwondo Kicks

One of the main elements of Taekwondo is kicking, here is a selection of the basic kicking movements: Whip or Hook Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick, Axe Kick, Crescent Kick, Side Kick, Roundhouse Kick, Push Kick. Blocks: To defend against and stop an inbound attack, "blocks" (called Makgi) are implemented. They are held in specific positions and use the hands with different parts of the arm. Each type of attack necessitates a specific style of block, counter-attacks can be produced by integrating a block with another punch or kick. The key "blocks" (makgi) include: Rising Block, Palm Block, Low Block, Nine Block, Double Forearm Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Upper Block and Single Forearm Block.

Taekwondo - The Benefits

The benefits which may be achieved by participating in Taekwondo sessions in Inverkeithing are numerous, amongst the most advantageous are: More discipline by thoroughly educating your mind and body in the strategies and principles of Taekwondo, Boost your confidence by motivating you to seize control of your life and succeed, Toughen up your body and mind by means of accelerated mental discipline and physical co-ordination, Learn self-defence techniques by helping you to identify scenarios in which self-defence could be required, and allowing you to manipulate these kinds of situations to your advantage, Reduces stress with controlled breathing, Increase flexibility, agility and stamina by way of intensive cardiovascular work-outs, Improve self-esteem by sharpening both mental and physical powers.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

The ranking and belt structure can get quite complicated in Taekwondo as there's no standard system across the diverse Taekwondo styles. Likenesses do exist though, and normally there are two separate belt groupings, denoted as "seniors" (black belts) and "juniors" (coloured belts). The number of rankings in the junior section varies through the styles but is typically somewhere between 8 and 12 belts, while the senior's groupings normally has nine dans or belts.

Ranks in Taekwondo in the UK are depicted by what are called "Kup". The highest rank is First Kup and the lowest (beginners) is Tenth Kup. If you're interested in the Taekwondo belt order, it is as follows, and is portrayed by a range of different 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 of Taekwondo in Inverkeithing will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and advance through the different coloured belts until they earn the Red With Black Stripe Belt (1st Kup).

Taekwondo students in Inverkeithing are called "black belt candidates" after they have worked their way through these rankings, and they will then need to proceed through a further 9 ranks (Dans) if they aim to achieve the greatest accolade of "Black Belt" in Taekwondo. Therefore, Junior Belts, Senior Belts and Black Belts are the 3 main sections in the Taekwondo belt order in the UK. The Taekwondo Belts in the Junior group are; 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 which takes a number of years.

Safety Equipment

British Taekwondo matches call for certain safety gear to be worn to safeguard competitors from personal injury due to the vigorous kicks that occur. This safety gear includes: hand guards, blue or red trunk armour, a red or blue head protector, a groin protector, a mouth guard, shin protectors and forearm guards.

Beginners Taekwondo Inverkeithing

Even the top exponents of Taekwondo in Inverkeithing set out as rookies, therefore there is no shame in being a complete beginner at Taekwondo, or for that matter any other activity. The objective of a Taekwondo beginners class is to teach just a few basics, raise confidence and develop a solid base for the future. Most important of all is that it needs to be enjoyable, trainees having a great time are going to learn faster and be better invested.