Taekwondo Nairn

Whilst not wanting to deter any particular age group, it should be said that Taekwondo is more suitable for younger people in Nairn, being quite physically demanding. Its encouragement of self-discipline and respect for others make it especially appropriate for children. It could prove too challenging for some seniors, but shouldn't be an issue for those who are already active and fit. Carrying their Taekwondo experience through into older adulthood should not however be an issue for those who begin when they are younger. If you consider yourself amongst the less nimble, you could always try something like Tai Chi which is much softer.

Taekwondo is one of the more recently developed of the martial arts, with its early beginnings in Korea, South-East Asia in 1945. A number of Korean martial arts specialists in Seoul founded some new schools which they called "kwans", incorporating various martial arts techniques. Taekwondo, which was ultimately called, mostly entails high-kicking manoeuvres, particularly spinning/jumping kicks, fast kicking strategies and head kicks.

With over 60 million fitness enthusiasts engaged in Taekwondo classes all around the globe, this has certainly become a popular and beneficial activity, and if you become really expert at the martial art you may even one day qualify for the Olympic Games, of which it's been an integral part ever since the 2000 Sydney Games.

For a lot of people in Nairn, it's the self-defence element of Taekwondo which holds the most appeal. And in these times of increased violence, particularly in town and city centres, it is little surprise that this features high on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you're able to become more confident in your ability to defend yourself and at the same time learn to respect other people and practice self-restraint.

Your newly learned Taekwondo skills will likely never have to be proven outside the controlled atmosphere of an organized Taekwondo class, however being aware that you've got them will instill you with confidence.

Your First Taekwondo Lesson

If Taekwondo isn't a sport that you've ever had a go at previously, you will doubtless be wondering what you should expect from your first lesson if you make your mind up to join. Different Taekwondo schools in Nairn have varying thoughts on this but in brief; you will participate in a fifteen to twenty minute warm-up, you will do a certain amount of technical training, you will learn some forms, you'll practice sparring tactics and finally you'll warm-down to help your body get back into a state of relaxation.

Everyone who's a member of a Taekwondo club in Nairn or anywhere else in Great Britain, is also required to join British Taekwondo, which is the official regulating body of the sport. By heading to British Taekwondo's website you'll be able to obtain information about events, equality and safeguarding, members and clubs, first aid, news, coaching courses, coaches and competition referees, establishing a new Taekwondo club, health and safety, and many more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Belts (Rank)

In terms of ranking, belts and promotion there's not actually any real standardisation in Taekwondo, as there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific arrangement. There are however analogies and they normally comprise 2 groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" represented by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior rankings normally have nine tiers and the junior, 8 to 12 tiers.

In the UK there are a series of ranks (belts) in Taekwondo that are known as "Kup". The lowest (beginners) rank is 10th Kup and the highest is 1st Kup. If you are eager to know the Taekwondo belt order, it's as follows, and is indicated by a range of different colours i.e. white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediate 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 Nairn will begin with the 10th Kup (White Belt), and move up through the different colours until they reach the Red Belt With a Black Stripe (1st Kup).

Taekwondo trainees in Nairn become "black belt candidates" after they have succeeded with this challenge, and they'll then need to proceed through an additional nine ranks (Dans) if they wish to achieve the ultimate distinction Taekwondo Black Belt. Therefore, putting it simply, there are three primary groups in the Taekwondo belt order, that is Junior, Senior 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 comprise; 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 successfully progress through.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear like a blue or red head protector, a blue/red body guard (hogu), shin pads, forearm protectors, hand protectors, a mouth guard and a groin guard are used in all tournaments supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injury is crucial on account of the vigorous kicking which is part and parcel of this sport.

Beginners Classes

As with any activity or sport we need to begin someplace, and Taekwondo is no exception. Even the finest Nairn Taekwondo masters were complete rookies at one time. So, exactly what can you expect as a complete novice at Taekwondo? Beginner classes should give their students ample training to teach them the fundamentals and allow them to build confidence as they progress. The ideal beginners class needs to be enjoyable as well as educational, when people are having fun they're more committed and will learn faster.