Taekwondo Renfrew

While people of all ages in Renfrew can of course participate in Taekwondo, it is particularly suited to the younger generation since it can be quite physically demanding, children can especially benefit from its teachings of self-discipline and the respect of others. Older adults trying Taekwondo for the first time often find it too taxing, unless they have kept themselves active. However those who take up Taekwondo in Renfrew at a young age will find they can easily carry it on into older adulthood. Something a bit softer like Tai Chi might be more suitable for the less agile of you.

Taekwondo is a martial art that mostly features kicking manoeuvres and moves, most notably fast kicking techniques, head-height kicks and spinning/jumping kicks. It started in Seoul, in southern Korea in the 1940's, when a number of martial arts specialists founded schools known as "kwans", which blended a number of martial arts practices.

Since the Sydney Olympic Games in the year 2000, Taekwondo has been a competitive Olympic sport. This has made it even more popular worldwide with some 60 million people regularly attending classes. And it is by signing up to a Taekwondo class or club that you can start your journey of learning this fascinating activity.

For many people in Renfrew, it's the self-defence aspect of Taekwondo that has the most appeal. And in these days of ever increasing violence, especially in city and town centres, it is no surprise that this aspect features high on people's list of priorities. It is a primary factor of Taekwondo that you're able to gain more confidence in your ability to defend yourself while at the same time learning to respect those around you and practice self-restraint.

There is a very good likelihood that your eagerly learned Taekwondo skills will never need to be proven in the outside world, but it will most certainly give you self-confidence knowing that they are sitting in the background should you need them.

What to Expect From Your First Class

If you have never tried Taekwondo before, you may be somewhat anxious as to what you can expect on your first class. This may vary from school to school but will usually comprise some or all of the following. A 15-20 minute warm up to increase heart rate and loosen up muscles, some practical training including learning some hand attacks, stances, blocking techniques and kicks, studying some forms, an introduction to sparring which will include the timing of attacks, movement and timing, and finally a warm down to stretch and relax weary muscles.

Any individual wishing to join a Taekwondo class in Renfrew has to also become a member of British Taekwondo which is the official governing body of the sport in the UK. By heading to the official British Taekwondo website you will be able to find facts about clubs and members, coaching courses, events, establishing a new club, safe practices, news, equality and safeguarding, first aid, referees and coaching, and lots more Taekwondo related facts.

Taekwondo Patterns (Forms)

Taekwondo forms (also referred to as Poomse or patterns) are characterized by particular facets such as stance, direction and technique. From the outset you are going to learn some of the important forms, and so as to move through the levels (belts) you'll have to learn some more advanced ones.

Taekwondo Kicks

Taekwondo is possibly most recognized for its fast-moving kicks, the following are a handful of the standard kicks you will learn as a beginner: Side Kick (Yeop Chagi), Roundhouse Kick (Dollyo Chagi), Axe Kick (Naeryeo Chagi), Push Kick (Meereo Chagi), Front Kick (Ap Chagi), Crescent Kick (Bandal Chagi), Whip or Hook Kick (Huryeo Chagi), Back Kick (Dwo Chagi). Taekwondo Blocks: To defend against and stop an incoming Taekwondo attack, blocks (called Makgi) are implemented. Employing the hand and sections of the arm, they are held in specific positions. Each and every "block" can be combined with a punch or kick to establish a counter-attack, and each is suitable for a specific attack. The key blocks include: Nine Block, Single Forearm Block, Rising Block, Palm Block, Double Knife Hand Block, Knife Hand Block, Double Forearm Block, Upper Block and Low Block.

The Benefits of Taekwondo

There are of course, many benefits to be had from doing Taekwondo, and listed here are just a few which might be appealing to you: Reduce anxiety and stress by doing deep breathing exercises, Better self-discipline by exhaustively educating your mind and body in the strategies and concepts of Taekwondo, Strengthen your body and mind by way of accelerated physical coordination and mental discipline, Teach self-defence by showing you how to realize circumstances where self-defence could be required, and allowing you to turn such scenarios in your favour, Enhance self-esteem and concentration by elevating your mental and physical fitness, Turbocharge flexibility, agility and stamina by means of strenuous cardiovascular effort, Build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life.

Taekwondo Belts (Promotion)

In terms of promotion, ranking and belts there isn't actually any standardization in Taekwondo, since there are various styles of Taekwondo each of which has their own specific arrangement. There are however similarities and they generally consist of two groups of belts "juniors" and "seniors" symbolized by coloured and black belts respectively. The senior rankings generally have nine levels and the junior, eight to twelve grades.

Ranks (belts) in Taekwondo in the UK are represented by what are called "Kup". The top rank is First Kup and the lowest rank (beginners) is Tenth Kup. The Taekwondo belt order, similar to the vast majority of the martial arts is denoted by a range of different colours, these colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red, with intermediary 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 Renfrew starting out in Taekwondo will begin with the White Belt (10th Kup), and proceed through the colours until they achieve the 1st Kup (Red Belt With a Black Stripe).

After this training has been completed, Renfrew Taekwondo trainees are referred to as "black belt candidates", and they must then earn a further 9 Dans (ranks) if they're to become a Taekwondo "Black Belt", which is the consummate distinction in this sport. Therefore, Junior Belt, Senior Belt and Black Belt are the three primary divisions in the Taekwondo belt order. 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 can take many years to successfully progress through.

Taekwondo Safety Gear

Safety equipment such as shin guards, a mouth guard, a groin guard, blue/red trunk armour (hogu), forearm protectors, a red/blue head protector and hand guards must be worn in all contests supervised by British Taekwondo. Protection from injuries is imperative due to the powerful kicks that are an integral part of this sport.