Post by Rick Allain on Jun 28, 2011 16:20:19 GMT
Hi guys, I figured that if I was going to ask people to talk about themselves here I should be the first one to do it!
I'm Rick, the founder and creator of TKD Centre and this forum. I post on Twitter a fair bit these days so some of you might know me from there (@restayvien).
I've been studying and training in Taekwondo for roughly five years, with a break in the middle (in which I took some kickboxing classes), and I'm currently a 6th Kup green belt.
I've not really spent much time on sparring in tournaments, but I performed moderately well when I went to my first earlier this year, with three wins and two losses, also winning a Gold Medal in the Team Sparring (as a whole our club performed really well, which was great to see).
Outside of Taekwondo - I'm working in the Microscopy industry in a vaguely IT-orientated role, whilst in my spare time I'm studying to become a part-time personal trainer. Health and fitness has become a priority for me over the past few years so these days I watch what I eat, and do a fair bit of exercise (outside the Dojang as well as in it). I'm a fan of oriental things, old-school anime, MotoGP, and good music!
I started TKD Centre as a form of revision, as a reference site for my fellow students, and with the loftier goal of eventually collating all of the information on Taekwondo that is scattered across various websites and books into one place. I'm hoping this forum will help various Taekwondo schools to come together and share knowledge, and also enjoy the variations in both approaches to Taekwondo and culture. It's also a good way for club members to communicate outside of class, whether it's for revision help, coordinating meet-ups or just to chat. I'm building up a directory of Dojangs, Dojos, other clubs, instructors, online stores and blogs as well so there will be a growing wealth of media, information and links for you guys to use.
I'm including information, links and musings on other Martial Arts despite this being a Taekwondo site. I'll admit I am not a purist - I believe that each style brings with it it's own strengths and it's own weaknesses, and that to limit oneself to a single style is to limit your options in combat, and to limit your experience in general. For now I am a Taekwondo student, but I believe I have a lot to learn from other fighting styles (even now), and so might you. Even if you intend to train only in Taekwondo for the rest of your life, it is wise to be aware of the fighting styles and techniques you could come up against. That's why I include them.
That's pretty much it! I hope you like the site/forum and get a lot out of it. If you have any questions or suggestions about either then please post them in the Comments and Suggestions board.
Thanks!
I'm Rick, the founder and creator of TKD Centre and this forum. I post on Twitter a fair bit these days so some of you might know me from there (@restayvien).
I've been studying and training in Taekwondo for roughly five years, with a break in the middle (in which I took some kickboxing classes), and I'm currently a 6th Kup green belt.
I've not really spent much time on sparring in tournaments, but I performed moderately well when I went to my first earlier this year, with three wins and two losses, also winning a Gold Medal in the Team Sparring (as a whole our club performed really well, which was great to see).
Outside of Taekwondo - I'm working in the Microscopy industry in a vaguely IT-orientated role, whilst in my spare time I'm studying to become a part-time personal trainer. Health and fitness has become a priority for me over the past few years so these days I watch what I eat, and do a fair bit of exercise (outside the Dojang as well as in it). I'm a fan of oriental things, old-school anime, MotoGP, and good music!
I started TKD Centre as a form of revision, as a reference site for my fellow students, and with the loftier goal of eventually collating all of the information on Taekwondo that is scattered across various websites and books into one place. I'm hoping this forum will help various Taekwondo schools to come together and share knowledge, and also enjoy the variations in both approaches to Taekwondo and culture. It's also a good way for club members to communicate outside of class, whether it's for revision help, coordinating meet-ups or just to chat. I'm building up a directory of Dojangs, Dojos, other clubs, instructors, online stores and blogs as well so there will be a growing wealth of media, information and links for you guys to use.
I'm including information, links and musings on other Martial Arts despite this being a Taekwondo site. I'll admit I am not a purist - I believe that each style brings with it it's own strengths and it's own weaknesses, and that to limit oneself to a single style is to limit your options in combat, and to limit your experience in general. For now I am a Taekwondo student, but I believe I have a lot to learn from other fighting styles (even now), and so might you. Even if you intend to train only in Taekwondo for the rest of your life, it is wise to be aware of the fighting styles and techniques you could come up against. That's why I include them.
That's pretty much it! I hope you like the site/forum and get a lot out of it. If you have any questions or suggestions about either then please post them in the Comments and Suggestions board.
Thanks!