New Starters Information

Beginners are always welcome at any of our three clubs (Bradley Stoke, Hengrove and Ashton Park). We don’t expect you to have had any experience of martial arts before. And generally our beginners tend to be unfit too! We soon try to fix that!

Occasionally a club may be very full, or we may have a special event taking place, so it is always advisable to check with us before coming along for your first lesson.

Parents – please see our Children’s TaeKwon-Do section for everything you need to know about your child starting TaeKwon-Do.

What Will TaeKwon-Do Do For You?

TaeKwon-Do will…

  • Improve your fitness
  • Build your strength
  • Increase your flexibility
  • Instill a sense of discipline and respect
  • Challenge you both mentally and physically
  • Provide achievable goals
  • Give you feedback and encouragement
  • Boost your self confidence
  • Teach you self-defence skills
  • be FUN!

Our classes are a fun, sociable, safe environment. Led by a 7th Dan World Master black belt with 32 years experience of being a full time professional coach, assisted by senior black best instructors. Students are encouraged to learn from and help each other. No two classes are the same – you will never be bored!

For example, in our classes you could be:

  • Kicking or hitting pads
  • Performing patterns (set combinations of TaeKwon-Do moves performed in a sequence – there are new patterns to learn for each belt colour)
  • Practicing ‘line work’. This is where students practice specific TaeKwon-Do moves as a whole class simultaneously.
  • Working on partnered self-defence drills
  • Sparring – this is where we touch contact fight whilst wearing protective kit
  • Improving your fitness, strength and flexibility with our TaeKwon-Do specific ‘fighting fit’ exercises.

Being a martial art, as you would expect, we wear different coloured belts which show each student’s current level of achievement in their TaeKwon-Do journey. This means that you will be gradually introduced to the exciting world of martial arts, with an achievable, long proven syllabus. You learn at your own pace, with feedback and encouragement from very experienced instructors.

In order to progress to the next belt colour you will be given regular examinations known as gradings. Passing these gradings and being given your next belt will give you a big sense of achievement. And for those that would like to, there are regular local and national competitions too!

How Often:

Training in TaeKwon-Do for both adults and children is based on attending at least two classes per week – although those sessions don’t have to be at the same venue; you can mix and match, and you can do as many as you like – all six if you like (phew!) it doesn’t cost any more to do any more. See our Classes section for more details on when and where the training sessions are available.

Cost:

You will be pleased to hear that we offer your first month’s training completely FREE! This can be especially useful for parents where children aren’t sure whether they will like TaeKwon-Do, and adults who aren’t sure what they’re letting themselves in for either!

Once you’ve done your first month, training costs £43 per month by standing order or there is a £5 extra charge for those paying by cash or cheque. For families, the second person training costs £43, the third £20, fourth £15 and the fifth is FREE! There is no once-a-week or ‘by the lesson’ rate.

There are other costs as you go along – on your first night you will need to fill in one of our licence application forms, then after your first three weeks of training (once you’ve hopefully decided to continue!) you will need to pay the £38 membership fee which brings with it membership and insurance with the ITC. This membership needs to be renewed annually. Once you’re ready for your first grading (usually after 3 – 6 months of training) you’ll need one of our training suits (doboks) these cost £36 – £38 depending on size. To take part in sparring you’ll need a set of our sparring gear – a full set of kit currently costs £124 for females and £146 for males.

Gradings:

In order to progress through our coloured belt system you will need to take gradings. These tests are available every three months in the clubs and cost £28 each time. The gradings test all the main aspects of TaeKwon-Do – linework, patterns, set sparring and once you are of a high enough grade, free sparring. There are ten coloured belt stages before black belt; five belt colours each with a half way stage between – known as a ‘tag’. You commence training as a white belt, after you pass your first grading you will be given the next belt colour which will be a yellow ‘tag’ (in reality your belt will be white with a yellow stripe). The belt orders then progress through yellow, green, blue and red – each with a half way ‘tag’ stage. It takes a minimum of three and a half years to achieve your black belt.

Who are the T.C.U.K?

Myself, my clubs and students are members of the TaeKwon-Do Council United Kingdom – they are one of the main national governing bodies for TaeKwon-Do in the UK one of the largest martial arts associations in Europe, with a membership of over 3000 instructors – providing us with links for competitions, black belt and officials courses and much more.

Fit Enough?

As with starting any physical activity, if you are at all unsure that you are fit enough, it is wise to check with your doctor before taking up TaeKwon-Do. Ours is a very physical art which can put great demands on your body – but can also get you fitter, stronger, healthier and happier! We don’t expect you to be fit when you start – we soon try to fix that! For more information on how TaeKwon-Do can help your fitness, check out our Fitness section.

Ready to start?

Just come along in loose comfortable clothing such as jogging bottoms and a t-shirt, please remove any jewellery (put a plaster over any piercings which cannot be removed) and bring a drink of water! You won’t be thrown in at the deep end; you will have small group instruction along with any other beginners with an instructor to one side of the main class. The instructor will take you through the basics for the first few weeks until you are ready to join in with the main class.

Please browse the ‘About Us’ menu to find out more about TaeKwon-Do and what you can expect from our classes. If you have any more questions, please see our FAQ’s section, or contact us.

We look forward to meeting you!