Updated 09/04/21
To see our latest National Governing Body update issued by the British TaeKwon-Do Council (BTC) on 06/04/2021 please click here.
Upon returning to training post lock-down, we will reinstating our previously used safety measures. These are designed to keep us all safe. They do require us all to be aware of social distancing and hygiene – and we ask that parents help us to keep encouraging your children to respect social distancing and hygiene guidelines laid out below. This particularly applies to parents supervising children before any instructor has arrived – please ensure your children follow the social distancing guidelines!
First and foremost, any student showing any symptoms of Coronavirus (or having been in contact with anyone showing symptoms) should not come to training and should stay at home. If you have been instructed by the NHS Track & Trace Service that you or your child must self isolate, do NOT come to training until your period of self isolation is complete.
The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.
Should an individual have demonstrated any such symptoms, they must follow NHS and PHE guidance on self-isolation – STAY AT HOME, and get a test.
Coming to the Training Hall
Students should consider how they will travel to and from the dojang. It is recommended NOT to use public transport where possible. It is also recommended NOT to car share where possible. Consider using your own car or better still walking or using a bicycle. Most of our venues do offer secure bicycle storage.
You must change into your doboks before coming to the dojang – changing areas will NOT be available. Please do NOT bring anything with you to the training hall – including bags etc.
Please use the toilet before you leave home!
Please aim to arrive no more than five minutes before the start of your session. If arriving by car, please wait in your car until 5 minutes before the start of your session. Please wait at the designated spot outside the dojang until you are instructed to come in (please see specific entrance guidelines for each venue). Please leave 2m distance between students / families whilst waiting.
All students / parents (apart from children under the age of 11 who are exempt) should wear a face mask whilst moving through the building – this can be removed by students once entering the training hall. The same applies for leaving at the end of training – please put your masks on at the end of training / when coming to pick up your child.
Where buildings display QR codes – you do not need to scan these for undertaking TaeKwon-Do training as we keep a register of students attending every class.
When instructed, please enter the dojang 1 by 1 – leaving 2 metres minimum distance between students. Where possible, parents should NOT accompany their children into the dojang – we would prefer you supervised your child to the entrance of the dojang and no further.
Please use the hand sanitizer upon entry to the dojang.
Upon entering, please change into your indoor training shoes – outdoor shoes and water bottles should be left in the designated area. Please leave 2 metres space between each student’s belongings. We do recommend the use where possible of drinks bottles where the spout is covered using a trigger system to uncover the spout – something like this (not endorsed by us, just for reference!).
Parents and spectators are NOT permitted to remain in the dojang. Parents should return to collect their children 5 minutes before the end of their session – again please see the specific instructions for the site.
We will be keeping a register of all student attendance – this is standard practice any way but also enables tracking and tracing should a student fall unwell with covid symptoms after a training session. It is important therefore that all students inform us of any changes to contact details – address details, phone numbers and email addresses. Please use our Update Student Information Form if any details have changed.
Training
We will be training in grade rows as usual – but obviously far more spaced out (3 metres apart). Each student will have a rubber marker on the floor. Where possible we will avoid face to face training.
We will be practicing NON CONTACT TaeKwon-Do – there will be no sparring, drill work or set sparring. Due to the risk of infection we have decided not to use any equipment for the time being – this means no pad-work either. Classes will instead focus on line work and patterns with fitness and sparring skills where we can.
We will not be shaking hands, or ki-haping!
Due to the risk of infection from touching the floor (it’s where any droplets will land after all!), we will not be doing any floor work (press ups, sit ups etc.) during the children’s classes.
Once indoor adult training recommences, please can adults bring a yoga type mat or large towel along to enable floor work – it is your responsibility to clean your mat once the class is finished (please bring your own antibacterial wipes). If bringing a towel it is recommended you bring it in a washable bag – this can then all be washed along with your dobok after the class.
In order to ensure good ventilation during sessions, we will be leaving doors to the outside open during sessions. We’ll be keeping you moving to stop you getting chilly, don’t worry!
Exiting The Dojang
At the end of the class, please remember to keep to social distancing whilst exiting 1 by 1 through the one way system. Students will be asked to collect / change their shoes and water bottles one at a time before being instructed to leave 1 by 1. Please remember to wear face masks, and please remember to use the hand sanitizer before exiting.
Please observe the one way systems in place at the different venues.
If you need to have any discussions with Mr Martin after class, we would ask that you do it via telephone or email during the day – we cannot allow groups of students to congregate to speak to him! Doboks can be purchased by pre-arrangement and paid for using online BACS transfer – we will not be taking any cash payments.
It is recommended that all students shower and wash their doboks immediately upon returning home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I have to wear shoes to train in?
A. Yes, whilst not normally recommended for TaeKwon-Do (due to us kicking each other and kicking pads!) the guidance is now that all students wear trainers whilst training to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. I recommend daps or court shoes rather than very padded trainers which give you a wobbly base to stand on!
Q. Should I wear a face mask while training?
A. The wearing of face masks whilst exerting yourself hard is not recommended by the World Health Organisation. We will not be requiring students to wear them during training; we won’t stop you, but we think you’ll find it hard going, and you’ll get very hot! Remember students will be training at 3 metres distance and we will be leaving external doors open to increase ventilation. Of course everyone above the age of 10 must now wear a face mask inside the building – this can be removed once in the dojang, just before training.
Q. Will you still be doing Zoom sessions?
A. Zoom sessions will be continuing on Mondays and Wednesdays for the time being, until we are all able to train indoors once more.
Q. Will there be gradings?
A. The next coloured belt grading is on May 27th at the Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre. We will be providing more information on this in due course. There will of course be no set sparring (though you may be asked to perform 3 step or 2 step as an individual performance) or sparring.
Q. What about black belt gradings?
A. The next black belt grading will take place in Chard on Saturday 22nd May (note that the date on the certificates will be October to keep the original grading dates in place!). As with the coloured belt gradings there will be many new restrictions in place.
Q. Will there be any competitions?
A. There are no plans in place as yet. The guidelines issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport do allow for competitions in the future, but there will be very strict guidelines as you can imagine.
Q. Will I need to renew my yearly licence?
A. If you are hoping to take a grading in May and your licence has expired or will expire before then, I would suggest you need to renew your licence as soon as possible.
Q. Do I need to be paying my monthly TaeKwon-Do Training Subscriptions?
A. Yes! Many of you have continued training with me on Zoom. Whilst this was not what you originally signed on for, you have supported me by continuing with your monthly subscriptions – THANK YOU! In part, the clubs survival is down to you! Some of you weren’t able to continue with your monthly subscriptions during lockdown – we still encouraged you to train. We would ask that you now please resume your monthly payments of £40 per student ASAP. The clubs cannot survive – we cannot pay the hall hire – without subscriptions.
