Frequently Asked Questions

The class timetable is as follows: THURSDAYS 7.30pm - 9pm Women's taekwondo (beginners to green belt) 8.00pm - 9.30pm Women's taekwondo (blue tags and above)MONDAYS6.30pm - 7.30pm Women's self-defence7.30pm-8.30pm Women's padwork and kickboxing skills MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS: One-2-One classes in Taekwondo and Self-Defence

Our taekwondo club class fees are as follows: - General: £22/month (paid at beginning of month)- Concessions for families, students (18+yrs in full time education) & recipients of Universal Credit: £18/monthGroup class fees are due at the start of each month, and paid by standing order. Students can cancel their payments at any time, particularly if they know they are going to be away for several weeks, and reinstate them when they return to training. All students must be registered as members of the club: this covers your martial arts insurance and club overheads, and costs £30/year, renewed annually.Newcomers are encouraged to try out a few classes before deciding if they would like to sign up as members.Students can then decide whether to attend on a casual basis, or work their way up the belts by learning the syllabus and taking gradings. Special offer for new students:Adults: 1yr membership + uniform and belt for £50 +delivery (normally £76 +delivery if ordered separately)Gradings are optional and happen 3 times a year. It costs £30 per exam which includes your new belt and certificate if you pass.

The initial costs of joining a martial art can be daunting so we offer a special discount for new students. Our special starter offer includes 1 year's membership (covering your insurance to train) + uniform and belt for £50 +delivery (normally £76 +delivery if bought individually).

Our students follow the official ITF syllabus: they can work their way up through the coloured belt system by taking 'gradings' or exams. Gradings occur every 4 months and your instructor will let you know when you are ready to take it. They are based on attendance in class as well as mastering the syllabus requirements and everyone progresses at their own pace. The belt progression is: white, yellow, green, blue, red, black with a 'stripe' in between each (eg, 'yellow tag' is the first grading, a white belt with a yellow stripe).

The women's taekwondo class is suitable for 10yrs and upwards. If the classes above do not suit you or your child then please try our sister club, Leicester Taekwondo Academy that runs family and young children's classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings.Our self-defence classes are suitable for 15yrs and up.Our kickboxing and padwork classes are suitable for 12yrs and up.

To begin with, students simply need to wear something they can move around easily in - T-shirt and jogging bottoms or leggings for example. If they are attending the taekwondo classes and are happy to continue training, we advise ordering a dobok, the white uniform of taekwondo (see our special offer for new students).If students opt for the Pay-As-You-Go classes (self-defence or kickboxing), then no uniform is needed.For safety reasons food should not be taken into the training hall (unless required for medical reasons), but do bring a drink. These can be kept at the side of the hall in case students get thirsty during class.

The answer here is absolutely not!! It is daunting, taking up a new sport if you have not done any exercise for a while, and worrying if you'll struggle to keep up is completely natural, but we are a friendly and supportive club and everyone works at their own pace. The adults' warm-up includes lots of low-impact Pilates-style exercises with adaptations which will get your muscles warm but let you take it at your own pace. Likewise the padwork, which is generally done in pairs allowing you to work at your own pace. Learning taekwondo is a journey of self-improvement, and not a competition with others. This means you progress at your own speed. The aim is not to reach a universal "one-size-fits-all" goal, but to see development in yourself after each class.

A typical taekwondo class is a mix of: - fitness, strength and conditioning exercises- patterns (the different sequences of attacks and defences that we learn to move up the belts)- pad work to practice technique and develop power- line work (combinations of techniques in formation)- 'destruction' (breaking boards - this comes into the syllabus as you progress up the belts)- stretching for greater flexibility​In addition I use many low-impact Pilates exercises as part of the warm-up. It is an invaluable training tool to improve strength, balance and flexibility and bring greater self-awareness of the body's mechanics, and it perfectly complements the more physical side of taekwondo.No matter what your age or fitness level, you will be able to participate as the exercises are adaptable and everyone works to their individual ability. If you have any queries at all about the class activities, or have any special needs that we can adapt exercises for, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Participation in sparring is completely up to the individual, although it does become a requirement of the syllabus from blue belt upwards.As beginners we primarily work on combinations of attacks or defences using the pads instead of sparring. Taekwondo is a martial art so working with the pads and strike shields gives students a feel for performing techniques with force but without doing anybody any damage! Sparring is done under strict instructor supervision and is non- or light- contact only. All children under 13 must wear full sparring gear (we have spares to lend out) and may spar only if their parents agree or their instructor deems them ready and there is a suitably matched partner. If students wish to participate in sparring, they will need their own sparring kit (boxing gloves, foot pads, shin guards and head guard, breast guard optional).

Group class fees are due at the start of each month, and paid by standing order. Students can cancel their payments at any time, particularly if they know they are going to be away for several weeks, and reinstate them when they return to training.1-1 sessions are booked and paid for through the Calendly app. Please note that the class fee is non-refundable if the session is cancelled within 24hrs. If cancelled within 48hrs, then 50% of the session fee will be charged.

Keeping students safe is of utmost importance, especially in a martial arts environment. Instructor Tamsin is fully DBS-checked and trained in Emergency First Aid for sports injuries, and holds additional certificates in safe-guarding, such as the NSPCC's "Time To Listen".We have a dedicated Club Welfare Officer, Beenal Rajyaguru, whose role is to ensure the safety and positive experience of all our members. She is also DBS-checked, has BTC Safeguarding training and is your first port of call for any concerns regarding student welfare, either within taekwondo or outside of the dojang. If parents or students have any concerns they can speak either to our club welfare officer Beenal (clubwelfare.taekwondo4all@hotmail.com) or instructor Tamsin (taekwondo4all@hotmail.com).