Question 1

When do classes run?

Accepted Answer

The class timetable is as follows:
 
THURSDAYS 
7.30pm - 9pm Women's class (beginners to green belt)
8.00pm - 9.30pm Women's class (blue belts and above)
 
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS: One-2-One classes in Taekwondo and Self-Defence

Question 2

What are the costs involved?

Accepted Answer

Our 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/month

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.
 
All students must be registered as members with the UK ITF, our taekwondo organisation. Membership covers your martial arts insurance and allows you to grade if you wish to, and costs £30 each year.

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 + official UK ITF uniform and belt for £50 +delivery (normally £76 +delivery if ordered separately)

Gradings occur every 3-9 months throughout the year and cost £30 per exam which includes your new belt and certificate if you pass.

Question 3

*SPECIAL OFFER* for new students

Accepted Answer

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

Question 4

How do I progress in taekwondo?

Accepted Answer

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 3-6 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).

Question 5

What ages do you teach?

Accepted Answer

The women's 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 (https://leicestertaekwon-doacademy.com/)that runs family classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Question 6

What should I bring to class?

Accepted Answer

To begin with, students simply need to wear something they can move around easily in - T-shirt and jogging bottoms or leggings for example. When they have decided if taekwondo is something they would like to pursue, then we advise ordering a dobok, the white uniform of taekwondo (see our special offer for new students).

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.

Question 7

Do I need to be fit to start taekwondo?

Accepted Answer

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-betterment, which means you improve 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.

Question 8

What is involved in a typical class?

Accepted Answer

A typical adult 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.

Question 9

Will I have to spar?

Accepted Answer

Participation in sparring is completely up to the individual, although it does come into 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).

Question 10

Are you affiliated with a taekwondo organisation?

Accepted Answer

Yes, instructor Tamsin is part of the UK ITF (https://www.tkd.co.uk/)(UK International Taekwondo Federation) which is a member of the British Taekwondo Council (https://www.tkdcouncil.com/)(BTC), the only recognised sports governing body for taekwondo in the UK.
 
At Taekwondo4All, we teach the ITF syllabus.

For your peace of mind Tamsin is listed as a qualified instructor and IV Dan black belt, which can be verified on the BTC website here.(https://www.tkdcouncil.com/members/search.asp)

She is also fully qualified to teach self-defence (Level 3 BTEC award), holds a valid First Aid certificate for Sporting Injuries and is DBS checked.

Question 11

Payments and cancellation policy

Accepted Answer

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.

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.

Question 12

Safeguarding

Accepted Answer

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. 
  
As a member of the BTC (British Taekwondo Council,(https://www.tkdcouncil.com/) the UK's only recognised governing body for taekwondo), we have set policies in place for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults which follow the NSPCC/CPSU codes of conduct.

If parents or students have any concerns they can speak either to our club welfare officer Beenal (clubwelfare.taekwondo4all@hotmail.com), instructor Tamsin (taekwondo4all@hotmail.com) or to the UK ITF'(https://www.tkd.co.uk/)s dedicated safeguarding officer.

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