What kind of martial art is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a striking martial art. We focus on punches, kicks, strikes and thrusts with parts of the hand and elbow, blocks, and similar. Taekwondo does not focus on throws or grappling – however, black belt students do train in take-downs.
Do you do sparring?
Yes, we do sparring. We do sparring with padded sparring gear. Both hand and foot techniques are allowed.
Are there competitions?
Yes, there are several competitions that you can attend throughout the year – both regional and national. These are a chance to demonstrate your prowess at patterns, sparring, or (for black belts) destruction.
How many belts are there?
In Taekwondo, you start at white belt. Then you progress to white belt with a yellow stripe, and then yellow belt, yellow belt with a green stripe, and so on through the colours yellow, green, blue, and red. This makes for ten colour belts in total, ending with red belt black stripe.
After red belt black stripe, you progress to first degree black belt. There are nine degrees of black belt in total, with ninth degree being the highest.
How long does it take to get to black belt?
The minimum training time to reach first degree black belt is 3 ½ years. Note that this is training time and not waiting time. You must be training consistently at least two times per week in order to progress through the belts at this rate. Training less frequently, or any gaps in training, will mean that it takes longer for you to reach black belt.
Your rate of progression is also determined by your instructor’s assessment of your attitude towards Taekwondo and training.