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JUNIORS

Our junior class is specially designed for children aged 8 - 11 years old. The classes are 50 minutes long and will  have a mix of fun and games with traditional Tae Kwon do techniques. The class will be led by the senior club instructor and a number of assistant instructors to help assist the children with their learning. 

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Once your child has enrolled, they are then classed as white belts. The first nationally recognised grading is for a white belt with a yellow stripe, however this can be a lot to learn for children and quite daunting, so we start with a junior club grading programme to break down the requirements into ‘bite size’ pieces.

 

Progression​

 

The junior programme is as follows;

 

Start as a white belt when enrolled, then work towards; 

White with Orange stripe       

3 months until grading 

White with Green stripe         

minimum 3 months between gradings 

White with Blue stripe           

minimum 3 months between gradings 

White with Red stripe             

minimum 3 months between gradings 

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First national colour belt grading for: 

White with Yellow stripe         

minimum 3 months between gradings 

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The gradings for the junior programme are held separately from the national gradings, so that children can get used to the format on a smaller scale before entering the national grading system.  However, if at any time in the junior programme, your child shows the ability to take the national grading, they may be put forward to attempt it at the next available grading. We would discuss this with you before making a decision.  Gradings are usually held four times a year. 

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Once your child has progressed and achieved their 9th kup (yellow belt with white stripe) the additional resources to support their training will be found on the COLOUR BELT resource page.

Expectations

Your child will be given a ‘Training and class behaviour card’ which will contain all they need to know for their first Orange stripe grading. They must bring this card to every lesson so that they can be tested on their grading requirements. These requirements will then be signed off on their card when they can successfully complete each one. There is also a place on the card for the instructor to record their attendance and behaviour in each class. When they bring the card home it gives you a chance to see how they are progressing in class and you can help them continue to learn at home.

 

This system has been proven to help with children’s concentration and motivation in the class. Remember this is only part of the class, they are not permanently being tested, and there is plenty of time for fun too!

 

When it comes to grading, you and your child’s school teacher will be asked to comment on their behaviour and concentration at home and at school, and this will also be taken into consideration when deciding to put forward your child for the grading.

 

It is important for us to work together to make your child’s journey in Tae Kwon do a success. You may even consider taking on the Tae Kwon do journey yourself and begin training in the adults’ class!

Belt Tying Tutorial with Mrs Oborne

(click on the belt below)

  • What is your lowest and highest age limit?
    We have a Leopard Cubs class for 4-7 year olds, a junior class for 8-11 year olds and a senior class for 12+, teens and adults of any age. There is no upper limit! We have people of all ages in our club.
  • Do I need to be fit?
    No, you can work at your own pace, we just ask everyone to give 100% of what they can do. Fitness, flexibility, strength and mobility will improve over time for everyone, regardless of where you started. As long as you have no medical reason, or a GP has told you not to exercise, you can give it a go.
  • Can I have a free trial?
    Yes. We offer a number of free trial sessions for everyone wanting to come and have a go. This gives you a really good feel for the club over a few weeks so you can decide if it is for you. Please submit an enquiry form so we can book you in to the next start date.
  • How much does it cost?
    After your FREE trial and once you have completed your enrolment application, monthly membership is £28 a month for once a week training, and £38 a month for unlimited training with us, or at any TAGB club in the South West.
  • I have never done a martial art before does that matter?
    It absolutely does not matter! Most people who come along have no previous experience. We are a friendly club and everyone is happy to help. We understand it can be intimidating, but you will be buddied up with someone to take care of you. The best place to start is to book a FREE trial.
  • I have done martial arts before, will I have to start again?
    This really depends on what martial art you have done before, what grade you got to, and how long ago you stopped training. Get in touch with us to discuss your individual experience.
  • What do I wear?
    For your free trial you can wear any comfortable gym type clothing, leggings/joggers, tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt etc. We do not wear anything on our feet so you do not need trainers. Please remove all jewellery. If you decide to join, we have a training suit (Dobok) to train in.
  • When and where are the classes?
    Mondays at Riversmeet Leisure Centre in Gillingham 6.00pm for 4-7 year olds and 8-11 year olds 7.00pm for 12 year olds, teens and adults Thursdays at Wincanton Sports Centre 6.00pm for 4-7 year olds and 8-11 year olds 7.00pm for 12 year olds, teens and adults We have the whole sports hall at both venues, and a good number of instructors at every session, so we can split up groups based on age and experience. Click on the 'Our Classes' section for more detailed information.
  • Do the classes run all year round?
    Yes. We train all year round, including through the school holidays. The only exceptions are that we stop for a couple of sessions over Christmas and we don't train on Bank Holiday Mondays as the leisure centre closes early. Students who only train on a Monday are welcome to make up the session on the Thursday instead.
  • How long does it take to get my black belt?
    Tae Kwon do is an individual journey, so the answer to this is not a simple one. If you trained regularly (2+ times a week), graded (took belt promotions) on time, every time, it would take between 3 ½ to 4 years. However, juniors start on our junior syllabus, to break down the skills into bite sized pieces, allowing time for more fun! This syllabus, if they do every junior grading, could take a year, making it 5 years to black belt. Colour belt gradings are every 3 months up to blue belt and then every 6 months up to black belt. Black belt is not the end though, its just the beginning! You can have 1st dan black belts up to 9th dan black belts and that’s a lifetime of commitment, fun, belonging, learning and achievement.
  • How will you use my information?
    This privacy policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you give to us when you become a member of the TAGB. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected, and we will never release your personal details to any third party without your express consent. When you complete an application to join a TAGB club, certain personal information is collected from you. You can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy policy. Information we will collect: Forename and Surname Date of Birth Photograph Current Address Contact telephone numbers Contact email address Gender Medical Conditions Next of Kin name and emergency contact details We require this information to administer your membership and to provide the products and services you have requested from us and provide you with an efficient service for the following reasons: Internal record keeping Sending membership fee notices to you Recording financial transaction to your membership fee account Contacting you with relevant club and Association correspondence Maintaining a record of any recognised competitions you may take part in Maintaining a record of your grade status and related grading examinations Confirming your grade to other Associations or International Bodies if they request confirmation of your grade for any competitions you have entered with them Sharing personal details with the British Taekwondo Council (The United Kingdom National Governing Body for Tae kwon-do) for membership and insurance purposes only The TAGB will retain your personal information on our membership database for the duration of your membership, and for a period of 12 months after your membership has expired. We take your privacy seriously and all such information is held on secure servers. The TAGB complies with all applicable Data Protection Regulations. We may change and update this policy from time to time and will notify you accordingly. This policy is effective from 20/05/2018 Notes: Under GDPR you have the right to view all data we hold on you. Access to this information can be obtained from your TAGB Instructor. Under GDPR you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you think there is a problem in the way your data is being handled.
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