Training frequency

Hi Everyone

As we all know, the more we practise, the better we get. It is no surprise, then, that the frequency with which you train – whether that be coming to class, or practising at home – the more quickly you will progress. For example, a youth or adult requires a minimum of 24 sessions between each grade from white belt to blue stripe (young children take around twice as long). A student training twice per week will complete 24 sessions in three months, while a student training once per week will take six months.

Some people are not concerned by their rate of progress, they just enjoy coming to training, learning new skills, and being in the community. Others say that it doesn’t bother them, but a year or so down the track, they get frustrated with their progression and stop training.

Be honest with yourself. If you want to progress, train more frequently. It is much more fun coming to training more often.

For almost all students, we recommend training twice or more per week. For children under 9, once per week can be more suitable, which is part of the reason that we have the children’s grading system. (Often younger children are engaged in many different activities, and training twice per week isn’t possible.)

I started Taekwon-Do at 17 years old, and I loved it. By yellow belt I was training four nights per week, and consequently I progressed quite quickly. That may have been a factor in attaining my black belt, my 4th degree, and beyond. Perhaps if I had only trained once per week, I may never have lasted to that first major milestone.