When should I move to the next class?

Hi Everyone

After grading is a good time to reflect on whether you are training in the right class.

To begin, we recommend that all students in our classes targeted for 9 years and older train twice per week (or more for more senior students). We also welcome our Taekwon-Do children in our 6-8 year old classes to train twice per week if they are keen. We can accommodate students who can’t manage twice per week; be aware that your rate of progress will halve if you train half as often.

The age ranges for our classes are a guide. Sometimes younger students may be suited to older classes, and vice versa. In particular, younger students who are higher grades often do better in the next age group, because they have a basic knowledge of Taekwon-Do fundamentals, and they can usually focus during a class targeted at an older group. Students are welcome to attend a mix of classes at different venues.

Taekwon-Do Kubz

• Age guide: 3-5 years old
• Saturdays 9-10am or 10-11am at Churchill Park School

This class is fantastic for young children to learn communication skills, and age-appropriate safety skills around adults and other children (e.g. anti-bullying techniques). Children learn through games and have fun hitting pads. There is less focus on Taekwon-Do technique.

Taekwon-Do Kubz train once per week. Children tend to grade at a frequency that depends upon their age and the number of sessions since their last grading. Younger children may grade every second term, where older children may grade every term (depending upon their focus and performance in class), until they reach the higher levels.

Taekwon-Do children

• Age guide: 6-8 years old
• Option 1: Mondays and Thursdays, 5-6pm at Churchill Park School
• Option 2: Mondays and Thursdays, 6-7pm at Kohimarama School

This class progresses into basic Taekwon-Do skills, as well as age appropriate self-defence (particularly anti-bullying). This class has more structure, and children start to learn Taekwon-Do sequences. We also become more particular about details such as stances, body position and technique trajectories. It is focused on children who have not attained yellow belt – yellow belts tend to progress to the next age group even if they are under 9 years old.

Some keen students love to train twice per week. Many children train once per week. If children train regularly, they are likely to attain a children’s grading each term, and an ITF Taekwon-Do gup grade (national grading) about once per year, or a little more (depending upon their skill level).

Taekwon-Do intermediates

• Age guide: 9-12 years old
• Option 1: Tuesdays 5-6pm and Thursdays 6-7pm at Churchill Park School
• Option 2: Mondays and Thursdays, 7-8pm at Kohimarama School
• Option 3: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30pm at Glendowie School

Older children tend to have more focus, and better coordination and physical awareness, so we are able to do more complex Taekwon-Do exercises. Students in these classes range from white belt to about blue belt (or higher). Training involves less games, and more Taekwon-Do – awesome! Children who are higher than blue belt and about 11 or 12 years old may be encouraged to attend the next age level’s class.

Almost all students in this age group train twice per week, but a few can only manage once per week. Students in this class who train twice per week are likely to move through children’s grades at twice the speed of young children, and up to about 7th gup (yellow belt green stripe) they may do an ITF Taekwon-Do gup grading (national grading) every two terms. From 7th gup or 6th gup (green belt) the rate of grading for national grades is likely to slow to once every three or four terms.

Youths and adults

• Age guide: 13 years old and above
• Tuesdays 6:00-7:30pm and Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm at Churchill Park School

This class is targeted at teens and adults. It is more physical, both in fitness, and in the level of training. The instructor expects focused students who follow instructions quickly and train hard, while enjoying their training.

Almost all students in this age group train twice per week. These students might attain a national grade once per term up to 6th gup (green belt), and may be able to grade once every two terms up to about 2nd gup (red belt). Some students – younger, older, less coordinated – may take longer.

Parents and children

• Age guide: children 6-10 years old training together with one or both parents
• Saturdays 11am-12pm at Churchill Park School

This class is exclusively for children and their parents training together. Classes are targeted at a level attainable to the children, although sometimes adults and children are separated and adults receive more difficult exercises. We find that parents in this class are comfortable training less intensely, because they are able to enjoy the activity with their children.

Many students in this class train an extra session (or two) in one of the classes above suited to their age group.

Training fees

A single student training once per week costs $50 per month; twice per week costs $70 per month.

Family rates are the same whether students train once or twice per week ($100 per month for two in a family; $130 per month for three or more).