YOUR
QUESTIONS
We are a friendly welcoming club for all ages and abilities.
Romsey Tae Kwon-Do was formed in 1994. In 2017, it was taken over by Mr Alex Overy, 4th Dan and has since become the most popular and successful Tae Kwon-Do club in Romsey.
You will be training alongside like-minded students in mixed classes.
Starting a new class can be daunting, but we all remember starting Taekwondo as a beginner and will help you in your TKD journey.
You can meet your instructors here.
Classes are run 5 days a week. All the class times are here. Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays at Mountbatten School.
See the classes below suitable for your age range.
Little Ninjas is for children aged 5yrs-7yrs.
Families and Individuals from 7yrs+ can join any beginners lesson.
We offer a Teens and Adults class on Thursdays – Open to all grades.
Where possible, in class we will pair you up with similar heights and ages so you can really have a proper go when punching/kicking pads.
For new members, please wear comfortable gym wear. You don’t need to worry about trainers as we train barefoot.
Once you have graded or are an existing student you will be required to wear your dobok or can purchase the club t-shirt and training trousers. In the summer you may wear the A.O.TKD club shorts and t-shirt. All these can be purchased through the shop.
Jewellery:
We cannot allow jewellery to be worn for safety reasons. Please ensure all jewellery is removed and if you cannot remove it, it must be covered with tape. This also applies to gradings and competitions.
Please go to our booking system here. Select the venue where you wish to train and then select the class you wish to attend. On the right, scroll down and select your tickets (i.e. how many people you are booking for). Click view selections.
On the next screen, you will have the option to book more classes. If you attend the same sessions regularly, then we ask that you book in bulk. This helps with instructor preparation. You can always cancel later if you cannot attend. Once you’ve added all your sessions, click book now. You will then be given the choice to register (if you are new to the system) or login (if you have already registered).
Please go to our booking system here and select the relevant venue. At the top of the page, select login and proceed. Select view bookings. Select ticket options against the booking you wish to cancel and then select cancel the ticket.
We recommend training at least twice a week. This is to ensure you can meet the minimum training hours required for your next grading and so you don’t forget the new skills and techniques you have been learning. Remember, the more you train, the more you gain!
You have 2 options: Pay by standing order on the 1st of each month or Pay as you go cash at the lesson.
Membership costs:
£45 per month = Twice a week/8 lessons a month
£55 per month = Unlimited lessons a month
PAYG option £15 per lesson or if you pay for the month in advance you can take advantage of the above standing order fees.
Please note: If you choose to go on holiday or are ill/injured, payment fees will still have to be paid for the month. You are welcome to attend more sessions during the week on either side of your holiday to make up for the time missed.
Licence Fees are £55.00 per year or monthly at £4.59 per month
GRADING & PROGRESSION
There are ten belts to black belt. Every beginner is known as a white belt, they then must grade (a practical exam to show the techniques in the syllabus have been learnt) to achieve their next belt.
Although your instructor will teach and guide you, it is your responsibility to know and practice your grading requirements. Once you have trained in the required time period, you can attend the next pre-grading assessment, your Instructor will let you know if you are ready to grade.
The colours are white, yellow, green, blue and red. In between each colour belt, students have tags on their belts to indicate which colour they are trying to be promoted to next. For a more detailed overview of this, you should refer to your student handbook.
There is no set time to achieve your Black Belt and every student is different. The minimum amount of time is four & a half years due to the number of months required between each grading.
Colour Belt Gradings are held at Mountbatten School. You can find more information on our grading calendar.
Gradings are by invite only.
Below is a rough guide to when students could grade depending on training hours, work ethic and ability.
10th Kup to 5th Kup circa 4 months of lessons before you have a chance to grade.
4th Kup to 1st Kup, circa 6/8 months before you have a chance to grade.
1st Kup to 1st Dan circa 9-12 months before you have a chance to grade.
Black Belts, you must train for the number of years equivalent to your Dan grade (e.g. 1st Dans – 1 year, 2nd Dans – 2 years etc.).
You can find more information here and view our YouTube video which shows you what to expect at a 10th Kup grading.
Yes, pre-grading allows Mr Overy and the instructors to see if you are ready for grading. It’s a chance to see how gradings are run and receive feedback and advice if any improvements need to be made prior to grading.
Anyone is welcome to pre-grade, this is a great chance to see what is expected for your grade. See this as a practice run for your actual pre-grading.
You can wear your dobok or your club t-shirt and trousers. Remember your belt.
Wear your full A.O. Taekwondo white dobok (top and trousers) or you may wear your black training trousers with your white dobok top if you wish. You can purchase these from the shop.
SPARRING
Sparring lessons vary between learning drills to get you used to feet & hand combinations and contact sparring. Students are taught in a safe controlled space. Sparring gear is essential.
We recommend starting your sparring journey as early as possible – this will help you to develop the skills and confidence you need before sparring is required in the syllabus. Sparring will be a required part of your grading once you reach 5th Kup (green belt, blue tag).
If you already own sparring equipment – please speak to your instructor to check whether this is suitable. However, if you are looking to purchase sparring equipment, you must purchase this from here
No. We encourage participation as these can help improve your skills and techniques, make new friends, and have fun! However, it is not a requirement for any of your gradings.