Taekwon-do is a modern martial art which was founded on the 11th April 1955 in Korea. The techniques used within Taekwon-do draw on older martial arts from China, Korea and Japan. The art was formalised by General Choi Hong Hi during his time in the Korean army and officially came into being on 11th April 1955, although the General had been training people in its use before this time.

The popularity of Taekwon-do spread over time, reaching the United States first and then spreading to Europe. Taekwon-do was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1967 by Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha.

"Tae" means to jump, kick or smash with the foot,
"Kwon" means to destroy, break or thrust with the hand and
 "Do" means Art, Way or Method.

Therefore the name Taekwon-Do means the art or method of using your hands and feet as weapons.

When taught as a martial art, Taekwon-do is the scientific use of the body as a method of self-defence, through physical and mental training and conditioning.

Taekwon-do consists of a number of specific aspects that combine to make the entire martial art;

Techniques - Individual techniques, such as specific kicks, are taught to ensure that each move is executed correctly and as powerfully as possible.

Patterns - Patterns teach students to execute techniques in set orders. This teaches concentration and the combination of moves.

Sparring - Sparring with other students develops fluid movement and self defence capability. Students begin learning in a very controlled way and gradually progress through to free sparring where any technique can be used. Students are taught self control throughout the sparring process.

Taekwondo aims to build a well-rounded, balanced personality by distilling in our students the right values based on the 5 Tenets of Taekwon-Do, namely:

Courtesy (Ye Ui)
Showing politeness and respect for parents, elders and peers.

Integrity (Yom Chi)
Complete honesty with oneself and others in all matters.

Perseverance (In Nae)
The determination to stick to one's goal once decided upon.

Self-Control (Guk Gi)
To be able to control oneself inside and outside the training area and in all situations.

Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul Boolgool)
Fighting spirit....

Proficiency in Taekwon-do is measured through a series of belts and grades. In earlier days a Taekwondo practitioner's belt started off white. As he/she trained in Taekwondo the belt became dirtied and black.

These days we use a smilar grading system to show that a student has reached a certain level of proficiency. Beginners start as white belts and work their way through yellow, green, blue and red, until the are black belts.  However, Taekwondo does not stop there as there are many further gradings beyond black belt!!