Getting Serious about Martial Arts?

Well, I took my final club level grading at Tae Kwon Do last night. The examiner was Master Don Atkins, Eighth Dan Black Belt and National Secretary of the TAGB (Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain). Scary! My next exam will be in the Autumn when I will attempt to gain my my first dan black belt in front of a panel of five judges. Even more scary! This last coloured belt is called black tag, which is sort of a half way house between red and black. At this grade, the theory questions are asked by the senior examiner, rather than the club black belts. Master Atkins also took time to comment and offer tips to the students at the end.

At the risk of looking a fool, I would say this was one of my better gradings. I came away happy that (under exam conditions) I could not have hoped to do any better on the night. Master Atkins was kind enough to comment that I’d done well, before telling me I needed to relax my shoulders more - I would hope I do normally, but in an exam situation I suppose it’s only natural to get a bit tense. At least I can be confident that I’ve passed. I only await the grade now.

The promotional video above shows the competitive side of Tae Kwon Do rather than club level training. I spotted a couple of my instructors in there, including Master Jackson White, who runs our local club in Daventry.

If you’re interested in having fun while getting fit, then I would encourage you to consider learning a martial art. Tae Kwon Do offers a great combination of fitness training and discipline, and will equip you with a useful self defence tool. There are TAGB clubs all over the country. Why not look out yours? If you’re not in the UK, then you might do better to search for a Tae Kwon Do International Dojang in your local area.

My lovely wife took the exam as well - a fight in our household is a serious business! This was us getting pumped up before we left the house for our exam!!