This article is part of the CCA Previews for 2016.

By Chung Jia Hui (16S03J), Faith Magdelena Quek (16S03A) and Jodene Tay (16S03H)

Ever wanted to try out martial arts or learn self-defence? Looking for a light-commitment CCA that still allows you to represent the school in a competition?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

Raffles Taekwondo is an external club CCA recognised in RI(JC), and was established only recently in 2015. Taekwondo is recognized by the Singapore Schools Sports Council, and participation in the National Inter-schools will be included in your CCA Records.

 We train every Friday from 4–5pm at St. Teresa Taekwondo Centre @ HomeTeamNS- JOM Balestier (training timings are flexible and will be confirmed after Y5s get their timetables). It is a short 10-minute walk from Toa Payoh Station.

For each session, we usually start with stretching, as flexible legs are essential in executing taekwondo kicks. Next, we practise our kicks, blocks and punches. We aim for maximum precision in our moves. Finally, we move on to either Poomse or Kyrougi – this is alternated every week. For Poomse, we will split into our belt levels and practice our ‘pattern’ – a series of moves to be demonstrated at the grading which will promote us to the next belt level. Our coach will correct our moves at the same time to ensure that they are more precise and accurate to build a firm foundation and prevent any injuries.

For Kyrougi, we pair up, and hold targets for our partners to kick. This allows us to practice and perfect our kicks. Nearer to the grading day, green belts and above will practice non-contact sparring, in which students kick at the air near each other. Only these students will be graded for Kyrougi.

All members have the opportunity to take part in National Inter-schools 2016 in teams of 3 or individually, as well as inter-club championships throughout the year for experience and exposure. They will perform their Poomse pattern once and be judged against students of the same belt level.

Aside from our weekly trainings, we also organise informal sessions which focus on stretching and PT. Breakfasts, dinners or outings usually follow. Closer to the Inter-schools championships, we train almost daily at the mirrors near LT 5.

In addition, we organise birthday celebrations for our members’ birthdays too :) In a small, close-knit CCA like taekwondo, we are able to get to know each other better and appreciate every single one of us.

More on Taekwondo (태관도):

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art characterized by high kicks, fast kicks, spinning kicks and other kicking stunts. While the use of the upper body is not emphasised, a well-conditioned upper body helps players execute punches and blocks in Poomsae. More than mere hard skills and techniques, Taekwondo is an enriching sport which teaches core values such as respect and discipline. There are two main components of Taekwondo: Poomsae, which consists of a series of kicks and punches, and Kyrougi, which consists of sparring – usually non-contact. While Kyrougi may sound dangerous, tactics are emphasised more than force, hence accidents are unlikely. Don’t worry – the center provides a comfortable, padded room.

Achievements:

National Inter-schools 2015: Female Black Belt Team Gold medal and Best Improved Championship School Trophy

Find out more at our Facebook page and Instagram account @rafflestaekwondo, or contact rafflestaekwondo@gmail.com for any queries.

Sign up NOW at http://www.tinyurl.com/RTKD16Signups for trial lessons and join us starting 8 January 2016! If you’re a beginner, taking part in the grading late-January will give you the opportunity to compete in Inter-schools!

No commitment is required as of now. You can withdraw during the actual CCA sign-up period during Orientation, as your membership will only be confirmed then.