By Angel Lim (20S03L), Captain, Nicole Tan Yun Wen (20S03F), Vice-Captain, and Shannon Tan Zhenyi (20S03Q), Vice-Captain
If you are looking for a sports CCA that allows you to learn something new, make new friends, keep fit, but at the same time does not overwhelm you with a heavy training schedule, then Taekwondo is the CCA for you! Of course, we welcome those with prior experience, especially if you’re interested in taking your skills to the next level by representing the school in competitions!
What is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is an art of self-defence that originates from Korea that emphasises kicking. There are self-defence trainings where you can learn how you can protect yourself in the event that you get attacked, even against an armed attacker! Taekwondo can also make you stronger, faster and more flexible. However, it’s more than just physical fighting skills. The sport places strong emphasis on enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind, preaching discipline and having a positive outlook towards life.
What can I learn in Taekwondo?
Beginners would start at white belt and progress to yellow, green, blue, red and finally black belt. Taekwondo consists of poomsae and sparring. Poomsae is a defined pattern of defence and attack motions, with a unique pattern learnt at each belt level. On the other hand, sparring is the equivalent of fighting someone except you would be protected by full body gear.
But what if I have no experience?
Prior experience is NOT a prerequisite. All we require is your strong commitment and interest towards Taekwondo. In fact, the majority of our team started off as white belts! You will only have to buy your dobok (uniform) when you join and eventually sparring gear when you reach green belt.
Are there opportunities for me to compete?
As long as you train hard, you have the chance to be selected to represent our school in the annual Inter-School competition in April regardless of your belt level! There are also opportunities for you to represent our club in National competitions, such as the National Poomsae Competition (held in May) and the Pesta Sukan Singapore Youth Olympics (held in August and September). While Inter-schools is a poomsae competition, you may join our club’s specialised sparring classes and sparring competitions (such as Pesta Sukan), should you be interested in sparring when you reach the higher belt levels.
How often is training?
Trainings are held externally at HomeTeamNS Balestier St Teresa’s Taekwondo Centre (with a direct bus from school). Regular trainings are conducted weekly on Fridays, from 4pm to 5pm. However, training frequency may increase nearer to gradings or competitions.
Who are our coaches?
Our main coaches are:
Ms Michelle Monterey, who has a 2nd Dan STF Black Belt;
Mr Leonard Yeo, who has a 3rd Dan STF Black Belt;
Sir Rex Rabbi Jude Tayco, who has a 3rd Dan STF Black Belt.
What do we do at training?
We typically start with some warmups by running laps in the gym, followed by light dynamic and static stretches. After which, we have physical training, such as push-ups or stretching like splits. Next, we will do basic kicking drills or learn new ones according to our belt level. We will then end training by practising our respective poomsae patterns or non-contact sparring (that’s fighting your partner without touching them).
If reading this has sparked your interest in joining Taekwondo, feel free to sign up for our trial sessions on 15th and 22nd February at https://tinyurl.com/rafflestkdtrial where you can experience how our regular training sessions are conducted!
For any further enquiries, feel free to email us rafflestaekwondo@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at training!
