Red belts and black stripes, please remember, you must attend the compulsory red belt training sessions every six months to be eligible to take further gradings. You will need to be registered to attend these sessions so please let me know which session(s) you will be attending.
The next sessions are:
Sunday 7th April, 14.30 to 16.00 - Derby Arena, Royal Way, Derby DE24 8JB. THIS SESSION ALLOWS ANY STUDENT FROM 2ND KUP TO 4TH DAN TO ATTEND AS A CATCH UP.
Sunday 5th May, 16.00 to 17.00 - Derby Arena, Royal Way, Derby DE24 8JB. THIS SESSION IS FOR RED BELTS ONLY, BOTH 2ND & 1ST KUPS.

Don’t forget to take your licence to be signed.

Why Set Goals?
Setting precise, well-defined goals can help you measure and take pride in the achieving of those goals and you will see forward growth in what may have earlier appeared a lengthy hard slog. You will grow as a person raising your self-assurance, recognizing your own ability and capability in achieving the goals you set for yourself.
Some of the most successful people, elite athletes, businesspeople and high achievers in a variety of fields set goals.
When you set yourself goals or targets it gives you a long term vision and short term inspiration. It concentrates your attainment of knowledge and helps you organize your precious time so that you can make the most of your life. 
 
Deciding on the right goals for you
When deciding on which goals are best for you it’s often worth discussing this with a mentor, instructor, coach or manager. They can provide advice suggesting reasonable effective goals that will challenge you but are realistic and motivate you.
 
How to Set Goals

• First think of your main goal, the overall goal to wish to achieve.
• Timeframe, when do you wish to achieve your main goal. This needs to be realistic.
• Then, you break your main goal down into smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your main goal.
• Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to accomplish your goals.

Here is a GOAL SETTING WORK SHEET to get you started. If you want an editable copy fill in the contact form below to request a copy.  

Firstly, what does the term “Martial Arts” mean? Martial Arts are various sports that historically originate from Asia as forms of self-defence. There are fundamental differences between styles, identifying and choosing the style that suits you is the first step. There are so many benefits when training regularly in martial arts regardless of style.

What are the Benefits?

CONFIDENCE
One of the hardest things about beginning anything new including a martial art is the initial staring point. In martial arts that is normally getting up and taking part in your first lesson, nerves kick in and you can feel a lack of confidence and you’re asking yourself, will I be able to do it, will I be any good? Well, you won’t know until you try. If everyone was perfect at everything and never made a mistake, then there would be no need for an endless number of things but that’s not the case.
All martial arts improve confidence endlessly. They have recognised progression which provides a sense of achievement and development whilst improving self-defence skills which also helps confidence.

IMPROVED MEMORY
It isn’t just physical exercise but also a mental work out. Most martial arts have a sequence of techniques and moves that need to be remembered advancing in difficulty the more you progress. Regular practise will bring focus and help improve your memory.  

FLEXIBILITY
No matter what age you are when you start, you will gain flexibility, and your body will improve balance, muscle tone and stability.  Whichever martial art you choose, the exercises will feel alien at first, but with control and repetition comes increased benefit.

CREATIVITY
It’s great having a structured way to do something especially when learning but using your own imagination and creativity helps too. Martial arts have both elements, you have a structured system with set moves and sequences, and areas where you encouraged to create your own combinations and sequences.
 
WEIGHT LOSS & FITNESS
Any physical activity is going to aid weight loss and martial arts is no expectation. The beauty of martial arts is you can control the intenseness of the work out, lessons are structured and have a variety of activities that develop diverse areas of your body.  It isn’t necessarily about weight loss but that is very often the outcome. If you are considering martial arts mainly for weight loss, choosing a one that has lots of kicking, sparring, pad work & cardio might be your best option.
 
IMPROVED LIFESTYLE
Martial arts are a lifestyle choice, you will find that it isn’t just a physical activity it’s so much more.  The majority martial arts have an aspect relating to respect, morals and values which transfer over to every area of your life.
 
What do I need to start?
It’s never too late to take up martial arts, you can do it at any age, at any level of fitness and with commitment and regular training you will improve very quickly.  
You require very little when starting, can it is best to go to your local martial arts school/club and speak to the instructor. They will be able to advise you on what is required at that particular school/club.  Below are some items that are required for beginners.
 A Licence / Membership with insurance.
All reputable martial arts schools will have some kind licence with insurance that covers you in case of injury, the instructor at your chosen school will be able to advise you more.
A Uniform.
This will be specific for both the discipline, and the school that you have joined, so talk to your instructor and see what is needed.
 
Items to consider in the future.
 
Focus Pads or Kick shields
These are used for practising techniques to improve your accuracy, power and speed. Sometimes the school will provide them but it is useful to have your own.
 
Sparring Equipment
If your chosen martial art requires sparring then you’ll need to purchase equipment at some point. This usually consist of Head guard, gum shield, gloves, shin pads, boots, groin guard.  

Jack from the Oswestry Advertiser came to visit us at the end of last year to write an article on Tae Kwon Do. 
His article can be found here.

2019 is here and we are straight into action with the first competition of the year on the 3rd February. The information pack has been sent out on our WhatsApp group chat and is also on our Dropbox folder.
The deadline to enter is Friday 18th January.

To celebrate the New Year we are giving away a Tae Kwon Do uniform.🥋

To enter all you need to is: 
like our Facebook page @MalpasTKD
Share the giveaway post
Tag any friends that are interested in starting Tae Kwon Do.

Click below to be taken to our Facebook page where you can enter, Good Luck!
Enter Here!

This give away is open to any of our current students and anyone thinking of starting Tae Kwon Do.
The winner will be chosen at random, contacted for required size of Tae Kwon Do uniform and to arrange collection at any of our training sessions.

We have made it into the local news papers with our success this year. You can read the articles below. ​

​Finding the perfect gift for someone who is into martial arts can be difficult, there is an array of products but sometimes they are overpriced, not suitable or both. I have selected some of my favourite items that are tried and tested and some that are on my wish list. If you do purchase any of these items please use the links below, it helps this site if you do.
One of the first items I selected and have talked about before is a book called A Killing Art by Alex Gillis. This book talks about the history of Tae Kwon Do, General Choi and how Tae Kwon Do came about. If you want to further your knowledge of Tae Kwon Do I would recommend this book highly and there is a new revised edition out now.

I often get asked by students, how do I improve my stretch, whats the best stretch to do, whats the quickest way improve my flexibility? Firstly there is no quick way to improve your flexibility, it takes time and lots of practise. I love assisted stretching, for me it works the best and I can really push to the limit and relax (Which is important), but if you’re practising at home and don’t have any one to assist you or training alone a stretching aid might be worth looking at. I don’t have a leg stretcher but have often thought about getting one, so it’s on my wish list. They come in all shapes, sizes and prices with entry level ones costing around £15 and higher priced items costing £250. If you happen to get a stretching machine let me know your thoughts.

After a nice warm up and stretch you might want a work out practising your Tae Kwon Do on a punch bag. There are loads of punch bags to choose from and it can be overwhelming. I have used loads of punch bags, pads etc over the years and my favourite by far is the BOB XL. It’s a high end punch bag and some of you might be put off by the price but I can’t praise it enough, I’ve had mine many years now with no problems and the children at Tae Kwon Do love it.

After a hard day of training I like to use a foam roller or massage roller. They can take a little bit of getting used to especially the massage roller if it isn’t smooth (sometimes advertised as Trigger point Therapy) but they are very useful and inexpensive.

I hope you have found this information useful and if you have any questions or would like help choosing the correct product for you or present please feel free to contact me.
If you are thinking of purchasing any of the products featured on here please follow the link provided, it helps this site if you do.

day 11th November 2018 is the last compulsory black belt training of the year. The session is being held at Belper Leisure Centre 1.00 – 3.00 pm.
After the black belt session there is an extra red belt training session 3.00pm - 4.00pm.
Both sessions to be run by Grand Master Sergiew.
Any student attending the red belt session can register on the day approx' 1/2 hour before the start time.
All students attending either session should have their licence with them to be stamped and it should be in date.

North midlands Area Championships Success
 
On Sunday 2nd we had students competing in the North Midlands Area Championships in Derby Arena. The competition saw over 400 people from across the country competing in a mixture of events.
We had students competing in patterns, sparring, team sparring and strike pad power tests.
Results:
Rory Tinsley won gold in Boys strike pad power test, hand technique, middle weight.
Sam Fielding received gold in Boys strike pad power test, hand technique, heavy weight and Bronze in boy red belt patterns.
Chris Southan competed in men’s heavy weight strike pad power test.
Dexter McArdle – the group's youngest competitor – competed in boy’s blue belt patterns and boys blue belt sparring.
Matt Hanks competed in men’s green belt sparring and men’s middle weight power test.
Dan Valentine received bronze in men’s blue belt patterns and men’s heavy weight blue belt sparring.
Lily Ryder won gold in girl’s green belt tag team sparring and bronze in girl’s green belt sparring.
Rebecca Manford competed in lady’s black belt patterns and also helped in umpiring at the event.
We even made the local news, to check out the article follow the link below.
http://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/sport/16695835.tae-kwon-do-group-celebrate-success-at-championships/

​On Saturday 21st July Whitchurch, Malpas and Oswestry Tae Kwon Do travelled to the Birmingham Arena for the 12th Tae Kwon Do International World Championships where over 2000 hopefuls, from every continent of the world battled to be crowned the best in the world.
Hosted by the Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB), 22 countries sent their best competitors to compete in an exciting selection of events in the Tae Kwon Do World Championship.  The two-day tournament saw some of the world’s best fighters, patterns technicians and destruction champions come together to battle it out for the title of World Champion. 
We had six students, Dexter, Rory, Daniel, Emma, Matt and Carl competing across a variety of events in this great competition. All of them put in lots of hard work, effort and training in the lead up to this event and it paid off.  Well done to all of them for their tremendous effort and a huge congratulations to our medal winners,  
Dexter, 3rd, Boys blue belt, sparring
Rory, 3rd, Boys blue belt, strike pad (power test), hand technique
Emma, 2nd, Ladies, Blue belt, Strike pad (power test)
Carl, 1st (World Champion) – Men’s, blue belt, strike pad (Power test) – 3rd Men’s, Blue belt, sparring – 3rd, Men’s colour bet tag team sparring.
 
Competitions are not just about winning medals or trophies, they are also about learning, gaining experience and having fun. We had a fantastic day and cannot wait for the Scottish championships in September.  

Exercising in the hot weather, for me personally I love training in the hot weather, the sun puts me in a good mood for training, my body feels flexible, I know it’s going to be a hard workout and very beneficial. However, exercising in the hot weather can dangerous.

Exercising in hot weather puts extra strain on your body and If you’re not sensible and don't take care when exercising in the heat, you can risk serious illness.
Exercise, the air temperature and humidity can all increase your core body temperature. To help cool itself, our bodies circulate more blood through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which will increase your heart rate. If the humidity also is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn't readily evaporate from your skin. That increases our core temperature even higher.

So what can we do to reduce the risks of exercising in the hot weather?

• Dress appropriately. Lightweight, loose fitting clothing helps sweat evaporate and keeps you cooler. Avoid dark colours, which can absorb heat. White Doboks are ideal training and if it gets very hot replace your Dobok top with our club T-Shirts.

• Drink plenty of fluids. Help your body to sweat and cool down by remaining hydrated with water or a sports drink. Sports drinks can replace the sodium, chloride and potassium you lose through sweating. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink fluids.

• Know your fitness level. Don’t overdo it, be extra cautious when training in the hot weather. Your body may have a lower tolerance to the heat. Reduce your exercise intensity and take frequent breaks.
• Outside Training. If we train outside you should take extra precautions. Wear a hat and sun lotion. Sunburn decreases your body's ability to cool itself and increases the risk of skin cancer.

 
Pay attention to your bodies warning signs

When you are exercising during the hot weather watch out for signs and symptoms of heat related illness. If you ignore these symptoms, your condition can worsen, resulting in a medical emergency. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Dizziness or feeling light headed
• Confusion
• Irritability
• Muscle cramps
• Feeling unwell, nausea or vomiting
• Weakness or fatigue
• Headache
• Excessive sweating

If you develop any of these symptoms, you need to lower your body temperature and get hydrated immediately. Stop exercising and get out of the heat.
To help lower your body temperature, remove extra clothing and/ or sparring equipment. Placing cool wet towels or ice packs on your neck, forehead and under your arms can help. Drink fluids such as water or a sports drink. If you don't feel better within about 20 minutes, seek medical assistance.
 
We can avoid heat related illnesses by being sensible and taking some basic precautions. So when the sun is out and the temperature rises we can keep kicking.
 

The past few weeks have been full of Tae Kwon Do action and will continue in the next few weeks too. 
We started at the end of May with the Welsh Championships in Cardiff, where we had five students competing, Chris, Emma, Dexter, Carl and Amelia. I would like to say a big well done to all of them for competing. It was a day of new experiences for a lot of them. It was Dexter and Amelia's first competition, Carl's first time sparring in the continuous sparring format and Chris's first time sparring in the Men's black belt heavy weight category.  
Congratulations to Emma who came away with third place in the woman's red belt sparring .
There are lots of positives to take from their performances and areas for improvement we can work on. 

​After the Welsh Championships all attention was focused on the up coming colour belt grading at Whitchurch.
This was a very special grading for me in many different ways, but the most significant, it was our last club grading with World Mater Brian Towndrow and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for all he has done for me personally, our clubs, the North Midlands Area and the TAGB. He will be missed greatly and I wish him all the best in the future.
I feel those grading gave a  strong performance, with many getting an Advanced pass so well done to all of you and it was a nice send off for Master Towndrow. 
Photos of the belt presentations can be found on our Facebook group. www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.10155608199595905&type=3

I would also like to thank all of the black bets that gave up their free time to help with the grading, without their help the grading would not run ass smoothly as it did so thank you!

Up and coming events​
Coming up next is the World Master Minott Semiar at Whitchurch on Saturday 23rd June. I cannot recommend this seminar enough. Master Minott is a fantastic coach and a great guy. Whatever your experience you will gain something from this seminar.  
This event is open to all TAGB licensed, if you'd like to attend please speak to your instructor or contact me to book your place.

TI World Championships 
On the 21st and 22nd July the TAGB are hosting the Tae Kwon Do International World Championships in Birmingham Arena. 
​All information along with entry forms can be found on the World Championships website
 www.worlds.tkdi.biz

There is no training at Malpas on Monday 28th June 2018, as the school is closed due to the Bank Holiday. Have a nice day.
Classes are running as normal the rest of the week and through the holidays.

This years TAGB Welsh Championships will be held at the University Of Wales, Cyn Coed Road,Cardiff on Sunday 20th May 2018.
There are divisions for everyone, Juniors, Cadets, Adults, Executives, Team Events and The Ultimate Striker.
Entry forms can be downloaded from our Dropbox folder or see us at class for a copy.

​When taking part in sparring a gum shield is essential. Wearing a gum shield will significantly reduce the risk of dental injuries. However, it is important to remember that no gum shield will completely eliminate the risk of injury, but this risk is significantly reduced from not wearing one at all.
To ensure that your risk of injury is minimised you need to make sure that your gum shield is comfortable to wear, fits correctly so it stays in place and is maintained. 
Cleaning and inspecting your gum shield between uses will help the life of your gum shield. If your gum shield is showing any signs of wear and tear, then replacement is advisable.
There are an abundance of gum shields with a variety of colours, styles and prices. A basic gum shield costs around £4.50, the most expensive option is a custom made gum shield costing around £80.
I have had various gum shields over the years but my favourite is my current gum shield, the Shock Doctor Gel Max Mouth Guard. I like the Shock Doctor range because they are comfortable, cool looking and a reasonable price.
If you’re looking for a new gum shield, then check out the links below at some of my favourites and if you purchase through the link it helps out this site.

We have a busy weekend of Tae Kwon Do ahead of us, starting with the colour belt in Newcastle and then the English championships in Worcester.

The colour belt grading is being held at Newcastle College the address is: Gordon Banks Sports Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme College, Knutton Lane, Staffordshire, ST5 2GB.
​The grading will start at 11am and all grades need to be there ready to start at this time please.
Because of the grading there is no training at Whitchurch on Saturday (24th March,) training at Whitchurch will resume on Saturday 31st March.

On Sunday 25th March we are heading to the university of Worcester for the 2018 English Championships where we have students competing and officiating. The running order is below, so you can see which area you will be competing on.
​​All competitors to arrive by 9.00 am.

​Reports are coming in about long delays in Worcester city center.
To make sure you arrive on time and are ready to compete in your event.
Please see the map below which shows a route in blue which comes in from the west to miss the city centre road works. 

Good luck to all our students that are grading and competing this weekend, enjoy your weekend of Tae Kwon Do.

​This weekend see’s the start of the April 2018 black belt grading process with the mock grading in Belper, Derbyshire. We have two students taking part and I would like to wish them the best of luck.
The details of the mock grading are below.

Start time: 13.00
Please make sure you arrive there in plenty of time.
​
Venue: Belper Leisure Centre, John O'Gaunts Way, Belper DE56 0DA.

If you are interested in the history of Tae Kwon Do, General Choi, Korean history or martial arts in general then this book is a great read.
Writen by Alex Gillis a investigative journalist who has trained in Tae Kwon Do for over 25 years, this book looks into the history and tales around Tae Kwon Do and how it all started. 
Sometimes I find people do the minimum theory for gradings and that’s it, it’s a real shame because the story of Tae Kwon Do is very interesting.

If you are interested in buying this book to further your Tae Kwon Do knowledge please use the link below.
​ 
“Obscure documents, Korean-language books, and in-depth interviews with tae kwon do pioneers tell the tale of the origin of the most popular martial art. In 1938, tae kwon do began at the end of a poker game in a tiny village in a remote corner of what is now North Korea by Choi Hong-Hi, who began the martial art, and his nemesis, Kim Un-Yong, who developed the Olympic style and became one of the most powerful, controversial men in sports. The story follows Choi from the 1938 poker game where he fought for his life, through high-class geisha houses where the art was named, and into the Vietnam War where the martial art evolved into a killing art. The techniques cut across all realms—from the late 1960s when tae kwon do–trained Korean CIA agents kidnapped people in the United States and Europe to the 1970s when Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and other Hollywood stars mastered the art’s new kicks. Tae kwon do is also a martial art for the 21st century, one of merciless techniques, indomitable men, and justice pumped on steroids.”