RL_Taekwondo

On the 21st of July, 1999, six students from the Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy took their first gradings. Students from the academy, which has only been running a short while, were not only expected to show a sound technical knowledge of the basic's of this Korean martial art, but also had to answer related theory questions in Korean!

The six students who took the grading, Jade Harris, Zoe Bennett, Toni Bennett, Lauren Read, Michael Bennett & Kate Barry, ranged from aged 6 to 17, all passed with flying colours, particularly impressing the grading panel of black belts with their knowledge & expertise and were a credit to their instructor, Mr Stuart Anslow (who recently won the London Taekwon-do Championships held at Crystal Palace). He hopes to field 20 students at the next grading.

After the grading, senior grades from this dynamic martial art performed a demonstration for the parents, visitors & guests. The demonstration showed discipline in both the physical & mental aspects of the art, with students performing patterns (set movements) & sparring and senior grades breaking thick wooden boards with their hands and feet. Particular highlights of the demonstration showed off some of the arts super fast kicking techniques, a superb demonstration of the self defence aspects of the art which showed the clubs instructor performing strikes, kicks, joint locks & throwing techniques against two capable opponents, one of which later produced a knife, a stack of tiles being smashed with a single punch, finishing off with the clubs instructor performing a flying side kick over the heads of four of his students (all standing). All in all a sight to be seen.