Spring is always one of the busiest times of the year for the club, and this year has been no exception! With Black Belt gradings, international competitions, and colour belt gradings all packed into the calendar, it has very much been all hands on deck.

It has been fantastic to see the commitment everyone has shown — not only to their own training and goals, but also in the way everyone has supported one another throughout such a busy period. Read on to catch up on everything that’s been happening lately!

Laila’s Black Belt Grading Success

Back in April, Laila travelled to Daventry to take part in her Black Belt grading, and we are delighted to share that she was successful and passed!

This is such a special achievement and a true reflection of her hard work, dedication, and resilience throughout her Tae Kwon-Do journey. From competing on the European stage to earning her Black Belt, she has shown exactly what it means to work towards and achieve such an important milestone.

A huge accomplishment, and one that is so richly deserved — we couldn’t be prouder of her.

Colour Belt Grading

We wrapped up another fantastic colour belt grading — and this one was extra special, with an amazing 33 students stepping up to earn their next belt.

Every single student showed determination, confidence, and the rewards of all the hard work they’ve been putting in over the last few months. Seeing so many students grading together and supporting one another made the day even more special, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved.

Congratulations to our promotions:

• 1st Kup: Pablo, Amelia & Andrea

• 2nd Kup: Zosia, Ela & Alara

• 4th Kup: Matilda, Aimee, Neil, Peter & Amelie

• 5th Kup: Aga, Carolina & Rafael

• 6th Kup: Clara, Faryn, Jasper & Tristan

• 7th Kup: Steve

• 8th Kup: Isabella & Ethan

• 9th Kup: Assel, Dylan, Lucas, Ellese, Michael, Angelo, Steph, Maya, Elena, Emily, Sammy & Zachary

We also celebrated an incredible 8 A-Passes! Huge well done to Ela, Alara, Neil, Steve, Ethan, Ellese, Emily & Maya!

A special mention must also go to Ela, who received the grading award this time — an absolutely fantastic achievement.

It was also fantastic to witness Laila being presented with her Black Belt certificate by Grand Master Dew. It was a really special moment and a wonderful way to round off what has already been an incredible few months for her.

Welsh Championships

What an awesome day in Cardiff!

Exeter Eagles took 14 competitors and 2 referees to represent the club at the Welsh Championships, we were so impressed with everyone involved.

From competitors and referees to the supporters cheering from the sidelines, everybody played a part in making it such a fantastic day.

It was a tough competition, but every student stepped onto the mats with confidence, courage, and determination. Whether students came home with medals or not, everyone should be incredibly pleased of the way they conducted themselves and supported one another throughout the day.

Congratulations to our medallists:

• Luna – Silver in Individual Sparring

• Peter – Gold in Individual Sparring & Gold in Team Sparring

• Aga – Silver in Individual Sparring & Gold in Team Sparring

• Ethan – Bronze in Individual Patterns

• Ela – Gold in Team Sparring & Bronze in Individual Sparring

• Alara – Bronze in Individual Patterns

A huge well done as well to Ela, Alara & Zosia for achieving silver in Team Patterns together!

Finally, a last-minute decision on the day saw instructors Miss Searle, Mr Cheriton & Mr Osborne-Whiting enter Team Patterns together — coming away with bronze after a play-off. A brilliant way to round off a fantastic day!

Upcoming…

West Exe Venue Change

As many of you already know, we have temporarily moved our Wednesday classes to the Dance Studio at St Luke’s C of E School whilst West Exe School holds their summer exams.

Wednesday sessions will remain at St Luke’s until July, with our first session back at West Exe planned for the 8th of July. We appreciate this isn’t ideal for those travelling from the other side of the city, so thank you all for your understanding and continued commitment to training.

Bank Holiday Monday

Just a reminder that there will be no training on Monday 25th May due to the Bank Holiday. After this, Monday classes will resume as normal until August.

BTC Championships

On Sunday 7th June, Ethan will be travelling to the University of Worcester Arena to compete at the BTC Championships.

This is a unique event where many different styles of Tae Kwon-Do from within the British Taekwondo Council come together to compete, making for a really exciting competition atmosphere. It’s always fascinating to see the variety of patterns and sparring styles on display.

Ethan is taking on a fantastic challenge, and we’ll all be rooting for him — good luck Ethan!

Summer Colour Belt Grading (Sunday, 26th of July)

Although the end of July may feel a little way off at the moment, this is actually one of the shortest gaps we have between gradings during the year. For those hoping to grade this summer, now is the perfect time to start preparing as the date will come around quickly!

The club now moves into a slightly quieter period, which comes at a really important point after such a busy start to the year. During this time, we always encourage students to rest, reflect, and think about setting new goals for the months ahead.

It’s important to look back on the goals you set yourself earlier in the year, reflect on how you progressed towards them, and use that to either refine your current goals or set completely new ones. If you’re ever unsure what goals to work towards next — especially when there isn’t an immediate grading or competition approaching — please speak to us. We’re always more than happy to help guide and support you on your Tae Kwon-Do journey.