A group of 20 taekwondo students from Wirral had cause for post-lockdown celebration after a recent grading event.
The members of Richard Saunders and Universal Taekwondo Academies (UTA) attended the event in Wrexham and came away with 15 new first degree black belts, one new second degree, three new third degree and one new fourth degree.
The students aged between 10 and 52 years old were graded under the watchful eye of three world masters from the One Martial Arts association.
Chief instructor Mr Richard Saunders, seventh degree, said: "It's been a tough 15 months for its members with the lock down and restrictions we have had to adapt from moving members to zoom classes and also changing some of our syllabus to help with social-distancing measures to keep our members safe whilst returning to live classes.
"Our students have all continued to enjoy taekwondo and to achieve so many new black belts and higher Dans is a credit to our members' indomitable spirit to keep training and progressing”.
UTA pride itself on being a family Martial Art academy and this is shown through the Jones family (pictured, below) from Wallasey who all passed their First Degree black belt at the recent grading.
Angie and Dale Jones started Taekwondo with their sons Toby (10) and Ben (12) more than four years ago and where all hooked by what the martial art offers from the discipline to its self defence aspects, confidence building and its fitness based classes.
On the Jones family Richard said "It's great to see members achieve a black belt and team Jones have all worked together as a family pushing and supporting each other whilst enjoying the benefits of taekwondo and how families can train together and progress together through its belt system”
Despite the lock down and restrictions the club in Wallasey have just recently opened its second full Taekwondo Academy on the Dock Road and Richard and his team are hoping it can follow in its success from Richards first full time academy in Bromborough which opened 10 years ago.
If anyone would like to know more about classes visit its website at www.wirraltkd.co.uk or call 0151 378 5256 for more information.
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