Turning up for your first lesson can be nerve-wracking when you don't know what to expect, so we've put together some general information that should answer all of your questions. If you have any more then please do not hesitate to phone the Club Instructor, Lee-David Newman, on 07795467262 or 01179029347, or email him at Enquiries@EmersonsGreenTKD.com.

If you wish to just watch for a lesson or two then you are perfectly welcome to do this, as long as you aren't disruptive. If you're a parent bringing your child along, you're welcome to stay and watch for as many sessions as you wish until you feel happy that they are in good care.

For your first few lessons, come wearing lose comfortable clothes, such as a t-shirt and jogging bottoms. It's a bare foot Martial Art but if this is a problem then you're welcome to wear trainers, as long as we agree that they're suitable.

It's useful to bring a drink, water is best; there will be several breaks in the lesson for you to have a drink. The Village Hall have very tidy toilet facilities that also provide drinking water if you forget.

It's a good idea to turn up about 5-10 minutes before the lesson actually starts in order to get a feel of the place. As you enter the main entrance to the Village Hall you should see a sign for TAGB Tae Kwon-Do; we're in the main hall on the left, it's easy to find.

We have roughly 25 students registered in each class, so the hall becomes quite busy between the two sessions. Once the adults session has started and the juniors have left, it quickly calms back down, so don't worry, it's not that crowded the entire time!

When you turn up someone will come and introduce themselves to you, it will either be the Club Instructor Lee-David Newman, or the Club Assistant Frances Watson. We're both quite friendly :-) We may be busy teaching, talking to students/parents or doing paperwork when you arrive, so we might not be able to speak to you immediately, but we won't be too long.

The Juniors warm-up may be started by Lee, Frances or one of our trainee assistants Erin Taylor or Danny Amos. The Adult's warm-up is usually started by Lee or one of the senior students. Please wait for someone to speak to you before you join in, it doesn't matter if you don't join in immediately. We will give you an information booklet and ask you to fill in a form with your name, address and basic medical details. We will then show you all the relevant teaching certificates, CRB checks and insurance details, and ask you to sign to say you have seen them. You will not be asked to sign any form of contract and you will not need to pay for anything straight away, as every beginner has 1 months free trial.

From there we will integrate you into the warm-up, which involves a little running, simple exercises such as star jumps, press-ups and sit-ups, as well as some stretching. It may also include simple Tae Kwon-Do techniques such as kicks and punches, give these a go but don't panic, you're not expected to be perfect already! The main thing to remember is not to tire yourself out, take it at your own pace.

The Instructor (Mr. Newman) will then finish off the warm-up and start the lesson. As a beginner you won't be expected to join in with the main class immediately. In the Juniors session the beginners are always taught by either Frances, Erin or Danny. Usually they remain in this group until they have passed several gradings. In the Adults session you will be taught by another student for a few lessons until you feel ready to join in with the rest of the class.

As a beginner you will be taught how to punch in two different stances, how to perform a kick used to stretch the leg muscles, and how to perform two different blocks, one used against a low section attack and one used against a middle section attack. This is basically all you will have to do at your first grading, and most people are able to grade in just 3 months (young children can take longer). If you carry on with Tae Kwon-Do you may be able to grade for your Black Belt in just 3 and a half years!

We don't list any costs on the website, but will be happy to talk to you about these in person, over the phone or via email. As I mentioned before, you don't have to pay anything immediately, as there is a month free trial for all students. After this you will need to buy a training outfit, pay fees once a month (this needs to be paid before the 10th of the month), and pay for a licence once a year. Gradings are extra, as are tournaments if you wish to take part in them. Please do ask us if you would like more details on our month free trial.