TaeKwonDo Academy

Matilda Morgan

Decided 1st DAN Black Belt  

L2 Trainee Instructor

 

I started my TaeKwonDo journey in the beginning of 2014 when the Petersfield Academy was still quite new. I was living in Petersfield and wanted to find a martial art that was affordable, easy to get to and in a club that suited my personality (not too strict but not too casual - I don’t ask for much).

I found the TaeKwonDo Academy and started a 2 week free trial the next week, only to sign up on the spot at the end of the first session.

Travis has supported me through my entire TaeKwonDo career and encouraged me to start helping out with the juniors around December 2014, I absolutely love teaching TaeKwonDo and helping others find a love for the sport that has built my confidence and helped me overcome my anxiety.

One of the best things about teaching with the TaeKwonDo Academy is the mixture of students that we cater for, adapting the lessons to suit people of all abilities and ages is challenging and incredibly rewarding. Seeing someone gain confidence in a particular kick or form is what it’s all about.

My real passion in TaeKwonDo is sparring. I am a huge fan of UFC and Ronda Rousey in particular, although she is a judoka and doesn’t tend to do a lot of kicks or striking (except for that Beth Correia fight… if you haven’t seen it, google it), it’s amazing to see women in a classically male-dominated sport absolutely slay the game. Anderson Silva is also an incredible fighter in the UFC whose main art is TaeKwonDo, and who couldn’t be inspired by the one and only Chuck Norris? Sparring offers the chance to adapt your style and requires a higher level of creativity and technique, as well as improving coordination, balance and responsiveness.

I competed in our annual intra-academy competition in 2014 when I had just gained my green belt. I was utterly terrified considering that the first time I had ever sparred or broken boards was the night before but I thought I would give it a go anyway, only to come third in Pattern/Forms and first in Board Breaking with a wicked bicycle kick.

I take part in our TaeKwonDo demos every year which is both terrifying and amazing. It is great to show our community what we are all about and introduce something that I am incredibly passionate about to people who may never have known how accessible it is.

I have passed the grading for my 1st DAN black belt and Level 2 Trainee Instructor and am now working towards being a fully qualified instructor and eventually opening my own TaeKwonDo Academy club.