Meet British Taekwondo member, Martin Stamper, owner and lead Instructor at Martin Stamper Taekwondo Academy.

It’s brilliant hearing stories from our members and the reasons why they do Taekwondo. In this feature we meet Instructor Martin Stamper from MSTA in Droylsden, Manchester.

Name: Martin Stamper
Your club’s name: Martin Stamper Taekwondo Academy (MSTA)
Club location: Fairfield Road Primary School, Droylsden, Manchester M43 6AF
Dan grade: 2nd Dan

When did you first try Taekwondo?

I started my Taekwondo Journey at six years old at a local club.

I still clearly remember how dynamic some of the kicks I saw at that first session were. I really enjoyed that. That was 31 years ago and in that time I’ve been an athlete, coach and now an instructor at my own club.

Taekwondo has taken me to over 40 different countries to compete or coach including Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, Australia, and South Korea.

It’s exciting to have recently opened my own club closer to home here in Droylsden, Manchester.

How often do you train?

I’m a full-time high-performance coach at GB Taekwondo and the Lead Instructor at Martin Stamper Taekwondo Academy (MSTA). Our class times at MSTA see me leading sessions every Tuesday and Thursday evening.

I have a real love and passion for the sport and really enjoy seeing others try the combat sport of Taekwondo. It’s exciting to see people give it a go, and excellent when they keep coming back for more.

Have you competed in any events?

As an athlete I competed all around the world including European and World Championships and at the 2012 Olympic Games.

As a Coach I have coached athletes to European and World titles and to an Olympic medal in Tokyo 2021.

I’ve won hundreds of medals as an athlete and coach, but my biggest achievements are winning a bronze medal at the home of Taekwondo in Korea in 2011 and coaching Bradly Sinden to become the first male world champion for GB in Manchester in 2019.

If someone is reading this and has never stepped onto a Taekwondo mat, what would you say to them to help them give it a go?

It’s a great sport to help build fitness, mental resilience, and boost confidence. It’s fun and you will continue to improve and learn new things every lesson. You will also make lifelong friends.

To me the best things about Taekwondo are learning lessons that last a lifetime, doing Taekwondo creates incredible opportunities and you will meet some wonderful people too.

What’s your top tip for training?

Try your best in everything you do and have fun with it.

What are your hopes for the future in your Taekwondo career?

I have two aspirations in my Taekwondo career – one is to coach an Olympic Champion for Team GB.

The other is to grow my club as big as possible by bringing high level coaching to the grassroots and building a community of active and driven students.

Why is Taekwondo the activity for you?

I have practised Taekwondo my whole life and made it not only my hobby and passion, but my job too.

Find out more

MSTA’s class times are every Tuesday & Thursday:

• 5 – 10 Year olds from 6pm – 6.45pm
• 11+ Year olds 7pm – 8pm

For more information about the club, class times, and how you can begin your Taekwondo journey, visit the Martin Stamper Taekwondo Academy’s Linktree page.

Photos: Submitted.

If you would like to share your Taekwondo story please contact Richard Gottfried via media@britishtaekwondo.org