Dear British Taekwondo members, instructors, clubs and supporters
As we look to the future of the Martial Art & Sport we love, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the work that’s been done over the past year and share some of the steps forward we’ve made together.
Periods of big change can often feel daunting, but they also mark the beginning of exciting growth, and we want every club, instructor, coach, student and athlete to come on this journey with us, and please know that we are here to support you every step of the way!
Here are some of the key developments I’m thrilled to share with you:
👥 Focus on Membership
We’ve recently completed a significant internal restructure, designed to give us the capacity to deliver the best possible support and service to our network of clubs and the membership moving forward. We are confident you will see a real difference in response times and service levels.
🏆 Official Recognition as Governing Body for World Taekwondo in the UK
I’m absolutely delighted to announce what is, without doubt, a significant milestone in British Taekwondo’s history.
We have recently received official recognition from all Home Nations Sports Councils – including Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland, and UK Sport, as the officially recognised Governing Body for WT Taekwondo in the UK.
This recognition is more than just a formal title; it represents a huge leap forward for our organisation and the entire Taekwondo community across the UK. It unlocks vital access to available funding for clubs (a bug bear for many), resources, and development opportunities.
Some of you may have assumed this was always the case, that British Taekwondo were already fully recognised and it’s a fair point. But complexity and layers of historical reasons resulted in a disjointed recognition landscape, whereby although British Taekwondo was fully recognised by World Taekwondo (WT), the European Taekwondo Union (ETU), The British Olympic Association (BOA), the British Paralympic Assocation (BPA) etc etc……and has been for decades, and is funded by Sport England, we weren’t on some of the formal recognition lists in the UK. And despite years, literally years, of work trying to unpick – it’s only now this has been resolved.
For our members across the Home Nations, we are hopeful that this means greater engagement and investment into the sport, and new opportunities for development and competition locally. For clubs, it means stronger pathways to grow and connect with wider networks.
Thanks go to colleagues at Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland, UK Sport and GB Taekwondo for their support.
Look out for more news on this over the coming months.
🥇 Success of the Grand Prix 2027 Bid
Just a few weeks ago, at the World Taekwondo Executive Council meeting in Fujairah, UAE, we presented a bid, representing GB Taekwondo, UK Sport, the City of Manchester and British Taekwondo, to host the World Taekwondo Grand Prix in 2027 in both Olympic & Paralympic disciplines.
I’m delighted to confirm that our bid was successful.
This is a monumental achievement that will once again put the UK in the international spotlight as a strong host for elite Taekwondo competition. The Grand Prix is a high-profile event that attracts the best athletes from around the world, giving our amazing GB Taekwondo athletes that home soil and home crowd advantage plus offering huge visibility and prestige for the combat sport.
Hosting it here will inspire our athletes and Para athletes, motivate our coaches, and energize our clubs. It will also provide a fantastic opportunity for fans and communities to experience world-class Taekwondo live.
With GB Taekwondo and the City Council, Matt Marshall and the team will now move into the planning stages.
Another great example of collaboration and huge thanks to UK Sport, GB Taekwondo and Manchester City Council for their ongoing support for our sport.
🤝 Building Global Partnerships: Visit to Kukkiwon
Earlier this month, I had the honour of travelling to Korea to visit Kukkiwon.
Kukkiwon is the global headquarters for the Martial Art of Taekwondo and is responsible for Black Belt (Dan) certification worldwide.
British Taekwondo hosts and administrates the UK Kukkiwon Office, which represents and administrates Kukkiwon activity in the UK and provides a vital link for clubs and examiners conducting Dan promotion tests.
During my meetings, we explored new avenues for collaboration, including certification pathways, and opportunities to bring more international expertise into the UK.
I’m excited about what these discussions will bring, and while details are under wraps for now, you can expect some exciting announcements in the near future.
📚 Level 2 Coaching Certificate – Raising Standards Nationwide
This week marks a significant milestone as we tighten the requirement for coaches wishing to participate at national competitions: coaches must hold or have commenced the Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Taekwondo. In parallel, clubs must ensure they have a registered Club Welfare Officer with British Taekwondo to enter athletes and coaches into these events.
I know these measures might feel challenging to some but are vital steps to improve and attain the highest standards of safety, coaching quality, and professionalism in our sport.
There is a lot going on in the outside World today. Safeguarding is a huge and important subject, not just protecting our members but helping and educating our clubs and instructors to keep themselves protected and even more safely. The Level 2 is not trying to teach instructors more about Taekwondo, (it doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing it 3 or 30 years that’s not the point) but includes all the things that we need as knowledgeable and world wise instructors and coaches in 2025.
Ongoing education is best practise across all sports these days, and the government are bringing in more and more regulation – so let’s get ahead of the game on this!
We understand the commitment involved though, so we are working on flexible payment plans to help coaches access the certification more easily. Investing in your development as an instructor and coach not only benefits your own growth but ensures a safer and more effective environment for students and athletes at all levels.
🧩 My Club Hub – A New Era in Membership Services
After over three years of tendering and development, we have launched the new My Club Hub, our new membership platform designed specifically to support our clubs, coaches, and members with their administrative and engagement needs.
This system replaces the legacy system from 4Global, as they shut down this product and move away from membership system into consulting business…….so we needed to move onto a new platform anyway.
The new platform with Sport 80 – the industry leader in this space and membership system provider for some of the big names in Sport in the UK, plus provider for our Taekwondo brothers and sisters in the USA
The platform brings everything into one portal and will streamline membership management, competition entries, communications, and more.
Crucially, it gives clubs the opportunity to use the system not only for British Taekwondo memberships, but for the club’s own administration and finance. Whilst we appreciate many clubs already have a “system” of some kind – we hope initially that this will give clubs that don’t a way of saving lots of time on admin.
Like any launch, particularly when it involves IT, there is always significant change to the way we did things before and our team is still fine-tuning the system and learning alongside club administrators, so we ask for your patience as we respond to queries and gather feedback.
We truly believe this will be a transformational tool to enhance your experience with British Taekwondo and help our sport grow in professionalism and accessibility.
🚀 Next Steps & Exciting Projects on the Horizon
Looking ahead, we have a number of exciting projects in development that will further support our growth and provide new opportunities across the UK:
- Opportunities to Work with us
As we work hard to drive the growth of Taekwondo across the country, we need support from you, our instructors to help us work on new and exciting projects that enhance the Taekwondo experience. To get involved with these projects, in line with our Code of Conduct, clubs must be fully registered with British Taekwondo, including having all members registered. Information on opportunities will be sent out soon.
2. Club Competition Circuit Update
We’re developing an enhanced club competition circuit designed to create a new, more beginner-friendly stepping stone for athletes interested in competing in Kyorugi. This will provide an accessible platform for newcomers to gain competitive experience in a supportive environment. We’ll share more details later this year.
3. Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP)
We are finalising our Disability Inclusion Action Plan, focused on making Taekwondo accessible to all, regardless of ability or background. This plan will be shared soon and will outline how we aim to remove barriers and promote inclusivity within the sport at all levels.
4. School Programme Launch – Early Summer 2025
Our new school engagement programme will launch next summer, introducing Taekwondo into schools across the UK. This initiative is designed to inspire young people through the sport and provide local clubs with opportunities to build strong, sustainable relationships with schools and communities.
5. Tots Programme Launch – Early Summer 2025
Also launching in early summer 2025, the Tots Programme will offer a gentle, beginner-friendly route into Taekwondo for the youngest members of our communities. It will equip clubs to engage families and nurture the next generation of athletes in a fun and supportive setting.
6. British Taekwondo Podcast
Finally, we’re excited to be launching the British Taekwondo Podcast – a new platform to share inspiring stories, celebrate achievements, and connect our community through personal experiences. Stay tuned for episodes that highlight the passion and dedication that make our sport special.
🗣️ Invitation to Feedback and Collaboration
As we navigate these transformative changes, your voice is more important than ever. We want to hear from you – your ideas, concerns, and suggestions are essential to shaping British Taekwondo’s future.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your thoughts. Together, we will build a stronger, more connected, and more vibrant Taekwondo community.
👀 Looking Ahead
Every one of these developments, whether it’s official recognition, new standards, technological improvements, or exciting new programmes – is part of a bigger vision. British Taekwondo is evolving into a more professional, unified, and future-ready organisation. We want you, our members, clubs, and coaches, not just to be part of this future but to help shape it.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and commitment. The best is yet to come.
Ian Leafe
Chief Executive Officer
British Taekwondo
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