Walk into Whiston Taekwondo on any training night and you’ll immediately notice this is more than just a British Taekwondo club, this is a family.
Before anyone steps onto the mats, there’s laughter. Coaches greet every member by name. Parents stop to chat about their week. Children encourage one another through every drill. When the session finishes, nobody rushes for the exit.
It doesn’t take long to realise that Whiston Taekwondo isn’t simply somewhere to train. It’s a community built on kindness, encouragement and belonging.
For the past 15 years, Head Coach Ed Calland has worked tirelessly to create exactly that; a place where people feel comfortable, accepted and included.
“I’ve always tried to make this a family-based club. When I started the club I wanted people to come here, feel at ease, feel relaxed, and still be able to train.
“I wanted to make sure everyone who walked through the door got exactly what they needed in a relaxed atmosphere where everybody comes and supports each other, and that we’re one big family.”
It’s a philosophy that has shaped every part of the club since Ed founded Whiston in 2010. Regardless of age, experience or ability, everyone is welcomed in exactly the same way.
“Anybody can come in, anybody can walk through the door and anybody can come and train. It’s all about training and having fun.”
That welcoming atmosphere is exactly what attracted Kenny and Laura and their three children Hallie, Brooke and Finlay to the club a year ago.
For the family, finding a club where everyone felt included was especially important, and that’s exactly what they found at Whiston.
“We’ve been coming here for the past year, as soon as we walked through the door we clicked with this place straight away, we felt really welcome,” Kenny said.
“The minute we walked into Whiston we knew that was it, it just felt right and we’ve been here ever since.
“Halle has got autism as well and it’s just great that Eddie and Josh have been really patient with her and catered for her.”
Watching a session at Whiston, it’s easy to see how this community has been built. Ed shows attentiveness to each and every member, not just as Taekwondo athletes but as people, as well as checking in with the parents who watch on on the sidelines.
He knows how everyone’s week has been, celebrates successes both on and off the mats and makes sure every member feels valued.
That sense of belonging has since extended far beyond the weekly classes. Whether it’s travelling across the country for competitions, cheering on the last athlete still competing, or lending a hand with jobs around the club, everyone plays their part.
Laura has seen those values passed naturally onto the younger members, and the impact that training with Whiston has made for her children.
“Eddie has always said that we are a Taekwondo family, so we all look after each other on a fight day. We all stay until the end and support every person.
“The kids get on great and I’ve noticed they support each other and bring each other on.”
“We’ve seen huge progress in them since the year we have been here. Findlay has got a speech impediment and this has given him so much confidence to talk to other children and confidence in himself to know he can do it.”
For Kenny, joining Whiston has become about much more than taking his children to a martial arts class.
“I’ll be honest, it’s the best thing we ever did. It’s one of those things where now we’re in we’re going all over the country to support the team.
“Once you’re in, you’re in, and now Taekwondo comes before everything.”
Ed’s own journey into the sport reflects his belief that Taekwondo is open to everyone.
Unlike many coaches who began as children, he didn’t step onto the mats until he was 39 years old after spending months watching his sons Ethan and Josh train.
“It was Jade Jones winning the Olympic gold in London 2012 that inspired Josh to get involved when he was 14. We were watching it on TV and he turned round and said he wanted to win Olympic gold, so I told him to give him a shot.”
“I watched them train when they were younger, and after the first six months of watching from the sidelines I started at the tender age of 39, that was 18 years ago.
“I was 18 stone 10 at the time and I wanted to do a little bit to begin with just to get fit and lose a little bit of weight. I never thought I was going to spar or compete, and before I knew it I was sparring and competing.
“After that I was doing gradings and before you know it I’m opening a club.”
Today, Ed is a 4th Dan and still coaches four nights a week, supported by Josh, who also coaches within the British Taekwondo Sport Performance Pathway. Ethan also continues to train and coach at the club when life allows, making Whiston a genuine family affair.
For some, Taekwondo begins as a way to get fit. For others, it’s about confidence, competition or learning a new skill.
At Whiston Taekwondo, it often becomes something even more meaningful, a place where strangers become teammates, teammates become friends, and before long, everyone feels like family.
“With Taekwondo you’ve just got to get involved and give it a go. Once you come in and you have a go you’ll fall in love with it.
“Everybody who comes in seems to fall in love with it, and that’s all you can ask for, that people come and give it a go.”
At Whiston Taekwondo, you may learn to kick higher and move faster, but you will also learn something much more meaningful, the power of a friendship and community that celebrates every success together.
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