If you have attended any British Taekwondo event over the past few years, there is a fair chance you will have seen, and heard, the effervescence of RAW Taekwondo.
The enthusiastic, energetic clan from Glasgow are hard to miss in their bright orange t-shirts whenever they travel to represent their club, while their passion when supporting from the sidelines is up there with the best.
But beneath the noise, colour and infectious enthusiasm is something even more impressive: a club culture built on belonging, ambition and mutual support.
For founder and head coach Robert Robertson, that culture has developed organically over more than a decade. From his own journey as an athlete to establishing a full-time centre and nurturing a club that now boasts more than 250 members.
“Since I was really young, I loved Taekwondo. I started when I was five so it’s been 35 years,” he told British Taekwondo.
“As a young boy, I used to do my paperrounds daydreaming about a Taekwondo centre, and then go to Taekwondo to train, and I’m really happy how it’s all played out.”
Robert’s own competitive career saw him compete at G1 and A-class events and collect international medals, as well as representing Scotland at the 2011 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships in India, but by 2014 he had stepped away from full-time competition to concentrate on coaching.
RAW was established in 2010, when Robert was still competing, before the focus shifted increasingly towards developing the club and its athletes.
In that time, what started out as a small classes of students in the Moodiesburn and Abronhill area of Cumbernauld has developed into a full time Taekwondo Centre with classes seven days a week.
The sense of togetherness is central to RAW, with a philosophy that binds the club together, regardless of age or ability. This is a community built on friendship, inclusivity, and a passion for Taekwondo.
Robert continues: “There’s so much talent in Glasgow to be delved into. We work hard, all the kids work hard and they’ve got big ambitions. As a club, we try and match that and we do everything we can.
“We have values that we instil in our members, we have a vision and we make that known to everybody so everyone gets on board and buys into it, and that makes it a really good team feeling.
Robert and his coaching team work with children as young as two through pre-school classes, while also providing ASN sessions. Alongside those opportunities is a clear pathway for members who want to pursue Taekwondo as a competitive sport.
“We absolutely love people gaining confidence, seeing our students enjoying the sessions is really rewarding for us and that’s huge.
“We’re really passionate about the sports performance side as well. We want to help as many people as possible reach the very highest level they can in the sport, and ultimately we want to see athletes from RAW reach the Olympic Games.
“So I hope there’ll be one, or many of us, there one day soon. All we can do is create the best environment and opportunities we can and support them every step of the way.”
That balance between participation and performance is one of RAW’s greatest strengths. The club creates a home for those who want to compete at the highest level, while ensuring there is a place for everyone else too.
Robert’s vision is to make Taekwondo affordable and accessible to children, young people and adults, creating opportunities for those who might otherwise not have the chance to get involved.
As well as that, the club’s development pathway has already produced athletes who have reached the international stage, providing inspiration for every single member who walks through the RAW doors.
One of RAW’s original members, Lauren Dunsmore, has been part of the GB Taekwondo setup and represented Great Britain at the World Championships, European Championships and the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje in 2025.
Having an athlete train at the club and make their way to the highest level of the sport is testament to the work Robert has done to nurture the next generation of talent, with the 18-year-old proving that hard-work and determination can take you to the top.
“She was one of our original members that started ten years ago, so supporting Lauren and giving her those opportunities has been really good,” Robert said.
“Lauren inspires everyone else and I think it’s really good that success has happened. That’s a major one that we’re proud of and I think she pays that back with her work ethic that is infectious. It inspires the athletes around her and, in turn, they inspire others coming through the club. I love the environment and culture that creates. Everyone wants to see each other improve and succeed.”
While some Taekwondo journeys may ultimately lead to international competition. For others, it might mean becoming a coach, earning a black belt, building confidence or simply finding a place where they belong.
That is something Robert is keen to preserve, with everyone’s Taekwondo journey taking them down a unique path. RAW gives all students the platform to perform, as well as a community where everyone is accepted, which is just as important as any silverware won.
RAW is becoming something of a family affair too, with Robert’s children Magnus and Roisin both following in his footsteps. Magnus won gold at last year’s Kyorugi Nationals after 4 matches, while Róisín claimed gold at the Chuncheon Open in July this year.
For any parent, watching their children compete can be difficult, even when you have been in the ring yourself, and spent years preparing athletes for exactly those moments.
“It’s a bit nerve wracking as a dad seeing them make the step up, but the kids are confident and they enjoy it.
“It’s hard going, you try and talk to them and spend good quality time talking about the Taekwondo, but then you need to know to separate the Taekwondo from the family time.
“I don’t think Magnus really listens to me, he probably listens to me the least.”
Watching his children get into the sport he has dedicated his life to will take Robert back to his first experience of Taekwondo when he was just four years old. Eager to get going from an early age, he was told to come back the following year because he was, in his words, “a wee bit too boisterous”.
“My dad first took me to Taekwondo when I was five because he wanted the sport to instil certain values and qualities in me. Looking back, Taekwondo became a huge part of my life, and those are now the same things I hope become part of my own children’s lives through the sport.”
By five, he was on the mats, and he has never really left. 35 years later, the same enthusiasm that drew Robert onto the mats is now being passed on to the next generation, and there is no sign of RAW slowing down.
The club is currently in discussions about moving into a larger premises in Glasgow, a move Robert believes could transform what the club is able to offer.
“We’re always looking for the next step and I think that’ll be a game changer for us and help us go to that level. I’m quite excited about the proposition of that and what would that mean to the club.
“It would give us a bigger space for more sessions in a week and a dedicated gym space, as well as a fitness studio.”
For a club that has already come so far, the prospect of a bigger home opens up another chapter.
More space could mean more sessions, more opportunities and more athletes able to pursue their ambitions. But whatever the future holds, the foundation of RAW will remain the same.
They are, and always will be, a club that genuinely enjoys seeing each other succeed, and giving equal opportunities to anyone who wishes to get involved.
RAW may be impossible to miss in those bright orange t-shirts, but it is the culture Robert has created and the people who have bought into it that makes the club truly stand out.
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