For Richard Stephens, Taekwondo started with a simple thought as he watched from the sidelines.
His daughter, Hana-Marie, and son James had recently started training after the family relocated to the UK from Zimbabwe in 2002. Richard sat and watched for a couple of months before deciding he wanted to give it a go himself.
“I thought, ‘I can do this, I’m joining in,'” Richard recalled.
He was 48 years old.
Over two decades later, Richard is still training and is working towards his 6th Dan in 2028, and daughter Hana-Marie now runs Rebels Taekwondo in Gainsborough – a club that has become a shining example of what British Taekwondo is all about.
Three generations of the Stephens family are now involved in the club, with Hana-Marie’s son Eric also training alongside his mum and grandad. It is a family journey that has inspired countless others to begin their own.
“We’ve always been told that what you take out of Taekwondo, you’ve got to put back in,” Hana-Marie told British Taekwondo, “we’ve been taught so many skills that we want to pass on to other people.
“By no means is having a black belt the end of the journey. We’re still learning ourselves and every time we go away and learn something new, we can’t wait to bring it back and share it with our students.”
The Stephens family’s Taekwondo story began against the backdrop of a major life change. Richard, originally from Bradford, moved to Zimbabwe in 1981, where he met his wife Karen. Hana-Marie and her brother James were both born there before the family returned to the UK in 2002.
As teenage life beckoned for Hana, the life she knew was about to change forever. The savannas, forests and wetlands of Africa were replaced with the new surroundings of Brigg in Lincolnshire. A new environment and a new school all came at once, with Taekwondo the conduit that eased her transition into her new surroundings.
“It was a big culture shock,” Hana-Marie said, recalling the move to the UK at the age of 12, “my parents wanted to get us involved in sport and help us make new friends and we both really enjoyed Taekwondo.”
Hana-Marie trained throughout her teenage years before life took over. Years later, after Eric had started training, she was encouraged back onto the mats to complete the journey she had left unfinished. She earned her black belt in 2019 and is now preparing for her 4th Dan grading next year.
Richard’s own journey has been equally remarkable. Having first practised karate as an 18-year-old, he embraced Taekwondo in his late forties and has never looked back. His passion has taken him all the way to Kukkiwon in South Korea, where he completed demanding international Master’s courses.
Now, at 72, Richard continues to prove that age is no barrier when it comes to stepping foot on the mats:
“I think Taekwondo keeps me younger,” he said. “It helps with balance, mental health, physical health – everything.
“People talk about dance helping people stay young. I think Taekwondo does exactly the same.”
In 2024, Richard and Hana-Marie took another step in their shared journey by launching Rebels Taekwondo. Having trained at local clubs for many years, it was something of a step into the unknown, but one they have grasped with both hands, despite some early fears:
“The first two or three weeks I think we literally had five members,” Hana-Marie admitted.
“It was a little bit scary, but people recommended each other, friends invited friends, children from the same schools came along and we’ve grown from there.”
Just over a year later, the club has around 50 members training across two evenings each week.
“We prefer the more traditional side of Taekwondo,” Hana-Marie explained, “It gives people the chance to excel without necessarily wanting to compete.
“Not everybody is a Kyorugi athlete, but everyone can benefit from what Taekwondo has to teach.”
What makes Rebels Taekwondo special extends far beyond the Stephens family. The club has become a welcoming home for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, including families training together and members of the SEN community.
Eric’s own journey has played an important role in shaping that inclusive approach, with Hana-Marie learning strategies that help make sessions more accessible for children with special educational needs, and creating a welcoming environment that is changing lives.
“My son is autistic with ADHD,” Hana-Marie explained. “We’ve learned a lot through helping him with his journey.”
That family-first culture is something the Stephens family have worked hard to create, with plenty more families joining their club to train alongside each other, with Taekwondo being the bond that brings generations together.
“It’s really nice to be able to do this as a family,” Hana-Marie said, “It probably wouldn’t work in any other walk of life, but Taekwondo is different. We get along really well.”
“When we have gradings my mum is there in the background, she prints T-shirts, makes cakes, helps with certificates, everybody gets involved.”
For Hana-Marie, who teaches classes around her role as a production manager for a local roof tile factory, coaching has transformed her own life as much as it has helped others.
“It’s helped me a lot, and getting to the point of where I’ve been able to run my own class, that’s improved my confidence personally massively.
“I can have a really bad day at work and I can come to training and seeing the kids’ smiles just erases that completely.
“I’m so proud of all my students, and I always end up getting emotional at gradings.
“You’ll have one student who’s really struggled with something and then they’ll absolutely smash it on grading day. I’ll just be standing there quietly crying.”
That sense of shared achievement defines the club. While Richard, Hana and Eric might have a shared bloodline, Rebels Taekwondo is proof that your local Taekwondo club can become your family, with everyone pulling together to support all members of the club.
“If somebody is struggling, it’s not always us stepping in. We’ve got other members who’ll come across and say, ‘Here, let me help you with that.’
“That’s what makes our club special. Everybody supports everybody.”
Five Rebels Taekwondo students are now working towards their 1st Dan black belt grading later this year – another milestone in the club’s growing story.
Looking ahead, the family hope one day to secure a permanent venue and continue expanding opportunities for even more people to discover Taekwondo.
Richard has his sights firmly set on achieving his 6th Dan in 2028, while Hana-Marie hopes to complete her 4th Dan before the pair return to Kukkiwon together for further Master’s qualifications.
For the Stephens family, though, success has never simply been about belts or titles, it is about creating a place where generations train side by side, where families grow stronger together, where everyone is welcome, and where Taekwondo becomes something far bigger than a martial art.
It becomes a community.
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