Taekwondo and Karate Club
Join the club for all your Martial Arts needs
Taekwondo is an originally Korean Martial Art characterised by speedy, body, head, and spinning kicks. Since 2000 it's been an Olympic Sport. We mainly train the WT style of Taekwondo, but we also try to incorporate the ITF style too.
Originating from Japan Karate has similarities in its kicks to Taekwondo, but also includes punches, knee and elbow strikes. We train Shotokan Karate with a 5th Dan Black Belt Sensei, but regardless of your previous karate background, or lack thereof, you're welcome to join.
We train both Martial Arts side-by-side each other at the Ravelin Sport Centre, allowing newcomers to try each one before settling into which one they are most comfortable with.
For both Martial Arts, competitions consist of patterns (known as Poomsae for Taekwondo and Kata for Karate) and point based fighting. We regularly compete against other universities at BUCS competitions.
Although you may think we're all about fighting, we're friendly, inclusive, and the perfect club to learn a new skill or to continue your previous training. However we do like fighting, just in a safe manner.
Club membership - 2023/24
You can join our club for the 2023/24 academic year for;
- Compete: £115
- Play: £65
Exact membership details and training times TBC.
Training Sessions at Ravelin Sports Centre
Compete members:
- Thursday 6.30pm-9.00pm (Sports Hall)
- Sunday 6.30pm-9.00pm (Sports Hall)
Play members:
- Saturday 4.00pm-6.00pm (Studio 2)
Competitions
Regular BUCS competitions against other university athletes, hosted in Ravelin Sports Centre and at other universities.
Memberships to join our clubs for the 23/24 year are now open. Please note: for some clubs you need to attend trials before purchasing a membership. Contact the club for more information.
Play Memberships
Lots of our clubs offer Play Memberships, a more casual way to play without committing to a year membership. Most Play Memberships are £65 for the academic year (with some exceptions).
The sports included are:
LGBTQ+ sports club guidance
We welcome all students to take part in non-competitive sports and we recognise the health and wellbeing benefits of being active. Competitive sports are bound by specific policies governed by the sport's National Governing Body which may be less inclusive. Please find below inclusion guidance for our club.
| Mixed-gender Club | Trans-gender Club | Non-binary Club | Gender-queer Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Partially | Yes | Yes |
| Taekwondo: Testing and medical examinations may be required. Transgender individuals can compete in their affirmed gender groups if all conditions are met. Karate: Transgender individuals will only be denied the right to compete if deemed unsafe or unfair. An individual must declare their status in order to uphold the FairPlay objective. Students are encouraged to contact the club and TeamUOP@port.ac.uk to discuss this. |
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Play: Yes - anyone can take part in our Play sessions if you hold the relevant membership.
Train: Fully Inclusive
Compete: Fully inclusive - Testing and medical examinations may be required. Transgender individuals will only be denied the right to compete if deemed unsafe or unfair.
Check out the full guidance on World Taekwondo and English Karate Federation.