Alan Lau - Taekwondo

Well done to the candidates of our June grading!

The start of a new grading cycle is a great time to start training, so if you've ever thought about martial arts training, come along for a free trial class.

Register here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/taekwondo-open-training-tickets-1991886710772

Get ready to kick it up a notch and unleash your inner warrior at this FREE Taekwondo Pop-up class!

Get ready to kick, punch, and sweat on Monday January 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM (Australian Eastern Daylight Time). Join us for a fun-filled session of martial arts where you'll learn new moves and techniques. No experience needed, just bring your energy and enthusiasm! Don't miss this opportunity to get active and try something new. See you there!

Register for FREE via the link, bring some friends!
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/taekwondo-pop-up-class-tickets-1980142235731

If you're looking for a quick and fun school holiday activity, join us for this pop-up class.

You'll learn the basic fundamentals of Taekwondo in this complimentary 45min class, register below!

Location: Light rail end of Dancers' Alley (between the ICC buildings). If it rains, we'll hold it at Dance Mambo instead.
Time: Monday 19th Jan, 4-4.45pm

Taekwondo Pop-up class Get ready to kick it up a notch and unleash your inner warrior at this FREE Taekwondo Pop-up class!

Start off 2026 by trying something new that keeps you physically and mentally fit, and join a welcoming community in Ultimo. Register for a free trial class!

Start your 2026 Taekwondo journey Join us to kickstart your Taekwondo journey with expert instructors and fellow enthusiasts!

Those fancy jumping and spinning kicks might look attractive, but there's one kick that's more effective for self-defence.

It doesn't even need to be kicked at the head, it's highly effective when kicked at the torso, groin, and knee. The front kick is the perfect combination of attack and defence, speed, balance, and can be kicked in almost all kinds of footwear and pants.

White Belts learn the front kick from day one, so it's the kick that our Taekwondo students focus on the most. Bruce Lee famously said, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

If you want to be someone that Bruce Lee fears, come along for a free trial class! Register here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/start-your-taekwondo-journey-tickets-1681487025959

The benefits of bagwork are just as relevant to the holder as it is the striker.

The feedback that the bag gives you is immediate. Even a beginner martial artist can feel the impact and hear the sound of a good kick, and, equally, feel and hear the difference a bad kick makes. With good instruction and correction, strikes on a paddle or shield provide immediate kinesthetic learning feedback.

For the holder, you start to perceive striking distances of various students and kicks, and learn how to absorb the power that is delivered. This has direct benefits for sparring and self-defence, with distancing being one of the most important skills to learn.

Come join our fantastic class in Ultimo. We welcome beginners for a free trial. We were all white belts to start with :)
Register here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/start-your-taekwondo-journey-tickets-1681487025959

One of the biggest fears about starting martial arts is the risk of injury.

I recently had dinner with a friend recovering from ACL surgery, and of course I asked her how it happened. She said it was from playing soccer with friends.
In all my decades of training and teaching, the most common reason that students have had to take an injury break from Taekwondo training, was soccer. Twisted ankles, broken legs, hamstring strains...

Meanwhile, in our class we have had two broken feet from landing awkwardly performing a tornado kick, full transparency, one of those broken feet was mine.
Sure, we have a few contact knocks from sparring, but we have a pretty good track in injury prevention.

So, how do we do this?
- We perform an extensive warm-up - joint mobilisation, static stretches, mobility drills, and dynamic stretches.
- We emphasise correct form and body mechanics to reduce injury risk.
- We focus on body control and positioning in general training, which translates directly to control in sparring.
- We spar in a no/light touch manner, emphasising control at all times
- We can change sparring intensity levels, keeping it at 50-70% to allow participants to develop their attacking and defensive skills safely.
- Senior grades moderate their sparring techniques DOWN to the lower grade level, so newer students aren't getting hit and losing confidence before they develop their skills.
- We have an ego-free culture, so that sparring does not escalate into heavy tit-for-tat striking.

All these factors lead to a safe and respectful environment that encourages longevity in training. If you're ready for something like this, come along for a free trial session via the link in the bio

Why are "formal stances" important in Taekwondo?

Have you watched those old-school kung-fu movies where the student is sitting in a deep horse stance with a cup of water on his head? It's not punishment, it's developing strength, mobility, and flexibility.

A deep forward stance increases strength in the quadriceps, improves stability and strength of the knee and ankle, while simultaneously developing flexibility in the groin muscles and hip flexor. Having depth in the stance also increases stability when striking or blocking with the hands. A strong, controlled rotation of the body increases the mass and speed available.

In class, I use the analogy of a sports car vs a Four Wheel Drive truck. A low chassis and tight suspension allow all that power to be delivered to the wheels, while a high chassis and springy suspension would have the truck rolling all over the place.

Through formal stances in traditional martial arts, we can strengthen and lengthen our muscles and maximise power, all at the same time.

Do you have any questions about martial arts? Comment below!

Come join our fantastic community of students in Ultimo, register for a free trial class https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/start-your-taekwondo-journey-tickets-1681487025959

It may surprise you that my kicks aren't that much faster than a regular coloured belt. There's only so much biomechanical speed in a knee extension, no matter how much training one has.

So why are black belts (or gifted martial artists) soooo much quicker than others, especially in a sparring scenario?

A kick generally has three stages - chamber, extension, and re-chamber. In addition, there will be a hip shift, foot pivot, shoulder and hand movement. All of these will telegraph to an opponent that a kick is coming. By minimising these telegraphing signals, you can chamber and extend the kick before they even see it coming.

It all starts with the correct stance, not one where you have to shift the feet before you kick. Don't look where you're going to kick. Be subtle about the guard and don't shift your hands and shoulders before the kick.
One of the best ways to "be fast" at kicking is to throw hand strikes to distract and provoke a reaction, then kick.

Martial arts isn't complicated, it's a series of concepts and techniques that come together to form a system that works.
Come join our fantastic Taekwondo class in Ultimo, register for a free trial here https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/start-your-taekwondo-journey-tickets-1681487025959