After a long and hot summer, hopefully you’re all feeling well-rested and refreshed! Whether you were away for the holidays or simply slowed down and enjoyed the weather, it really did feel like we all took the opportunity to switch off and enjoy a slightly slower pace.

September always seems to bring a bit of ‘New Year, New Goals’ energy with it. That familiar ‘back to school’ feeling of getting back into a routine naturally brings with it a desire to set new goals and look ahead to the remaining months of the year. And classes have certainly felt like that so far in September — there’s a real ‘back to routine’ energy in the dojang, and we’re very much here for it!

There’s also plenty coming up to give you some extra goals and motivation in your training, so with that in mind, we thought it would be a good time to outline what’s mapped out for the remainder of 2026.

With both Colour Belt and Black Belt gradings, as well as two upcoming competitions, there is still lots to train for. Have a read through everything that’s coming up and think about which events you’d like to work towards. We can then help you set some goals and work towards them together.

The Events section of the club website has been updated with all of the upcoming events and information below, and the PDF Club Calendars have also been updated for you to download and print from the bottom of this email.

Colour Belt Grading

This is one that will be on the radar for many of you! The majority of colour belts will be eligible to grade in November, provided you feel ready. If you’re unsure whether you are due to grade, please speak to one of your instructors.

The Pre-Grading will take place a little earlier than usual due to half term:

Pre-Grading

Date: Monday 19th October
Venue: St Luke’s C of E School
Time: 6:00–8:00pm

Attendance is compulsory if you are hoping to grade. We appreciate this is earlier than we would usually hold the pre-grading, so don’t worry if you’re concerned about being ready — you’ll have around five sessions between the pre-grading and grading to work on anything that comes up in your feedback.

Please note that there will be no regular training that evening.

Grading

Date: Sunday 1st November
Venue: Cranbrook Education Campus, Tillhouse Road, Cranbrook, EX5 7EE
Time: From 9:30am
Breakdown of start times to be confirmed closer to the date.

Competitions 

There are two remaining competitions for the year.

Unfortunately, the Southern Championships in Paignton are not running this year. However, we have been fortunate enough to receive an invitation to the Welsh Closed Championships.

This is their local competition and a lovely, smaller event to get involved in. Whether you’re looking to gain some experience before the British Championships, enjoy attending smaller competitions, or need to secure your ‘local competition’ stamp for the year, there are plenty of reasons to consider entering.

Full details can be found in the Events section of the club website.

Welsh Closed Championships

Date: Sunday 8th November – all day
Venue: Sobell Leisure Centre, The Ynys, Aberdare, CF44 7RP

British Championships

Date: Sunday 29th November – all day
Venue: University of Worcester Arena, Hylton Road, Worcester, WR2 5JN

Senior Grade Training 

These sessions take the place of the second-hour fitness/sparring session on a Monday and are open to Black Stripes and above.

They are a chance to slow things down and work through your syllabus in more detail, so make the most of these sessions if you’re working towards your next grade.

Upcoming dates for the remainder of the year:

• Monday 5th October
• Monday 9th November
• Monday 7th December

Black Belt Admin 

Black Belts — it’s also important to keep on top of your ‘admin’ for the year to make sure your licence books stay up to date!

Firstly, you have two training sessions to choose from for the second half of this year. You must book onto and attend one of these sessions to secure your training stamp.

Saturday 26th September – choice of 4 venues
12:00pm start in Newton Abbot | 10:00am start at other venues
BOOK HERE: Black Belt Training – 26th September

Sunday 4th October – Weston-super-Mare
10:00am start
BOOK HERE: Black Belt Training – 4th October

Please also check your licence book to make sure you have an up-to-date slip on the front page. All licences are currently in date, but you may need a new slip. If you do, just let us know and we can print one for you.

Secondly, please check which Umpire or Referee qualification you need as part of your eligibility to grade for your next Dan. The next available course is on Saturday 14th November and covers Umpires and Referees Parts 1 & 2.

If you would like to attend this course, please speak to Mrs Greenberry and she will book you on.

New Venues, New Term Promotion & Prizes! 

As we settle into the new term, we’re also settling into our new halls for both our Wednesday and Thursday classes! We hope you’re enjoying the larger spaces and getting used to the new timetable.

We secured these larger halls not only to give you more room to train, but also to increase our capacity to welcome new students into the club.

September is one of the busiest times of year for people looking to try new sports, clubs and activities, so it’s a great opportunity to encourage people to come along for a FREE one-month trial.

And this is where you guys come in!

When we asked our members how they first heard about the club, word of mouth came out on top by a mile. We already know how powerful recommendations are in the Exeter and Devon area, and the survey only confirmed that this applies to our club too.

So, we’re asking you to help spread the word about our lovely club! Hearing genuine opinions and experiences from current members is one of the most effective ways of encouraging new people to give Tae Kwon-Do a try.

And to make it a little more interesting… we’re running a competition! 

For every person you bring along to a training session, you’ll receive 1 point. If they then sign up as a member after completing their one-month trial, you’ll receive another point.

There are some great VX3 prizes up for grabs for our top three winners:

1st Place: VX3 Goodie Bag – including kit bag, club T-shirt & cap
2nd Place: VX3 Club T-Shirt
3rd Place: VX3 Club Cap

So, if you know someone who might enjoy Tae Kwon-Do, get them along for a trial and start earning those points! The competition ends on the 31st of October!

Good Luck, Olivia! 

And finally, we’d like to wish Olivia the very best of luck at her pre-grading this Sunday!

You’ve trained so hard for this moment and we know you’ll do brilliantly. Go smash it — we’re all behind you! 

Looking Ahead

We’ve got lots to look forward to over the coming months, so let’s make the most of the remainder of the year and keep that September energy going! 

Whether you’re working towards your next grade, preparing for a competition, or simply enjoying your regular training, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone continue to progress and make the most of the opportunities ahead.