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The oldest TaeKwon-Do school in the UK, since 1967
News
Covid-19 update
12/03/2020

Due to the ongoing and constantly developing Coronavirus outbreak, we are suspending all training until further notice. We hope to be back soon, but in the meantime please join our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/31330127063/, where we will be sharing exercise and stretching videos, and advice for keeping active and improving morale during these difficult times.


Michaelmas 2019 Training
30/09/2019

From Sunday 06 October 2019, training will be:

Open to all:

  • Tuesday 6:00 - 7:30 (New Hall)
  • Thursday 7:00-9:00pm (New Hall)
  • Sunday 3:00-4:30pm All belts (Main Hall)
  • Sunday 4:30pm -6.00 Red belts and above (Main Hall)

With the new year also comes a new committee, welcoming:

President - Sophie Fischer
Secretary - Stuart Keppie
Treasurer - Stephen Hoy
Men's Captain - Harry Lines
Women's Captain - Maddie Prottey
Social Secretary - Ben Howarth
IT Officer - Bronwen Edwards


Summer Vacation 2019 Training
30/06/2019

Training sessions will continue to run over the vacation but at the following times:

Open to all:

  • Thursday 5:00-7:00pm (Main Hall)
  • Sunday 3:30-6:00pm (Main Hall)


A New Year, Training Times and Committee for 2018/19
20/09/2018

With a new academic year about to start, we are readying for the annual Freshers' Fair, and will put on demonstrations and taster sessions at the start of Michaelmas Term. If you are unable to make the taster sessions, still feel free to come along later in the year with your first free session, as memberships are available all year round.

Everybody is welcome to join, whether new to martial arts or experienced. Our new training times, starting in October will be:

Open to all:

  • Tuesday 6:00-8:00pm (New Hall)
  • Thursday 6:30-8:30pm (Main Hall)
  • Sunday 5:00-6:30pm (Main Hall)

Extra training:

  • Saturday 5:30-7:30 [Advanced Class]
  • Sunday 6:30-7:30pm [Extra Time]

With the new year also comes a new committee, welcoming:

President - Stuart Keppie
Secretary - Lewis Hart
Treasurer - Alex Gough
Men's Captain - Matt Lai
Women's Captain - Tayo Ward-Brew
Social Secretary - Isabelle Naylor
IT Officer - Bronwen Edwards

We look forward to the start of training in the new term, meeting both returning members and new faces!


Joel Lewis
09/05/2018

It is with deep sadness that I must share with you the news of the passing of our good friend Joel Lewis, 8th Kup.

Joel was a valued member of the club for over two years, a regular at training, and a gifted, promising martial artist. His contribution to the Oxford University Taekwon-Do School went much further than his role in two of our Varsity successes. He brought with him to each session a warm friendliness, a smile on his face, a humble attitude, and an eagerness to learn from all those around him. His passing is a huge blow to the OUTKD community, and Senior Master Miller, Mr Tomkinson, the OUTKD Committee and I share your deep sadness at hearing this news.

If you are struggling, because of the news or for any other reason, please, please, get in touch with myself, Andrew, Senior Master Miller, or whoever you feel comfortable contacting, if you would like to talk. This is what we are here for. If you would like professional support, this is available from the University Counselling Service https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling?wssl=1, and specialised bereavement counselling is available via CRUSE: http://www.cruse.org.uk/. There is also support available through your College which you can find out about by contacting your College Welfare Rep.

This has hit this community hard, but we will come back from it, and we will do so together.

With deepest sympathy,

Isabelle Naylor, Senior Master Miller, Mr Andrew Tomkinson and the OUTKD Committee


Varsity Win 2017
22/02/2017

Oxford beat Cambridge in the Varsity Match! We have now won the Varsity Match ten years in a row.

The score was 3-2 to Oxford in the Women's A, 4-1 in the Men's A and 5-0 in the Men's B. Oxford brought back both the Women's and the Men's shields as well as the overall shield.

Congratulations to all who fought and thank you to our instructors without which this would not be possible. We look forward to welcoming Cambridge on our home turf next year!


Varsity Win 2016
05/03/2016

We won Varsity! Congratulations to all those who fought on Sunday and thank-you to the officials and to everyone who came along to support us. Our hard work over the past few months really showed in the quality of the Oxford fighters. This increases Oxford's winning streak to an impressive 9 years! See below for the full match report.

This year Oxford was hosting Varsity and hoping to make it their 9th consecutive Varsity win. Cambridge had trouble filling squad spots due to injuries and so was already behind before the first kick was landed, forfeiting their men's B fights and two of their men's A fights.

We started with the remaining three men's A fights, with Oxford president James Bonifacio fighting first. His Cambridge opponent had an advantage on height and landed some nice head kicks in the first round, but his energy waned and his torso found itself host to too many back kicks, making it a win for Oxford. Due to Cambridge’s forfeited fights, this meant that Oxford had technically already won Varsity, but we had much more in store. Next up was men’s captain Ross Hendron against Cambridge’s president. Ross convincingly outclassed and outlasted his opponent landing numerous head kicks and claiming a comfortable win, his last before his black belt grading the next weekend. Last up was Harry Lines in his first Varsity appearance and looking to make it three from three for Oxford. Although only a yellow tag, he has the fighting skill and confidence of a seasoned pro. Harry landed numerous technically impressive shots against his black belt opponent and dominated the ring for the full four minutes, making it a clean sweep for Oxford in the men's A category.

Next up was the women’s A team. This would be the first Varsity for four of our five women, but the team’s impressive improvement and dedication to training over the past few months meant they were well-prepared for the day. First up was Isabelle Naylor. Isabelle landed a clean head kick in the first three seconds, followed by another one tens seconds later, setting the tone for the remainder of the match. Her confident footwork and barrage of powerful technical kicks – including a back kick that sent her Cambridge opponent to the ground – made for an enjoyable fight to watch and a comfortable win for Oxford. Olivia Knutson stepped up next and for the next four minutes barely took a step back. Olivia confidently maintained the offensive upper hand throughout the match, landing some excellent head kicks along the way. Her opponent was continuously pushed around the ring and would have retreated back to Cambridge if the ring were large enough – another convincing win for Oxford. Next up was Thais Rocha against the Cambridge women’s coach and their strongest fighter. Thais fought valiantly until the end but was beaten on points from Cambridge’s unrelenting high kicks, giving Cambridge their first taste of success on a day that decidedly belonged to Oxford. Ready to reassert Oxford dominance and clinch victory for the women’s team, Oxford women’s captain Zoë Geraghty entered the ring to face her Cambridge counterpart. Zoë utilised her superior footwork to control the space and was calculated with her offensive manoeuvres, easily defending Cambridge’s attacks. As the final whistle blew, Zoë’s right leg turning kick knocked aside both her opponent’s head and any of Cambridge’s remaining hope for claiming the Women’s shield. Oxford three, Cambridge one. The final match was Wan Ang against a taller Cambridge opponent. Thirty seconds into the match, Wan chose to reveal her heretofore hidden ability to effortlessly kick above her own head and into the head of her opponent – henceforth, sparring Wan would never be the same. There was little hope for Cambridge. The head kicks came in quick succession and Wan claimed her victory.

With the Cambridge squad now depleted and defeated, they bravely agreed to go another round with some of Oxford’s remaining squad members. First up were the remaining three fighters from the men’s A team, beginning with Toby Gill against Harry’s previous opponent. There was a continuous exchange of kicks with impressive power and technique from both sides, but Toby’s defence was superior and he easily found holes in his opponent’s guard. Toby’s stamina saw him battling to the end against his spent opponent and he took his well-deserved win. Next up was Alex Clarke. Alex fought determinedly against his much taller opponent, using his speed to land some powerful kicks to his opponent’s body but receiving an unfortunate blow to the head in the first round. Nevertheless he persevered, controlling the ring and fighting doggedly until the final whistle. This time the points added in Cambridge’s favour, giving them their second win of the day. The final men’s fight was Victor Spirin against the Cambridge president, with the height advantage now in Oxford’s favour. Despite a courageous effort from Cambridge, their attacks were ineffective compared to Victor’s more precise and convincing kicks. This was clearly Oxford’s fight and the final tally indicated a dominant victor.

The final fights were Oxford’s remaining three women against three from Cambridge’s A team. These fights had no Blue’s eligibility and so only glory was at stake. Up first was Esme Anderson. Esme opened with her signature onslaught of intimidating kicks and spent the next four minutes chasing her opponent around the ring, picking up points as she pleased with Cambridge offering little resistance. Another clear win for Oxford. Next was Bronwen Edwards. Bronwen’s agile footwork and quick kicks were too much for her Cambridge opponent, whose slower attacks could not get past Bronwen’s strong defence. One more win for Oxford. The final fight was Laura Neild up against the Cambridge coach. Cambridge’s skilled high kicks returned in large numbers, making plenty of contact with Oxford’s helmet despite Laura’s offensive retaliation. This ended the day with Cambridge’s third and final victory.

Oxford thus retains all 3 shields for another year and marks their 9th consecutive Varsity win. Well-done Oxford!


Varsity Win 2015
26/02/2015

We won! Congratulations to all who took part in another fantastic Varsity year. OUTKD can now boast 9 wins in the last 10 years and an 8 year streak of consecutive victories.


Varsity Win 2014
11/03/2014

We have won Varsity for the seventh time in a row! Here is the President's Varsity report:

Things got off to an excellent start with a convincing 4-1 victory in the men's B, thanks to convincing wins by Ross Hendron and Gavin Herbertson and another masterclass in head-kicks from James Davies. A special mention is due to 9th kup Toby Fisher for a stunning upset win against his black belt opponent in the final and most thrilling fight of the men's B. He went into the ring bravely, knowing he was a tactical 'sacraficial lamb,' but put on possibly the best performance I have ever seen from a complete newcomer at Varsity, embodying the tenet of indomitable spirit and leaving the ring wth a victory, seven points clear of his opponent.

The women's A started off flawlessly, with captain Posey Pugh– nicknamed 'scary lady' by the Cambridge team– decimating her opponent and scoring the most points and the highest-margin win of the event, ten points clear. Branwen Snelling was held to an extremely tight tie, and after the stunning win by newcomer 9th kup Maria Holdcroft against an experienced opponent was balanced by two Oxford losses, the women's A ended in a hard-fought draw. A tie-breaker was fought to decide the result and we lost on the very last kick in the very last second of the fight, handing the women's A shield back to them for the first time in at least 7 years. It will be a shame to see the 'C' word on the shield but we'll take it back next year.

The men's A was no less nerve-wracking, with everything resting on us not only to regain the shield after losing it last year but to secure an overall win. Two extremely convincing wins by James Bonifacio and Francesco D'Eugenio were alternated with two near misses for Morgan Jones and captain Jacob Shah, each losing by only two points in some of the most thrilling fights in recent memory. Everything came down to the very last fight, my fight, against the Cambridge captain. I just about managed to keep my cool and pick off the right shots and on the back of a particularly strong first round, managed to tip the scales in our favour and help keep the shield in Oxford for the seventh successive year.

Well done to all of you and thank you to everyone who came down to support us in one way or another on the day. On a personal note, I've been with OUTKD since 2001, trained here under Senior Master Miller since white belt and been a part of it all in various different ways throughout that time. It means more to me than I can explain to have won Varsity, and my fight, as president of OUTKD, on home turf, in the hall in which my Taekwon-Do was born. Thank you for being a part of it.

Next year, let's make sure we go down to Cambridge and bring back all three shields.


Extra Varsity Training

This year's Varsity is approaching - it is scheduled for Sunday 9th March. Until then there will be two extra training sessions a week. Normal training also continues as usual.

The two sessions are currently set as:

  • Monday 5:00pm-7.00pm (sparring, Jesus squash courts, on St Cross Road opposite the English department)
  • Wednesday 6.30pm-7.30pm (circuits, Oriel squash court, on Cowley Road opposite G&D's)

Make sure to check your email regularly (and subscribe to the mailing list if you haven't already), as changes of the place and time might be announced at relatively short notice. We'll try to plan the sessions and send out email updates as far in advance as possible.

In addition there will be ad hoc trips to Senior Master Miller's home club in Didcot for the sessions on Monday (7-9pm) and Thursday (7-9pm) after training, with seats in the car allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. These will be great opportunities to train with new people, so let a committee member know if you're interested in coming along!


JOINING OUTKD IN 2013/14

We welcome all our new members in this academic year! It doesn't matter if you're a complete beginner or an experienced black belt, or if you have done other martial arts or a different style of TaeKwon-Do in the past - everyone can join us and train with us up to three times a week at the Iffley Road sports centre. If you're not sure if TaeKwon-Do is for you, just come along to any of our training sessions to try it out! Your first session is free, and you can find information about training times, membership fees and all other important things to know about OUTKD on this website. If you have any questions, feel free to email one of our .


NEW COMMITTEE FOR 2013/14

The new committee for the year 2013/14 has been elected. The new positions are

President - Andrew Tomkinson
Secretary - Branwen Snelling
Treasurer - Ross Hendron
Social Secretary - Morgan Jones

Many thanks to the old committee, and good luck to the new one! A special mention goes to Andrew Tomkinson, who has been a valuable member of the club for many years and truly deserves to be OUTKD president this year.

Let's make this one another successful year for OUTKD!


VARSITY 2013 WIN

For the sixth year in a row, we have won this year's Varsity match against Cambridge! With a 4-1 win for the Men's B team and a 3-2 win for the Women's A team, we have once again secured an overall victory. The Men's A teams on both sides put up some great fights, with the Cambridge team finally beating ours 3-2. A big thank you to everyone who participated, came along for support or helped to organise the event!


EXTRA TRAINING BEFORE VARSITY

In addition to the usual training sessions on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, until Varsity there will be additional sessions every Monday and Wednesday. Also note that Sunday classes will start at 5.30pm for everyone until Varsity. So our full pre-Varsity training schedule is:

  • Sunday, 5:30-7:30pm, Iffley road (main hall)
  • Monday, 7:00-8.30pm, Magdalen squash courts (meet at Magdalen lodge at 6:55)
  • Tuesday, 4:30-6:00pm, Iffley road (main hall)
  • Wednesday, 4:30-6:00pm,
  • Thursday, 4:30-6:30pm, Iffley road (dojo)

Please come to as many of these as possible, especially if you'd like to be considered for the Varsity team! Make sure to check your emails before the Monday and Wednesday sessions, since the time and place could still change.


JOINING OUTKD IN 2012/13

As always, everyone is still welcome to join our club! It doesn't matter if you're a student or not, or if you've had any previous experience of TaeKwon-Do or another martial art.

We will again have a stall at this year's freshers' fair, where you can talk to some of our members and ask them any questions you have about the club. Our first training session of the year is on Sunday of 1st week (7th October), starting at 5.30pm for black belts, and at 6pm for everyone. Feel free to come along then, or to any other training session later in the year; your first session is free! You can also contact members of our by email.


NEW COMMITTEE FOR 2012/13

From May 2012, the committee for the next year is:

President - Matt Titterington
Secretary - Posey Pugh
Treasurer - Hong Quan Lock
Social Secretary - Jonas Müller-Gastell

Good luck to all of the new committee members, and thanks to the old committee for its contributions to the club in a very successful year! The most important achievements of OUTKD this year were:

  • We did a ‘Soul of Seoul’ demonstration for the Korean Society.
  • We took part in the Warwick inter-university ITF competition, where we won nine medals in total!
  • We won the annual Varsity match against Cambridge with an overall score of 5-0.
  • We had eight people attain either a blue, half blue or colours.
  • We purchased a new selection of sparring mats for use in club time and in competitions.

VARSITY 2012 WIN

For the fifth time in a row, we beat Cambridge in the annual Varsity match between the two universities! After the men's B team and the women's A team had won 3-1 and 4-1, respectively, Oxford had effectively already won the match. Cambridge still managed to put some pressure on us when they won the first two matches of the men's A teams, but the last three matches were again won by our team members, resulting in an overall 5-0 win for our three teams! Congratulations to everyone who took part in the match, and thank you to everyone who helped to organise it and cheered for us.

A video of some of the best moments of the match is available on YouTube. thanks to Posey Pugh for providing it!


JOINING OUTKD - OXFORD UNIVERSITY FRESHERS
22/8/2011

Look out for us at the Freshers' Fair and sign up to our mailing list!

Non-students are also always welcome to train: full time training begins on 2nd October (Freshers' Week), so come along to try out a session for free. Please email Rhianna at for more information.


NEW COMMITTEE
1/7/2011

Many thanks to the outgoing committee, and welcome to the new:

President - Rhianna Dowdeswell
Treasurer - Shinn Tan
Secretary - Antonia Lechner
Publicity Officer (non-student representative) - Zac Camara

Varsity Win 2011 - Cambridge suffer blows from Oxford Blues       6/3/2011

Oxford University Taekwon-do club have continued their winning streak to once again beat Cambridge in this year's Varsity match, making it the 4th victory in a row. The men's B team opened the match and took revenge for their defeat last year, winning 2-1 despite one of the team members having to fight a third degree black belt. The women again put up a strong team, coming out on top with a 3-1 victory, with both Rachel James and Rhianna Dowdeswell out classing their opponents. The men's A team saw some fierce competition, after going 2-0 up Cambridge then brought the score back to level. In the last match at 2-2 it was left to President Nathan Ewin to defend the men's Varsity title. As Varsity rules state a winning A team is worth 2 points for the University's total, and a B team win is worth 1 point, after a fantastic final fight Oxford took a devastating 5-0 victory, bringing all 3 shields back to Oxford for another year. Kick of the Match goes to Joram van Rheede (Men's A), who toppled his red belt opponent with a jumping back kick.


VARSITY MATCH WINNERS

OUTKD has once again won the annual TaeKwon-Do varsity match, making it three years in a row!
Alex, Nathan, Waheed and Andrew won their respective fights, securing a win overall for the men's A team.
Rachel, Rhianna, Kate and Alice won their bouts, taking the women's A 4-0.
The men's B team was lost to cambridge despite putting up a brave fight.
As Varsity rules state a winning A team is worth 2 points for the University's total, and a B team win is worth 1 point, the overall score was Oxford 4 - 1 Cambridge.
Congratulations to all those who competed and thanks to those who came along to support us.


Sponsorship Announcement Saturday, 24 October 2009

Choi and Kim

Oxford University TaeKwon-Do School is pleased to announce and welcome CHOI & KIM, a leading law firm in South Korea, as its sponsor for the 09/10 academic year.

Choi & Kim is specialised in the areas of maritime, insurance and international trade law.

"South Korea is the world's largest shipbuilder, accounting for 40% of the global market...

...Choi & Kim is Seoul's top shipping practice with a reputation for excellence and reliability on both wet and dry matters. The firm handles about half the market on the shipowners' side and acts for most of the active P&I Clubs, such as Steamship Mutual, West of England and Britannia." -THE ASIA PACIFIC LEGAL 500

Click on the logo to find out more


Joining OUTKD All abilites are welcome and your first session is FREE!! Non-university members are welcome to join.

Training times
Tuesday 6:00-7:30pm (new hall)
Thursday 6:30-8:30pm (old hall)
Sunday 3:00-4:30pm (old hall, Colour belt session)
4:30-6:00pm (old hall, Black belt session)

Iffley Sports Centre

Map to Sports Center (Both the main hall and dojo are in the gymnasium part.)

What to wear If you're new to the sport, come wearing comfortable, loose clothing. Tracksuit pants and a t-shirt are fine. Once you're happy with training, uniforms can be bought fairly cheaply from the club. Bring a water bottle to keep hydrated and a skipping rope for the warm up. Training is typically done barefooted, so be prepared to lose the shoes and socks!
If you have any questions, come on down to a session and talk to our friendly members.