How the Tigers program works

Hapkido Tigers is designed for young people who want to learn martial arts and self-defence while developing strength, flexibility, confidence, and social skills.

The class is generally suited to students from around 7 or 8 years old through to 12 to 14, depending on the child’s maturity, confidence, and development. Some younger students benefit from first completing a grade in our Dragons class before moving into Tigers.

The program is built around a clear progression pathway toward Junior Hapkido Black Belt. This usually takes 3 to 4 years and involves eight belt grades. These grades reflect the early adult Hapkido syllabus while also introducing additional skills such as kicking and throwing.

Junior Black Belt is an important milestone and a stepping stone toward eventual adult Black Belt training.

We run two streams of Hapkido Tigers classes so students can receive instruction suited to their stage of development. Newer students begin in the Foundation class, while those who progress beyond the first intermediate grade move into the Development class.

Students are regularly assessed and stripe tested as they demonstrate competency in different parts of their grade. This helps maintain motivation, reward steady effort, and keep progress moving between formal gradings.

Why consistency is important

We require Tigers students to train twice a week because regular attendance produces better progress, stronger confidence, and more consistent development. Training less often tends to slow progress and make it harder for students to build momentum. 

Transition to Teen and Adult Hapkido

As Tigers students grow older, many look toward the Adult and Teen Hapkido classes. Most begin wanting that transition somewhere around 12 to 14 years of age, although timing depends on physical development and readiness to train safely in a more demanding class.

We have developed strategies to help students make that transition as smoothly as possible. For many, Tigers is not just a children’s class, but the foundation for long-term martial arts training.

Many parents also become interested in training after watching their children develop through the Tigers program. In this way, Tigers often becomes the starting point for wider family involvement in the academy.

Child Protection

As a New Zealand Ju-Jitsu Federation member, the Upper Hutt Martial Arts Academy follows its Child Protection Rules. 

This includes mandatory police checks for all certified Class Instructors to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.