Hapkido Tigers

Studies have shown that children who study martial arts, especially our Academy’s style of Hapkido, develop greater responsibility, are less likely to take unnecessary risks, resist negative peer pressure, and build higher self-esteem.

Many parents from Upper Hutt and the greater Wellington area choose our Hapkido Tigers program to support their children's personal growth and to help them into a confident, successful young adult. 

For parents, martial arts is not a sport they are much more than that/ Martial Arts offers offer more than just self-defence skills; they help children develop leadership, self-confidence, discipline, respect, and physical coordination.

We require that Hapkido Tigers students train twice a week, as less frequent training results in slow progress and leads to disillusionment.

 

Our Hapkido Tigers program


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

Because each child is different, the general age range for Tigers students is from age 7 to 12 - 14. Some students aged 7 to 8 will also benefit from completing a grade in the Dragons class before moving into Tigers.    

The Hapkido Tigers program aims to guide students toward earning a Junior Hapkido Black Belt. This journey takes 3 to 4 years and involves progressing through eight belt grades. These grades mirror the first three adult Hapkido ranks and include additional techniques like kicking and throwing.

The Junior Black Belt is a stepping stone toward an adult Black Belt, typically awarded to students aged 16 or older. 

We offer two streams of Hapkido Tigers classes: one for new students and another for more experienced students, ensuring each group receives focused instruction. The Foundation class is for new students, while those who reach the first intermediate grade and beyond in our syllabus progress to the Development class.

Our classes are designed to guide students through the grading system. Students are regularly assessed and "stripe tested" once they have demonstrated competency in a specific aspect of their grade, helping to keep them motivated between formal gradings.

 

 

Transition to Teen and Adult Hapkido

Regardless of their Tiger grade, most students express a desire to transition to the Adult and Teen Hapkido classes around the ages of 12 to 14. Because of the greater physical challenges of the Adult and Teen Hapkido class, we may delay the transition to this class until a student is physically developed enough to train safely in it. 

While the adult Hapkido class is more challenging than the Tiger classes, we have developed several strategies to help ensure a smooth transition for students as they move into their new classes.

 

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.