Our Class Programmes
Our programmes are designed to support students through each stage of their development, with training appropriate to their age, ability, experience and belt grade.
Students progress from developing fundamental movement and learning skills in our younger programme, through structured technical development, and towards greater independence, leadership and advanced martial arts training as they grow.
Our aim is to provide a safe, positive and supportive learning environment where every student can progress at their own pace, be challenged appropriately and enjoy their martial arts journey.
Ages 4–6 | Foundation Martial Arts
Building the foundations of movement, confidence, focus and self-discipline.
Ages 7–11 | Junior Martial Arts
Developing martial arts skills, self-defence, coordination, resilience and responsibility.
Ages 12+ | Teen & Adult Martial Arts
Progressing technical ability, fitness, self-defence, independence and leadership.
Ages 4–6 | Foundation Martial Arts
Our Foundation Programme introduces younger children to martial arts through structured, age-appropriate activities that develop fundamental movement, balance, coordination and physical control.
Students develop important learning behaviours including listening, following instructions, staying on task, taking turns and working positively with others, while classes encourage confidence, self-discipline, respect and courtesy.
Self-defence at this age is deliberately simple and appropriate to a young child's development. Through Levels 1–3, children begin learning awareness, using a confident voice, “Stop” techniques, moving away and simple push-away skills designed to help them create space and seek help from a trusted adult.
The emphasis is not on fighting, but on helping young children understand: recognise a problem, say stop, create distance, move away and get help.
Ages 7–11 | Junior Martial Arts
Our Junior Programme develops structured training in Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Ho Sin Sul and practical self-defence, with techniques introduced progressively according to each student's age, experience and belt grade.
Students develop balance, coordination, flexibility, fitness and physical control while learning strikes, kicks, blocks, forms, partner work and controlled sparring.
Their self-defence education also develops beyond simply moving away. Students learn age-appropriate methods of breaking contact, releasing from holds, controlling or redirecting an attack and creating distance, together with basic defensive strikes where appropriate.
The purpose remains consistent: stop the immediate threat, create an opportunity to disengage and move to safety or seek help. Training continually reinforces that physical techniques are not the first choice when a situation can safely be avoided.
Intermediate Grades | Developing Defensive Judgement
As students progress into the Intermediate Green Belt grades and above, their defensive training becomes more technically developed. Students may begin working with more realistic lines of attack, including lunge-punch defence, together with more advanced Hapkido and Ho Sin Sul principles, releases, redirection, control techniques and carefully taught striking targets. At this stage, knowing when not to use a technique becomes as important as knowing how to perform it. Students are taught that the objective of self-defence is to stop or disable an attack sufficiently to protect themselves and create an opportunity to escape, rather than to continue attacking once the danger has passed.
Greater technical ability therefore comes with an increasing expectation of judgement, restraint, responsibility and self-control.
Ages 12+ | Teen & Adult Martial Arts
Our Teen & Adult Programme provides progressive training in Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Ho Sin Sul and practical self-defence, combining traditional martial arts with physical conditioning and increasingly advanced technical development.
Students work on technique, forms, controlled sparring, self-defence, strength, flexibility, stamina and coordination, progressing according to their individual ability and belt grade. As students gain maturity and experience, defensive training explores more complex situations and responses. The emphasis remains on awareness and avoidance first, recognising potential danger, creating distance and choosing the safest appropriate response rather than automatically resorting to physical force.
Students develop the skills to protect themselves, interrupt or stop an attack, create distance, disengage and escape, alongside the judgement and self-control required to understand that greater defensive ability brings greater responsibility.
From secondary school age, appropriate students are also introduced progressively to our Dagger Defence – Tactical Rapid Defence training. The first principle is not to attempt a disarm, but to recognise the likely line of attack, evade where possible, create distance and escape.
As students progress in age, maturity and grade, dagger defence training may develop to include controlled defensive responses and disarmament principles within carefully supervised training. Students are continually reminded that dealing with a weapon carries a significantly greater level of danger and that avoidance, escape and seeking help remain the priority whenever possible.
More advanced self-defence training also develops students' understanding of distance, timing, movement, redirection, control and appropriate defensive striking, reinforcing the principle that the purpose of our training is to stop or disable an immediate attack sufficiently to enable escape, not to continue a confrontation unnecessarily.
Training therefore develops more than the physical ability to defend. It places increasing emphasis on self-discipline, resilience, responsibility, leadership, restraint and independent decision-making, while maintaining the respect, control and safety expected throughout SHMA.
Our defensive attitude remains consistent at every level:
Awareness → Avoidance → Create Distance → Defend if Necessary → Disengage → Escape & Seek Help.
Fitness, Movement & Physical Development
Alongside traditional martial arts training, we incorporate games, active warm-ups and varied fitness activities to keep students engaged, motivated and enjoying their physical development.
Sessions may include group circuit training, dice-throw fitness challenges and age-appropriate bodyweight exercises such as wall squats, lunges, planks, sit-ups, jumping jacks, press-ups and much more.
We also use a variety of training equipment to make physical development challenging, varied and enjoyable. Hurdles and agility ladders can be incorporated into movement drills, including bear crawls and other bodyweight exercises that develop shoulder strength, coordination and whole-body control. Squeaky balls and other simple training aids can be used creatively with press-ups, squats and fitness challenges, helping younger students stay engaged while still working towards a physical objective.
These activities introduce students to the fundamentals of bodyweight fitness and calisthenics, developing strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, mobility and core stability. This provides an important physical foundation for martial arts and helps students develop the control and conditioning required for stronger techniques, kicking height, jumping and aerial kicks, speed, explosive movement, rotation, stability and recovery.
For younger students especially, games and challenges allow fitness to be developed in a way that is active, engaging and rewarding. As students grow in age, ability and experience, activities progressively develop into more structured physical conditioning appropriate to their martial arts level. At the end of many classes, students also take part in a group physical challenge. These may include shoulder touches, sit-ups, squats, planks, press-ups or other short fitness challenges. Working together encourages students to keep going, support one another and challenge their own ability, while reinforcing perseverance, resilience, teamwork and the understanding that improvement comes through consistent effort.
The purpose is not simply to make students fitter. We use physical development to help build the strength, movement, coordination and body control that support better martial arts technique, while keeping training varied and enjoyable.
