Many of our members, including myself, had never heard of Tang Soo Do before joining university but it is a dynamic form of ancient martial arts from Korea. Tang Soo Do emerged in the mid-1940s and draws inspiration from a wide range of martial art disciplines, including Karate and Taekwondo.
We are a gold-accredited club that started on the Penryn campus in 2005 with some of our members going on to win National, European, and World titles! We are comprised of 30 regular members, and we meet every Monday from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the studio room in the Sports Centre on the Penryn campus.
Our classes are open to everyone, regardless of your level of experience, flexibility, or fitness. We have gradings every three months to allow members to show off their skills and to get the chance to obtain their next colour belt. We always welcome new members throughout the year, and we have a free taster session during Fresher’s week in September.
Learning martial arts is a great de-stressor, especially after long days in the library. It improves physical and mental discipline, decision-making, and you develop an appreciation for this unique sport. Learning self-defence moves improves concentration and situational awareness, and it equips you with relevant skills to protect yourself from potentially dangerous situations.
We aim to enhance everyone’s university experience through activities such as nights out, non-alcoholic social events such as film nights, and educational seminars conducted by a Grandmaster and senior masters in Tang Soo Do from around the country. At Tang Soo Do, our instructors teach a range of self-defence skills, line work, forms, free-sparring, one-step sparring alongside physical and mental conditioning and Korean terminology and are taught to the highest of standards.
Our instructors:
Master Leonard is the chief instructor and a 4th Dan in Tang Soo Do and has taught, trained, and competed in martial arts around the world for almost 30 years.
Elly Jahnz has trained in Tang Soo Do for 16 years, holds a 4th-degree black belt, and has attended seminars and competitions from around the world.
Chris Burton has trained in Tang Soo Do for ten years and last year, he won two bronze medals at a national competition in Newcastle and aims to attain his 2nd Dan grade this year.
Here are some words from our current Tang Soo Do committee about what Tang Soo Do means to them:
Georgia Allen – President 23/24: “Being a member of the Tang Soo Do society has been the best part of university for me. It is a great way to let off steam after long days of essays and assignments and is a club that is full of kind, funny, and like-minded people. I could easily write 1000 more words about how amazing our club is and all the benefits you can get from it, but I think you should find that out for yourself. Come join us - you won’t regret it!”
Tallulah Harpur – President 23/24: “This is my third year of Tang Soo Do now, and I will be sad to stop when I leave university! It has been a great way to keep up my fitness throughout uni, I’ve learnt new skills and met so many great people.”
Anna Leo – Vice President 23/24: "I joined Tang Soo Do at the beginning of my first year, and it was the best decision I made as I have met so many like-minded individuals and learnt many useful skills as well as improving my physical and mental health. I recommend everyone to give it a go, as the club always welcomes newcomers throughout the year.”
Alex Jarvis – Captain 23/24: “Starting Tang Soo Do at the beginning of my degree was vital in building my confidence and independence by trying something new. With such amazing people to learn and focus around, the environment has been undoubtedly fun, and the mental health benefits have been amazing: I cannot recommend it enough.”
You can find more info on the Tang Soo Do Instagram Page.