We are thrilled to announce that skilled martial artist, Eloise Allen (Upper Sixth), has been awarded her prestigious black belt in Taekwon-Do after just three and a half years in the sport.

Eloise began practising Taekwon-Do in April 2021. She had wanted to try martial arts for some time but had struggled to find a good local club, particularly due to the pandemic. That changed when a friend’s mum found CITKD (Chand International Taekwon-Do), based in Biddenham. Since then, Eloise has been training twice a week and has progressed through roughly two gradings per year.

On Saturday 28th September, Eloise attained her first-degree black belt at Brixworth Primary School. This achievement involved learning eleven complex series of movements (poomsae, or ‘patterns’), training in various forms of sparring, practising a variety of drilling exercises, and completing a written paper covering the history of the sport and its technical terms.

Eloise is excited to continue practising Taekwon-Do at university and beyond, and she hopes to inspire many students at BGS to take up the sport.

Reflecting on her journey, Eloise said: “I was inspired to begin Taekwon-Do as a way of learning self-defence and gaining confidence. However, over the years it has become an integral part of my life, much more than just a hobby. It is an important part of my identity, as it not only gives me a sense of community and achievement but also confidence in knowing my own abilities and potential.”

A huge well done to Eloise! We look forward to seeing her continue to excel in Taekwon-Do and watching her progress even further in this exciting sport.