At Mount Pleasant Taekwondo, we host a number of programs to suit varying needs. Our schedule is divided by rank and age to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to interact one on one with instructors. As we see needs in the community, we work to provide space for students to connect with one another and instructors and meet their individual needs. We offer consistency, tradition, and routine without bogging students down with super strict discipline. Most of our students come to us needing fast paced exercise, organization, fun, and a hobby that can provide socialization and community. We provide all of those things and more! The students in our program become like family to us. Adults and kids alike get so much from our programming.
The most wonderful thing about our program is that it can be started at just about any point in your lifetime: our students range in age from 3 years old to 72 years old. We work with you, personally, where you are right now. If you enter our program unable to kick above the knee or touch your toes, we help you set short term and long term goals so you can achieve the activity levels and athleticism that you wish to gain.
Little Dragons is specially geared towards little ones. We provide a special structure for pre- schoolers so they can learn how to stand still, take turns, stand in a line, be polite, and learn the basics of Taekwondo. Each rank of Little Dragon learns part of a regular form and we change it up each testing cycle so they are learning new things. This class is one half hour long which is the perfect length to get in some great activity and hold their attention. Everything is learned through high interest activities such as Taekwondo games, jumping, running, stretching, and movement games. We keep them moving the entire class. We deal with behavior issues by reinforcing positive actions with loads of enthusiasm and more games. Most of our Little Dragons graduate to the Juniors classes within one or two years.
We divide our age groups up into separate classes so that each child has an opportunity to spar kids closer to their own age/size. Our Younger Juniors and Older Juniors spend less time on games than our Little Dragons and more time working on technique and and setting goals. We still keep these kids engaged and moving the whole class. Each student will begin at white belt and will work their way up through the Juniors Ranks. Each Belt Rank has a form (a pattern of moves designed to perfect different Taekwondo techniques) and either One-Step Sparring, Sparring Combinations, or Free Sparring. To give your child the best opportunities to progress, we recommend beginning with at least two classes per week. Some of our students choose to train four classes per week with us and then practice at home as well. At the end of class, our kids love to play a game such as Dodge Ball or Jump the Great Wall of Mount Pleasant. We switch up the games and use them as a reward for good behavior during classes.
Taekwondo gives a social outlet as students bond with instructors, each other, and the greater community. The instructors learn the strengths and weaknesses of each student and challenge them to grow stronger and improve their whole self.
As kids move up to the teen/adult classes they develop a sense of the challenges of Taekwondo. In adult classes, we do many more calisthenics, stretching, strength training, and more intensive fitness driven workouts. We give everyone a really good sweaty workout. We do great confidence building and team building activities. We build slowly and work with each teen and adult at their level.
At Mount Pleasant Taekwondo, we work with a variety of special needs. We have had students with anxiety issues, depression, OCD, Autism Spectrum disorders, ADHD, low muscle tone, shyness, Down Syndrome, anger issues, kids who are bullied, kids who are the bullies, asthma, cerebral palsy, and other special needs. The instructors treat each individual student as an individual. We’ve dealt with panic attacks, full on melt downs, rages, kids who cry, kids who have physical differences. We love working with kids with special needs. If you have questions about whether your child or adult would be a good fit for our program, give us a call.