About Us
Croydon Taekwon-Do Academy is one of the many schools run by Grand Master Master Nardizzi. It is a full-time Taekwon-Do centre located in the heart of Croydon, open throughout the year with over 200 students registered. We have been teaching Taekwon-Do in Croydon for over 20 years, with over 40 years of Taekwon-Do teaching overall.
Organisation
Croydon Taekwon-Do Academy is a part of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), as registered by ITF England. This means any grade you are given by your instructor is universally accepted by other official ITF schools, so long as you keep your certification. ITF Taekwon-Do is what the founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi founded. This means we are eligible to compete in all major tournaments, like the British Open, European Championships, and World Championships. This also means you will learn the universal style with original techniques, as some schools tend to add their own element to the martial art!
Association
An association is a conglomeration of clubs that work together. Croydon Taekwon-Do Academy is associated with Taekwon-Do Impact. The perks for being part of this association are cheaper insurance fees; larger inter-club competitions with other schools from the association; squad sessions to help you prepare for larger competitions with other students from different schools; the Impact Open, a large tournament with around 150 competitors students can compete for medals and trophies against many different schools.
Instructors
With Grand Master Donato Nardizzi being the chief instructor, students receive expert tuition for a fraction of the price. With less than 50 Grand Masters in the world, and few as well-known as Grand Master Nardizzi, we offer our students the best instructing. Having a YouTube channel with over 17k followers, and doing Seminars all over the World, the Grand Master is one of the most respected in his field. With his son Alex Nardizzi, an ex-European Champion, we ensure students are being taught the correct way, in order to be able to defend themselves.
Facilities
We provide a 300 square foot Dojang, with full tatami matting for safe training. Our matting provides safety for students, especially the younger ones, from falling, awkward landing, and impact absorption for their knees. We have all the necessary equipment for students to train with, including kick-shields, breaking boards, target pads, and even a power machine for power development. The main hall also has mirroring to help students practice their techniques. With recent rules with Covid-19, we ensure our facility is regularly cleaned with disinfectant and hand sanitizer is provided to students before they train. Our mats also contain an anti-bacterial spray to prevent the build-up of bateria, fungus, and virus’.
Competitions & Gradings
Along with running lessons, we host competitions and gradings every month. Students are able to compete in a variety of different tournaments every month, both small and large. We host select belt competitions, i.e. up to Green Belt only. This allows students to ease their way into the competitive nature of Taekwon-Do and apply their skills in a high-pressure situation. This builds students confidence and helps them progress to higher competitive levels across all sports. Our monthly gradings also give students the opportunity to grade when they best feel they are ready. Hosting a grading once every 3 months might urge a student to grade before they are comfortable and rushes their progress. We ensure students take their time to develop their skills properly..