Panthers Program

For 3 to 8-year-olds, the Panthers Program has been running since 2001. It is a specially designed curriculum that aims to improve young children's basic learning and motor skills. These skills will help them to gain confidence to enter the social world with a better outlook. They will become better students at school, well behaved at home and a lot more confident in life. The classes will also prepare them for the Tae Kwon Do lessons, that require discipline and focus, amongst others, which they will have learned through the curriculum.

There are 8 skills that the students must learn, which compose of both physical and mental benefits; including memory, balance, discipline, teamwork, coordination etc. 

The students are taught by Mr James Farrell (view instructor profile here). One of the eight skills will be taught every week and when the first stage of the eight skills (4 months) is over, a testing is held for the students, in which they will be tested on one of the skills. If they pass, they will be rewarded with a special coloured belt, to represent the achievement of the skills. The skills will then become more difficult as the course go on and when a student has completed and achieved all eight skills and belts, they will be deemed ready to progress onto the main Tae Kwon Do classes and graduate from the Panthers Program.

The classes are taught on a matted floor for protecting and the drills that are run each week have both a fun and educational side. The students are allowed to have fun, but they are NOT allowed to mess. They will learn that discipline and good behavior are well rewarded. One of the skills, for teamwork, is called "The Clean Up". This involves two teams of students, taking turns to retrieve a bunch objects such as small hand mitts or footballs scattered around the room. One team will go first, retrieving one item per student at a time and placing it back to their corner. Once all items are brought back, their time is recorded and the next team try to better it. This is one of the students' favourite drills... and have to be well disciplined to play it! What's even better for the parents is, they have to go home and practice for next time... and how do they practice!?!?...by cleaning their rooms with their parents timing them of course!!!

The students get to learn the first pattern in TaeKwonDo called Chon Ji (this is needed for adults etc. to attain their yellow belt) which has 19 movements, they also don their protective sparring equipment and have great fun sparring - and they like use their kicking skills which they practice, to break wood!! These 3 elements are then applied when we have national competitions and they can go on to win trophies and medals! We have already had many students win their category and even beat the older yellow and orange belt students!! But we always say that training in TaeKwonDo is about bettering yourself... not beating someone else. The children appreciate this, which means win or lose they always have great fun.

If you wish to bring your child along you are more than welcome. The classes are on every Saturday at 12:00pm. If you have any queries about the Panthers Program, you can get in touch with Mr James Farrell by clicking here: CONTACT US