About Us
Halswell Taekwon-Do operates out of the Te Hapua:Halswell Centre in the heart of Halswell, Christchurch. Classes run twice a week for kids, youth and adults of all ages and abilities. Halswell Taekwon-Do is a member of the International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand (ITFNZ). Why not come along to see why 3,500 kiwis at 70 clubs nationwide enjoy ITF Taekwon-Do?
ITF Taekwon-Do is the Korean art of self defence, first developed by General Choi Hong Hi in the 1950s and 1960s. “Tae” means to jump or kick with the foot; “Kwon” means to punch with the hand or fist; and “Do” means art or way.
Taekwon-Do was designed for self defence, and includes sparring, patterns, power breaking and high flying special techniques. We practice all of these disciplines in class, and there are opportunities to compete in local, national and international tournaments if you want to test your skills. There is a strong emphasis on the moral aspects of the art, such as discipline, humility and self control. These non-physical aspects are known as the “Do”. Members of ITF Taekwon-Do are taught aspects of “Do” as a part of the grading syllabus and are encouraged to live by the tenets of Taekwon-Do: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit.
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The Instructors
Ms Helen Caley
Instructor
5th Dan Black Belt
Ms Caley began practising Taekwon-Do in Dunedin in 2005, and has been training ever since. Ms Caley has competed in Taekwon-Do at a high level. She was selected as a member of the New Zealand World Championships team in 2013, 2017 and 2019 and has won medals at a number of international competitions, most recently winning a gold medal in specialty technique (jumping) at the 2018 World Cup in Sydney.
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Ms Caley is an experienced instructor and has run classes for kids and adults since 2010. She loves to make classes energetic and fun. Ms Caley aims to see her students grow in confidence and life skills through Taekwon-Do.
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Qualifications:
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International Instructor
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Qualified First Aider
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National B Grade Umpire
Ms Nicola Tse
Assistant Instructor
4th Dan Black Belt
Ms Tse has been practising Taekwon-Do since 2000. She began her training in Auckland where she competed extensively at local and international events.
In 2013 she moved to Christchurch and has been an active member and Assistant Instructor of local clubs. In January 2016, Ms Tse graded to her 4th Degree Black Belt and she is an appointed board member for International Taekwon-Do New Zealand, our national governing body.
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Ms Tse is passionate about bringing fun and fitness in to a disciplined environment where students and grow, develop and achieve their personal taekwon-Do goals.
Qualifications:
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International Instructor
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Qualified First Aider
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National B Grade Umpire
Mr Tomonori Shibata
Assistant Instructor
4th Dan Black Belt
Mr Shibata began Taekwon-do in Christchurch in 2006 and gained his 4th Dan Black Belt in December 2016. As an active competitor, Mr Shibata has represented at numerous regional and national competitions as well as New Zealand at the World Cup in 2012 and 2014 and was a member of the 2017 Senior World Championships competing in Dublin, Ireland.
Mr Shibata has extensive experience instructing kids classes and believes the people, passion and perserverance are the most important aspects at a club. "Without members who share the same goals and encourage each other, it's so hard to push it to the limit. You get a lot of good friends there and it adds more fun to the training".
Qualifications:
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International Instructor
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Qualified First Aider
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Natonal B Grade Umpire
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Protect Self Defence accredited trainer - Level 1