At Chung TKD in New Hyde Park, children can start Tae Kwon Do at 2, in the Mommy & Me class. The school has three programs by age: Pee-Wee for 2 and 3, Children for 4 to 6 and Youth for 7 to 13.
Which class fits each age?
- At 2 and 3, children start in Mommy & Me, the first Pee-Wee class.
- At 3½, they move up to the independent Pee-Wee class.
- From 4 to 6, children train in the Children program.
- From 7 to 13, they train in Youth.
There's more on the youngest classes in our guide for parents of a 3-year-old, and more on the Children program in our guide for parents of a 4- or 5-year-old.
Is there a best age to start?
No single age is best. Each age has its own program, so a child who starts at 2 and a child who starts at 9 both begin in a class for children their age.
What changes with age is what a class asks of a child. A 4-year-old starts with small steps, like copying a movement or waiting for a turn. An older beginner can take on more at once.
There are no fixed test dates at Chung TKD until brown belt. Until then, each child tests when the instructors judge them ready, whatever age they started.
When does a child move from Children to Youth?
At 7. A child can also move up before 7 if the staff think they're ready and give their permission.
Is it too late to start at 10, 12 or 13?
No. Youth is for ages 7 to 13, so a beginner of 10, 12 or 13 starts in Youth. Like every child below brown belt, an older beginner tests for each new belt when the instructors judge them ready.
What does a child learn over the years?
A form is a set pattern of blocks, kicks and strikes that a student learns by heart. Color belts learn the ITF forms, called hyung. The black belt forms are Kwang-Gae and Koryo.
Grandmaster Howard Chung, 9th Dan, runs every belt test, and the school's instructors demonstrate. Each test is harder than the one before. Black belt tests are big events, and the school's past black belts come back for them.
Grandmaster Chung has taught Tae Kwon Do since 1970 and opened the school in 1984.
How to start
Every new family starts with two free trial classes, and a parent or guardian stays for them. Some children watch for a while before they join in. Plenty jump straight in, and many nervous children soon forget they were nervous.
Questions parents ask
Can a 2-year-old do Tae Kwon Do?
Yes. At Chung TKD, children start at 2, in the Mommy & Me class for ages 2 and 3.
Is 13 too late to start Tae Kwon Do?
No. Youth is for ages 7 to 13, and a beginner tests for each new belt when the instructors judge them ready.
When does a child move from Children to Youth?
At 7, or earlier if the staff think the child is ready and give their permission.
How does a child start at Chung TKD?
With two free trial classes. A parent or guardian stays for them.