Hilliard Taekwondo Academy is a member of Taekwondo America (TA), a national organization with many participating schools across the United States. All schools that are members of the TA organization adhere to the same professional guidelines ensuring the high standards by which we teach, promote students in rank, and project our image and reputation within the community remain consistent from school to school, even though every TA school is independently owned.

Whether you're a boy or a girl; whether you're a child, teen or adult, you can expect to be treated with respect and courtesy in every Taekwondo America school and at every Taekwondo America hosted event.

At Hilliard Taekwondo Academy, our program includes Forms, Sparring, Wood-Breaking and Non-Sparring Defensive Techniques mixed with fun drills and activities designed to provide a good workout for all age levels. We sometimes hear about schools with instructors who yell at their students, even making them cry. That's just not our style.

Yes, we can be very loud and very enthusiastic when we're teaching class, but we don't believe that humiliation is motivating. Yes, we do expect students to be respectful and courteous in class and we have immediate consequences for misbehavior. We expect every student to try hard every class and to answer up with an enthusiastic "Yes, ma'am!" or "Yes, sir!" anytime an instructor speaks to them. We also believe that using positive reinforcement and having consistent age/rank appropriate consequences, mixed with fun is the best way to encourage and motivate students.

All students are required to wear the appropriate uniform to class: their current belt with either our full white uniform or one of our t-shirts (or a Taekwondo America event t-shirt) and our workout pants. Uniforms, t-shirts and workout pants must be clean, in good repair and the appropriate size. Wearing a clean, appropriate uniform is a sign of respect for the school, the instructors and ones self.

LITTLE DRAGONS - AGE 4-5



The Little Dragons program is designed to help four- and five-year-old students develop physically and socially, and improve the focus they need for school and when they move up into the Juniors program.

We use games and other fun activities to help develop coordination and to help teach good sportsmanship. Over time, students become more self-confident, improve self-control, and are less likely to bully others or to be bullied

Little Dragons test every 2 months for new rank within the Little Dragon program. Based on age/maturity, we may decide to move them into the Juniors program when they are 6 years old or have earned their Little Dragon Red Belt.

Prior to trying a free class, we schedule an evaluation to helps us determine if your child will get the most out of our program at this time or if waiting a few months will allow them to gain a little more focus and maturity.

Because of the popularity of this program, we've added a 2nd set of Little Dragons classes ... the Monday & Wednesday 4:30 pm class. All Little Dragons may come to the 10:00 am Saturday FUN class!

JUNIORS - AGE 6-12



Our Junior program (ages 6 - 12) teaches self-confidence, focus, self-discipline, courtesy, leadership and teamwork in a fun environment.

Our Junior program is divided into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes based on rank.

During a typical class students participate in a variety of activities which may include working with an instructor on their Form, practicing sparring or One-Steps, working with a partner on punching and kicking a target, participating in a relay race, learning how to deal with a bully or practicing Stranger Danger techniques, using the rail for support during kicking drills or using boppers to learn good blocking skills. We have serious fun in every class!

TEENS & ADULTS - AGE 13 and up



Our Adult and Teen classes provide an excellent strength training and aerobic workout for wide range of ages and abilities. Every adult class begins with warm up drills and ends with stretching to increase flexibility. Activities are designed to allow each student to workout at their own pace and skill level as strength, flexibility and endurance improve. You’ll increase your self-confidence and feel healthier. In addition to learning your current belt level Form, practicing sparring or One-Steps and learning how to defend yourself, we use targets, slammers, pushups, sit ups and the rail in a variety of fun and challenging activities to increase flexibility, improve muscle strength and build endurance. So, whether you are 13 or 53, Taekwondo may be the best way to achieve your health and exercise goals!

What are "Forms"?



You may also hear Forms referred to as Hyungs or Katas. Forms are patterns of moves designed to teach students increasingly complex marital arts skills and techniques. Each belt level has its own pattern of moves a student learns when he or she passes testing and receives that new belt. For example, the first belt ― the white belt ― has a pattern with 14 moves that teaches the basic blocks and stances. The next belt level ― yellow belt ― has a pattern with 21 moves that has new blocks and a different combination of moves. This continues all the way up through all of the black belt levels.

The expectations for how the techniques in each Form are performed increase also. A new student performing the white belt form will not have the same precision of stances and sharpness of technique that a black belt student should demonstrate when they do their form. Our goal is for students to show gradual improvement over time as they progress through the belt levels. We don’t compare one student to another, but rather work to help each student improve based on their ability and effort.       

What are "One Steps" and "Sparring Combinations"?

White and Yellow Belt students learn One-Steps, combinations of 3-5 moves designed to help them prepare for future free sparring with a partner. Children learn three One-Step combinations and adults learn five combinations. Students first learn and perform the One-Steps without a partner. Once students know the One-Steps, they pair up to practice the One-Steps back and forth. One partner stands still in an attack position, while the other performs a One-Step toward them without making contact. 

Orange and Senior Orange Belt students learn Sparring Combinations, which are similar to One-Steps, but they are not performed in a stationary position. Blocking and moving away from an attack, and making light contact, are introduced. Orange Belt students purchase sparring gear and once they know and have been tested for their Sparring Combinations, they may participate in Free Sparring with instructor supervision. 

Click HERE for the written version of the one steps and sparring combinations. 

What is "Free-Sparring"?



Sparring is using controlled defense and attack techniques with light contact in short bouts with a partner/opponent in a safe environment. At Hilliard Taekwondo America we introduce sparring gradually. Once Orange Belts and Senior Orange belts "master" their sparring combinations, we work with them to use the skills from their defined combinations to help them free spar.

You may wonder, “Won’t teaching kids to fight just encourage them to become more violent?” Actually, quite the opposite. Students are reminded regularly that they may not misuse taekwondo and that it’s not okay to start a fight. We teach students ways to avoid a fight and to use their words. Using physical force to protect themselves is a last resort. And, students who learn how to defend themselves tend to be more confident and are less likely to be the target of an attack.

Free sparring allows students to practice defensive and counter-attack techniques in a safe and controlled environment. Students are required to purchase and wear approved Taekwondo America co-branded gear which includes padded helmet, molded mouthpiece, elbow pads, hand pads, shin guards, foot pads, and all males must wear a cup. Students who do not have every piece of gear on are not allowed to participate in free sparring during that class.

Sparring teaches good sportsmanship, manners, self-control, focus and self-confidence. Only light contact is allowed and students practice techniques on targets to learn the difference between punching and kicking targets hard and making light contact with a sparring partner. Students learn a variety of combinations they can use in sparring, but the goal is for them to see open target areas on their partner/opponent and to combine a variety of techniques to score points.

Sparring also prepares students to defend themselves in a real life situation. Sparring teaches students to think quickly, to defend and counter attack. No, classroom sparring is not exactly like a real life fight, but it does allow students to practice blocking punches and to respond quickly without freezing and increase the odds of a safer outcome should they ever have to defend themselves.

Why do students have to break boards?



Besides the fact that it's FUN and you feel a great sense of accomplishment? One thing it's important to know is that students are not required to break boards until they are a senior blue belt, which means they will have been through at least 6 two-month testing cycles in the Juniors or Teen/Adult program. By this time they will have had a year of developing the skills necessary to break boards. Every day in every class, those skills are taught and reinforced in target drills, while they practice kicks as the move down the floor holding onto the rail, and even in the games we play. Being able to break boards in a testing environment demonstrates that a student would be able to exert enough power to defend themselves and fight off an attacker in a stressful surprise situation. (Little Dragons Orange belts and higher ranks have the opportunity to break Little Dragon size boards just for fun!) 

What are "non-sparring defensive techniques"?



These techniques are what most non-martial artists think of when they hear the term “self-defense.” How do you get away if someone grabs you around the neck or by your arm or your hair? What do you do if someone shoves you against a wall? How do you deal with the bully on the playground or the obnoxious co-worker at the holiday party? What if the attacker is a whole lot bigger than you? Often an incident can be handled without punching or kicking the offender — as martial artists our goal is to try to resolve things as peacefully as possible and to avoid a violent confrontation. We teach students how to avoid a grab, to use pressure points and counter grabs and even an attacker’s own body weight to end the attack. We periodically teach women’s self-defense clinics and Stranger Danger/Bully Awareness classes for kids at our school and can bring those classes to the public schools and businesses.