Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join?

Any student, faculty, or employee of the University of Michigan with or without prior experience may join.

You will need a Recreation Sports membership to attend the Club's practices held in the CCRB. Undergraduate students currently enrolled in classes have membership already. Faculty, staff, and students staying for the summer will need to purchase membership through the Rec Sports Department.

Are there tryouts?

There are no tryouts. We welcome all experience levels, whether you have competed in national championships or do not know what a round kick is.

What is the best way to join?

Come to any of the classes and practice with us, or for information, email us at umtkd@umich.edu.

The Club generally holds an introductory class on Monday evenings each semester (fall, winter, and spring/summer). If you have no experience, it's usually recommended to join this class. Contact us for more information. If you join more than halfway through the semester, it's usually recommended that you wait a month or so until next term's class to start.

I've never done a martial art before. I'm not sure I can do it.

Don't worry! The Club has many experience levels, ranging from beginners to experienced instructors. Many of our members had no martial arts experience before joining the Club. As long as you are in reasonable physical condition, most of the techniques should be eventually attainable. The best way to find out if it's for you is to come practice with us a few times.

What should I expect when I come to practice?

You should dress in comfortable workout clothing. The room we practice in never tends to get cold, but it does get warm in the summer. Long pants are recommended, as shorts can provide a bit too much of a view for your partner when doing high kicks.

Practice times are very close to actual, and the Club does not observe Michigan Time (i.e., an 8-9:30 practice will start at 8:00pm sharp and go nonstop to 9:30pm). Plan to arrive a few minutes early, so you're ready to go when the room is ready. We usually jog to warmup and then do some group stretches before the main practice. Depending on the day, the theme of the practice might be forms, technique, or sparring. We usually finish with stretching.

Who leads the practices?

Club practices are always lead by an experienced Club instructor. See the Instructors/Officers section for more information on the Club leadship.

How often does your Club compete?

We usually compete twice a semester: one team-based competition and one individual. Competitions are held at a variety of places; in recent years we've attended competitions in Boston and Philadelphia, as well as local competitions in Michigan.

Are there Club dues?

Yes, the Club dues are $120 for fall and winter semester together, or $80 for one semeseter. If you wish to stay over the Spring/Summer, then there are additional dues of $30.

Does the Club provide the necessary equipment? Or do members need to bring their own?

The Club has plenty of equipment to borrow, especially for sparring. Most of the experienced members choose to purchase their own equipment. We encourage all members to purchase a taekwondo uniform (through the Club) but only require it if they wish to advance belt ranks.

What League affiliations does the Club have?

The Club is affiliated with both the ECTC (Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference) and the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA). We follow the rules and guidelines for competition and promotion from the World Taekwondo Federation.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, all University of Michigan Taekwondo Club activities are conducted in the Central Campus Recreation Building (CCRB) room 3275.