Taekwondo means the way of fist and foot. 'Tae' means to break or attack with the foot, 'kwon' means to break with the fist and 'do' translates as the art or way.

With ancient roots in Korea and incorporatings aspects of Karate and Chinese arts, it is now a martial art and Olympic sport recognised around the world.

Taekwondo includes fighting techniques, patterns, sparring, self-defence, breaking and fitness.

Students progress from White, Yellow, Green, Blue and Red belts to Black belt through consistent training and demonstrating their skills in formal gradings.

Taekwondo follows five tenets: Etiquette, Modesty, Perseverance, Self-control and Indomitable Spirit.

At Overton Taekwondo we believe everyone should be able to enjoy the benefits of this varied and exciting martial art so we welcome all ages and abilities.

About Overton Taekwondo

We are a family oriented WT style Taekwondo club based in the lovely village of Overton which is near Basingstoke, Hampshire. Founded in 1997, the club has trained in various venues across Basingstoke, but we have never lost our connection to the village. Our members range in age from six to sixties.

We teach WT Taekwondo, which is a combination of the Olympic sport, patterns, basics, sparring and self defence. Our aim is to introduce the benefits of Taekwondo to everyone, regardless of age, gender or ability.

We are part of Chungdokwan or the Bluewave school founded in 1944 by Won Kuk Lee. Chungdokwan was the first martial art school or kwan in Korea to teach Taekwondo. Through Chungdokwan we are affiliated to the world headquarters of Taekwondo, Kukkiwon in South Korea.

Overton Taekwondo is a member of British Taekwondo who are the governing body for World Taekwondo (WT) Taekwondo in the United Kingdom.

Overton Taekwondo is a charity. Our instructors are not paid, so all class fees go back into the club. We have a committee of Charity trustees who ensure the responsible and effective financial management of the club. We are a club run by our members and are always ready to welcome volunteers!

All our instructors have full CRB/DBS checks in place, full indemnity insurance, and are trained in first aid and safeguarding. We aim to make Taekwondo a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Many of our members have competed in local and national competitions. Several have travelled abroad to compete or take part in sports exchanges. We do our best to be a friendly club with lots of opportunities to socialise!

If you have any other questions about the club, please do get in touch via email or phone.

Our Instructors

Eleanor Hatton

4th Dan / Examiner / L2 Coach / 1st Aid

Ellie has trained in Taekwondo from the age of five, achieving her black belt at eleven, her 2nd Dan at thirteen, her 3rd Dan at fifteen and her 4th Dan aged twenty. She has a wealth of tournament experience, competing in both Poomsae and Kyorugi in Britain, America, Germany and Ireland.

Dave Hatton

4th Dan / L2 Coach / 1st Aid / Trustee

Dave took up Taekwondo at the age of forty. He spent lots of his time running his children to classes and thought it was time to join himself. Eight years later Dave was running classes in Overton. He has previously trained in Judo and Fencing, and regularly attends workshops and seminars on all aspects of self-defence. Dave is a certified Defendo and KEWAP instructor.

Caroline Beecham

3rd Dan / L2 Coach / 1st Aid / Trustee

Our resident German started practising Taekwondo in 1988 at the tender age of 13, and joined our club in 2013 after a long break from the sport. A 3rd Dan Black Belt since December 2019, Caroline also holds the L2 Coaching Certificate and is working on establishing exchanges.

Our Trustees

Overton Taekwondo is run as a charity. Its objective is to take Taekwondo to as many people as possible. We want to be inclusive, approachable and provide an enjoyable experience at every class. We do all we can to keep our training fees low, and have a bursary scheme available to help anyone in financial hardship.

Our instructors, trustees and helpers are all unpaid volunteers.

To oversee the running of the charity we have a board of trustees. Their task is to ensure the club's finances are run as efficiently as possible, while upholding the aims and ethos of the charity.

The trustees are always very happy to hear any ideas for fund-raising or ways to improve the effective running of the club. Similarly if you have any concerns about how the club's finances are being used, please do get in touch.

Jo Hatton

Caroline Beecham

Ruth Williams

Dave Hatton

Jess Wells

Mark Williams