FEATURE: Sheffield Tae Kwon Do toasts 30 years of bringing through world champions in city

The club, based out of Ecclesall Parish Hall on Ringinglow Road, recently toasted its 30th birthday.

Under the tutelage of Master Graham Churchill, the club has thrived - and Graham has been there to witness it all.

He not only takes pride from the fact that the club boasts a wealth of champions past and present, but also at how martial arts has become more family-inclusive over the years.

"Martial arts, and particularly taekwondo, is a big family event now," Graham said.

"My lad goes ice skating but I can't necessarily join in with that.

"Similarly, if you take your kids to the football, you can't join in.

"But with taekwondo, we run family classes where you can attend and train together - and there's not many sports where that is the case."

For Graham, he has turned a passion into a living.

A successful competitor himself, he first got the keys to the club in 1990 after turning his back on a life working down the pits.

"I started working as an apprentice fitter at the coal board but then when the pits shut in 1985, that's when I got my black belt," he said.

"I then worked on power stations and nuclear power plants but the work eventually dried up.

"Then in 1989 I read about a Government enterprise scheme. They would give you £40 a week for a year if you started your own business.

"I took them up on that and Lincoln's club was free so I took that.

"I was then offered the Sheffield area and that's when it opened up for me here."

Born and bred in Wheatley, Doncaster, Graham still runs classes twice a week despite suffering from cancer in 2018.

Thankfully he recovered and says that he is delighted to be back putting on classes and helping people accomplish their goals.

"I had throat cancer two years ago and that knocked me out for a good six months," Graham said.

"Eventually I got over that and I'm okay now, but that was the only break I had in 30 years.

"At one point I had clubs all over Sheffield and it was almost six days a week.

"But I'm getting older and so I've scaled it down to Mondays and Wednesdays now."

Over those 30 years Graham has worked out that he has trained 300 people both junior and adult to black belt - and the 300th was a special landmark in particular.

He said: "My 11-year-old son last October was my 300th black belt which was a nice touch."

The ages of black belt members range drastically, with the youngest at nine and the most veteran attendee aged 68.

Graham, now 56, has an illustrious career behind him and has competed at the World Championships whilst representing Great Britain.

He is now happy with his role of producing the champions of tomorrow.

One particular example is club member Lilian Wong, who is a current world champion aged just 11.

Graham says that the beauty of the club is its ability to cater for those wish to compete for gongs and those who simply want to get fitter.

And when quizzed on why people should take the plunge and give the sport a go, Graham said: "Years ago self-defence would be kick and punch.

"Now we teach people more about confidence, how to speak and how to handle aggression.

"Training is a lot more scientific now too.

"Taekwondo gives you fitness, flexibility, confidence and self-defence.

"We've got a few different sections in the club, so we have the people who want to just come and train and get fit.

"Then there's another section where they want to do competitions and travel all over to compete.

"I hear so many people say that this sport has had a positive effect on them."

To find out more and to have a free trial at Sheffield TKD, visit https://www.sheffieldtkd.com.