Little tigers
30 minutes, no contact at all, games mixed with fundamentals. Parents stay and watch.
Kids, teens and adults · Singapore
Earn the grade.
Know the cost.
What each grade actually requires, what contact is allowed at each level, and what a year of training costs — before you sign up rather than after the first grading.
Book a trial class- Groups
- Ages 5 to adult
- Gradings
- Three times a year
- Gear
- Provided for juniors
The grade ladder
Eight grades,
then black belt.
A grading is a test, not a reward for turning up. Here is what each one assesses, and roughly how long people take — the coach decides when you are ready, and you can always decline a grading.
| Grade | What is assessed | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Stance, basic strikes, first form. No contact. | 2–3 months |
| Grade 2 | First form to standard, basic kicks, controlled partner drills. | 3 months |
| Grade 3 | Second form, breakfalls, light sparring in full gear. | 3–4 months |
| Grade 4 | Combination work, judged sparring, first grading with a written result. | 4 months |
| Grades 5–8 | Advanced forms, competition work where the student wants it, and teaching juniors. | 9–18 months each |
| Black belt | A separate assessment with a panel, not a class test. | 3–5 years of regular training |
Classes by age
Different groups,
different rules.
Juniors
45 minutes, graded syllabus, contact introduced only at grade 3 and only in full gear.
Teens
60 minutes with sparring as a standard part of class, and competition training for those who want it.
Adults
60–75 minutes, beginner intakes twice a year so you are not the only new person in the room.
Three ways to train
Group, private,
or both.
Weekly
Kids and juniors
Twice weekly group classes on the graded syllabus, with the rate of progress stated honestly rather than promised.
Ask about juniors ↗WeeklyTeens and adults
Group classes with sparring and conditioning, open to complete beginners at every intake.
Ask about adults ↗Per hourPrivate coaching
One-to-one work for grading preparation, competition, or adults who would rather start without an audience.
Ask about private ↗Contact and safety
What contact
is allowed.
The honest answer to “is it safe” depends on the level and the gear. This is ours, by grade.
- No contact below grade 3
Strikes are practised on pads and in the air. No sparring, no throwing, and no contact drills for juniors before grade 3.
- Gear is required, not optional
From grade 3: mouthguard, gloves, shin and forearm guards. Nothing is lent for sparring, and no one spars without it.
- Controlled sparring is supervised and stopped
One coach runs sparring and calls it. Hard contact ends the round, and repeated hard contact ends the session for that student.
- Injury procedure
First aid at the school, an incident note for every injury, and a written record given to the parent or the adult student. We ask which clinic you want us to use.
- Ratio and floor
One coach to twelve students in class, one to four in sparring, and mats cleaned after every session.
Who teaches
Coaches, and
how we protect juniors.
Qualified and registered
Our coaches hold coaching certification through the relevant federation, with first-aid training, and are affiliated to a national body. Ask which body, and ask to see the certificate.
A live page would state each coach’s certification, affiliation and competitive record here.Never alone with a child
No coach is alone with a single junior at any time, and parents are welcome to watch any class from the side of the room. Discipline is handled by the coach and reported to the parent the same evening.
Illustrative policy. The school shown is fictional.Before you commit
What a year
costs.
Grading fees and equipment sit outside the monthly fee, and that is where the surprises usually are. These are illustrative concept figures.
| Item | Basis | From |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly classes, juniors | Per month | S$120 |
| Monthly classes, adults | Per month | S$150 |
| Uniform | One-off | S$70 |
| Grading | Per grading | S$60 |
| Private coaching | Per hour | S$110 |
One first year, honestly
Three gradings,
not a black belt.
A first year usually carries a new student to grade 3: three gradings, sparring introduced with gear, and the first time they get hit properly. A school that suggests otherwise is selling something. Progress at that point depends on how often the student trains and how willing they are to be corrected.
Explore this training scenario ↗
Illustrative brief: a ten-year-old starting in January, training twice a week. Grade 1 in March, grade 2 in June, grade 3 in November after the contact rules are explained to the parent. Competition is offered, not required. This is a teaching scenario, not a record of any student.
Trial, join, grade, decide.
- Trial class
One class in the right age group, with no kit to buy.
- Join
Monthly, with plain notice terms for stopping.
- Grade
When the coach says you are ready — and you can decline.
- Decide
Competition, a higher grade, or training for its own sake.
A clearer starting point
Who is
training?
Pick the closest description. It starts the right conversation instead of a general enquiry.
My child has never trained +
Start with a junior trial class. Ask what contact is allowed at your child’s age and grade — before grade 3 it should be none at all.
Book a junior trialI am an adult beginner +
You will not be the only one. Ask when the next beginner intake is, and whether you can try a class before joining a monthly plan.
Book an adult trialTraining somewhere already +
Bring your grade, your federation and what you want to work on. Ask whether your grade is recognised before you stop paying the other school.
Discuss coachingA parent’s view
“They told us before we signed up that black belt is years, not months, and that we could watch every class. That was the reason we joined.”
Junior weekly classes · sample story
Sample story. Not a real customer review.The practical questions
Before the
first class.
How long does it take to reach black belt?
Years, typically three to five with regular training. Any school quoting months is selling a certificate. Ask what proportion of students who start reach it, and how the school handles students who stall.
Is it safe? What about my child getting hurt?
Ask what contact is allowed at each grade, what gear is required, how sparring is supervised and what happens after an injury. A school should be able to answer all four without hesitation — and juniors should have no contact before grade 3.
Will my child be pushed to spar?
No, and we would be wary of any school that says otherwise. Contact starts at grade 3, in full gear, and a student who does not want to spar still trains and still grades.
What do we need for the first class?
Loose clothing and a water bottle. No kit to buy before your child has tried a class, and no grading fee until the coach says the grade is close.
Start a conversation
Come and
watch a class.
Age, experience and what you are training for are enough to begin.
Concept only. Nothing is sent or booked.