Beginners Kids · Age 8+
Help them settle, listen and believe: “I can do this.”
A welcoming beginners class that builds confidence, focus and the pride of getting better every week.
Ask about kids beginnersFull kids class detailsITF Taekwon-Do classes for ages 8+, teens & adults
More confidence. Better focus. A class they will want to come back to.
Sligo Taekwon-Do Club — Northwest Taekwon-Do Clubs — Sligo ITF — training ITF Taekwon-Do at Summerhill College, Sligo. Kids, teens and adults train Mondays and Fridays, and your first class is free.
- Free first class
- Ages 8+, teens & adults
- Summerhill College, Sligo
Age-based classes
Every age needs something a little different.
Teen & Adult Beginners · Age 14+
Give yourself a stronger outlet and a reason to push forward.
Purposeful training, fitness and a genuine challenge — no experience needed, just a willingness to start.
Ask about teen & adult beginnersFull teen & adult class details
Current Members · Juniors 8–13 · Seniors 14+
Keep showing up and keep getting better.
Existing students train on Mondays and Fridays with age-based sessions that build technique, fitness and progression.
Ask about current classesNew season starts the last week of August
Find a class that fits your week.
Mondays
- Beginners KidsAge 8+6.00pm – 6.55pm
- Teen and Adult BeginnersAge 14+6.45pm – 7.55pm
Mondays & Fridays
- Current JuniorsAge 8 – 136.00pm – 6.55pm
- Current SeniorsAge 14 +6.45pm – 7.55pm
Open mat — Sundays
Confirmed weekly. Primarily grading and competition preparation, with informal work on drills, patterns and fundamental movements. Particularly for red and black belts.
Season calendar
Gradings, tournaments, seminars, term breaks and closures — all in one live calendar.
What you'll learn
Skills that last beyond the hall.
Stronger, more confident, more focused
Children, ages 8–13
- Safety, self-control and respect
- Foundation Taekwon-Do skills
- Sparring tactics and decision-making
- Agility, balance, coordination and speed
- Bodyweight conditioning
- Concentration, confidence and emotional control
- Communication, teamwork and commitment
Sport and martial art
Teens & adults, age 14+
- Fitness, flexibility, agility and coordination
- Martial-art and sport instruction
- ITF patterns
- Controlled semi-contact sparring
- Team membership and personal challenge
- Optional competition opportunities
Meet your instructors
Experienced coaches who make classes welcoming.
Founder & Lead Instructor
Stephen Kohlmann
Stephen is the founder and Lead Instructor of Sligo ITF. A 4th Degree Black Belt with 26 years of Taekwon-Do experience and nine years of coaching, he combines structured ITF instruction with extensive professional teaching experience. His classes are positive, welcoming and progressive, helping children, teenagers and adults develop their skills, confidence, discipline and fitness at their own pace.
- ITF 4th Degree Black Belt
- Founder of Sligo ITF, established in 2017
- IMAC / Sport Ireland Level 1 Taekwon-Do Coach
- Sport Ireland Safeguarding 1 certified
- First Aid certified and qualified in Child Protection Level 1
- IIC Wales 2025
- Coached students from beginner level to Black Belt and international representation
- Lecturer at ATU with master's degrees in Computer Science and Music
Instructor
Nicola McCutcheon
Nicola is a 4th Degree Black Belt with approximately 17 years of active Taekwon-Do training and 15 years of teaching experience. A former Irish National Team member and World Championship medallist, she brings extensive competitive and coaching experience to fun, inclusive classes. Nicola supports students training for fitness, confidence, self-defence, Black Belt progression or competition at national and international level.
- ITF 4th Degree Black Belt
- Former Irish National Team member
- Bronze medallist at the 2005 World Championships and European Cup
- IMAC / Sport Ireland Level 1 Coach
- First Aid certified and qualified in Child Protection Levels 1, 2 and 3
- Designated Liaison Officer and participant in five International Instructor Courses
Instructor
Mike Guckian
Mike first stepped onto the mats in 1987, training WTF Taekwon-Do and opening his own club in 1993 before work and family took priority. He returned when Sligo ITF opened in 2017, starting again as a white belt, earned his 1st Dan in 2020 and has coached at the club ever since while training for his 4th Dan. Having gone through the belt system twice, decades apart, he is patient, encouraging and big on fundamentals — a particular help to adult beginners building confidence and consistency.
- ITF 3rd Degree Black Belt
- 17 years of training and six years coaching, since 2020
- IMAC / Sport Ireland Level 1 Coach
- Safeguarding qualified
- MSc in Sports Performance Practice, 2025
- Pharmacist and lecturer at ATU Donegal
Why parents choose us
Parents tell us it feels good when their child has somewhere positive to put their energy.
01
Confidence they carry
Our classes help them try, practice and stand a little taller.
02
Focus with a purpose
Our clear routines give restless energy somewhere positive to go.
03
Progress they can feel
Our syllabus gives them a reason to feel proud of the effort.
Your first class
Real standards. A reassuring first class.
Nobody needs to be confident before they begin. The class gives a clear routine, something to work towards and the encouragement to keep going. Here's all you need for the first few sessions.
- Wear a tracksuit and T-shirt
- Bring a water bottle
- A dobok (uniform) is required shortly after joining
- Uniforms and equipment can be ordered through the club or its suppliers
Fees & how to join
Simple membership. Clear next steps.
Membership & insurance fee
The €70 membership and insurance fee covers ITA membership, insurance & club affiliation.
Payment details will be sent by email.
Ready to join?
Email us and we'll send you everything you need to register, including payment details.
| Membership | Per term | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Kids / teen beginners | €160 | €40 |
| Adult beginners | €160 | €40 |
| Junior & senior classes | €240 | €60 |
| Family rate (junior/senior) | €220 per person | €55 per person |
- Three terms per year or 12 monthly payments — both options total the same annual amount.
- Family pricing applies to two, three or four family members.
- Debit and credit cards accepted. Payment details are sent by email after you register.
- Season runs approximately mid/late August to the end of May, broadly following the school calendar.
- Grading fees arise roughly every three to six months. Tournaments and seminars are optional.
Affiliation & safeguarding
A properly affiliated club.
- Irish Taekwon-Do Association
- International Taekwon-Do Federation
- All Europe Taekwon-Do Federation
- Irish Martial Arts Commission
- Taekwon-Do Advisory Board
- One of more than 100 Irish Taekwon-Do Association clubs
- Instructors trained through governing-body coach education
- Garda vetting handled through the governing structure
- Technical, teaching and anti-doping standards set nationally
What happens next
No pressure. Just a clear first step.
01
Find your nearest class
Classes run at Summerhill College, Sligo — pick what suits your week.
02
Come along as you are
No kit, no experience needed. Just comfortable clothes and a willingness to try.
03
See if it feels right for you
One class is enough for you and your child to know if Sligo ITF fits.
Real parents · Real families
What parents actually say
5.0 from 7 Google reviewsRead them on Google
A
“Amazing club! Everyone is friendly and welcoming. My son loves the trainings and socialising with other kids there. Coaches are very helpful, positive and professional.”
Attention parents
What they're really working towards
Students who started in a school hall now compete for Ireland
County recognition for what began as one class a week
Teenagers who stay because the challenge is real
Black belts made from beginners who kept turning up
National medals, won by kids from right here in Sligo
Coach Nicola on the world podium for Ireland — the standard she now coaches to
A full hall in Sligo, training together every week
Juniors working their patterns, line by line
Kicking drills across the hall, everyone at their own level
Years of practice in one split second
Sparring gear on, squad ready to go
Teens and adults training side by side
Top of the podium at the ITA National Championships
National medals for our junior lads
Leinster Open — three of our own on the boxes
Adults compete too, and they medal
The Sligo squad at the National Championships
Families travel, cheer and celebrate together
A first national medal is a family day out
Black belt certificates, earned the long way
Graded to national standard, presented in Sligo
Standards demonstrated from the front, not just described
Our coaches keep learning from the top of the ITF
Students who started in a school hall now compete for Ireland
County recognition for what began as one class a week
Teenagers who stay because the challenge is real
Black belts made from beginners who kept turning up
National medals, won by kids from right here in Sligo
Coach Nicola on the world podium for Ireland — the standard she now coaches to
A full hall in Sligo, training together every week
Juniors working their patterns, line by line
Kicking drills across the hall, everyone at their own level
Years of practice in one split second
Sparring gear on, squad ready to go
Teens and adults training side by side
Top of the podium at the ITA National Championships
National medals for our junior lads
Leinster Open — three of our own on the boxes
Adults compete too, and they medal
The Sligo squad at the National Championships
Families travel, cheer and celebrate together
A first national medal is a family day out
Black belt certificates, earned the long way
Graded to national standard, presented in Sligo
Standards demonstrated from the front, not just described
Our coaches keep learning from the top of the ITF
Training across Sligo
Summerhill College, Sligo
Summerhill College
Knocknaganny, Sligo
F91 D5YF
Parking, entrance and accessibility details to be confirmed by the club.
Get directionsFree first class
Try a free class before you commit.
Try a free class before you commit. Class sizes are deliberately limited, so we confirm every trial by reply. Tell us a little about the student and we'll reply to arrange the right session at Summerhill College.
About Taekwon-Do
A martial art with a real tradition behind it.
Origins
Developed by General Choi Hong Hi and officially named Taekwon-Do on 11 April 1955. ITF patterns carry the names and history of Korea, and power generation is taught through Newtonian principles rather than force alone.
Etiquette
Bowing on entering the dojang, addressing senior grades correctly, the formal handshake, and giving and receiving with two hands. Respect is part of the syllabus, not an add-on.
Grades
Ten colour-belt Kup stages lead to nine black-belt Dan stages. Gradings run roughly every three to six months, with self-defence and moral development alongside technique.
- Courtesy
- Integrity
- Perseverance
- Self-control
- Indomitable spirit
Before you decide
A few things parents often ask.
