King Henry VIII student, Henry Wood, has made remarkable progress in his Tae Kwon-Do journey, achieving the highest marks in his recent red belt grading after returning to the sport following a six-year hiatus.

Henry, 16, first started training in Tae Kwon-Do at the tender age of six. However, like many youngsters with busy schedules, he found it difficult to commit to the sport and took a break when he was eight.

His passion for Tae Kwon-Do rekindled when he turned 14, prompting his return to training under the guidance of World Master Farr, a TAGB (Taekwondo Association of Great Britain) instructor.

Reflecting on his decision to return, Henry shared, "I had thoroughly enjoyed my time doing Tae Kwon-Do and felt I was ready to return to the sport. While many students train to build confidence, stay fit, or learn self-defence, I wanted to progress and aim for my black belt."

Training rigorously over the past two years, Henry worked his way up to the red belt. Achieving this level involved mastering a series of patterns—complex sequences of Tae Kwon-Do moves designed to demonstrate one's ability to defend against imaginary opponents.

In addition to this, Henry had to answer questions about the TAGB and accurately name the moves he had learned in Korean.

Henry's dedication paid off when he received the highest marks in his recent grading.

"I was very surprised," he said. "Like any other exam, you always think you could have done better, so I was delighted to get the award. My aim is to continue training and to achieve my Black Belt.

“I have one more exam in about six months' time to do first and I hope then to start training for my Black Belt next year."

The next immediate step for Henry is to earn a black stripe on his red belt, a goal that he hopes to achieve before Christmas. Following this, he will need to train for a minimum of six months before attempting his Black Belt exam.

This ultimate test is held at a central location in England, where Henry will join students from across the UK to be examined by TAGB’s Grand Masters. The Black Belt exam will be his toughest challenge yet, requiring him to showcase all the skills he has honed over the years.

The TAGB, the largest martial arts organisation in the world, boasts over 25,000 accredited members and 600 schools. It regularly organises seminars with World Masters, as well as national, regional, and international championships.

As Henry looks forward to the challenges ahead, the local community and his peers at King Henry VIII School will undoubtedly be cheering him on, inspired by his dedication and achievements in Tae Kwon-Do.