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Quality staff, qualified to train
The strength of the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Brand is built on the quality of its staff who are fully qualified and checked to train our martial arts students. Our training and quality assurance systems mean that our students achieve to the highest standards and always the best of their ability.
The Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools make it compulsory for all instructors to hold the highest industry-recognised qualifications available. To enable and support the development of our instructors we have one of the most comprehensive and intensive Instructor training programmes in the country. In fact many of the top UK martial arts Masters and Instructors follow the Matt Fiddes Instructor training systems and recommendations.
Your Instructor will hold or be working towards the following qualifications:
- First Aid (up to date)
- Level 1 Martial Arts Instruction Certification
- Next level Martial Arts Instruction Certification
- Full Insurance policy
- CRB Police Back Ground Check
- Attend monthly training events
- Pass a fitness test
- References from past instructors and employers
- Lead by example and practice what you will be teaching
Our classes and instructors are regularly scrutinised through spot checks and mystery shoppers who gauge the quality of the teaching and what students feel about their classes.
We require our instructors to come to monthly training updates with Master Fiddes or another high ranking Instructor to make sure they know about and understand the latest techniques and training methods. This training keeps the Instructors to a high standard and they are always working towards consistent improvement on their own martial arts and teaching skills.
All our Instructors are martial arts Professionals and they teach martial arts as their full or part-time occupation. This is their career choice which is dedicated to raising the standards of martial arts tuition throughout the world.
Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Instructors have been recognised as being the best in the industry by top Martial Arts Publications Martial Arts Illustrated and Combat magazines. We also work with celebrities and senior martial arts Masters and the Martial Arts Teachers Association.
All our instructors need to be registered with the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts central administration and if at any time students have doubts about their instructor they can request a reference check by calling: 01271379666.
Qualifications and standards Q&A
Is there a particular governing body that a martial arts Instructor has to belong to?
No, the martial arts industry in the UK is not regulated. This means there is no official government recognised governing body that martial Arts Instructors. There are also no official qualifications or rules and regulations that a martial arts Instructor has to follow.
Although there are many organisations who claim they are affiliated to a governing body of some description. The truth of the matter is that all of these governing bodies have been independently set up and hold no real international recognition as such.
These organisations may belong to a group that is recognised by the Sports Council or another official sounding name. But this does not guarantee instructor quality, nor do we believe it holds any benefits for its members to belong to such an organisation. In fact there are more martial arts schools outside of the Sports Council than there are in it.
This presents a problem as there is no real standard set for a martial arts Instructor to follow in the UK, everyone is self-regulated. You could take your child to another martial arts organisation and you have no guarantees that the Instructor is even at a standard or has the ability to teach martial arts.
Are the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools grades recognised?
Absolutely! Every grade you take within the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools is recognised by over 2000 Schools around the globe. The Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools have also been recognised by the top Martial Arts Magazines Combat and Martial Arts Illustrated many times. Master Fiddes has appeared on the front covers of martial arts magazines and is considered a leader in the industry. He also sits on the board of advisers amongst the top instructors in the world for the Martial Arts Teachers Association (MATA).
Master Fiddes has been taught by the very best Instructors in the world including, Master Frank Murphy 7th Dan, Grand Master Chung 9th Dan, Master Neave 5th Dan, Master Le Van 6th Dan, Grand Master Davies 9th Dan, Master Shabir Achkter 5th Dan, World Champion Master Kim Stones 8th Dan, and many more. Many of Master Fiddes personal Instructors have even been students of or were tested by the founder of Tae Kwon Do himself Major General Choi Hong Hi 1th Dan. Master Fiddes currently studies under Master John Graden and Master Dave Kovar.
If I move away from my area will my grades be recognised by another Martial Arts School?
Yes, the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools have Instructors Nationwide. If you moved house and you are not able to attend your current club you can carry on with your training as normal with the Matt Fiddes Instructor in your area. Your grades will be recognised.
However, if there is not a Matt Fiddes Martial Arts School in your area, or if you wish to try a different martial arts school then grade recognition will depend on what style, Instructor or organisation you wish to join. If you decide to do a different style like Karate or Kung Fu of course you will have to start from white belt again.
The style you practice at the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools is Freestyle Tae Kwon Do. Our style of Tae Kwon Do is based on the WTF style of Tae Kwon Do. Whether another Martial Arts Instructor will recognise your grade will depend on which style of Tae Kwon Do or Martial Arts you wish to join. It will also depend on the new instructor's beliefs and rules of a particular style.
Is there more than one Style of Tae Kwon Do?
Yes, just because you find a Tae Kwon Do club don't think that it is the same style of Tae Kwon Do that you have learnt at the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools! Many styles of Tae Kwon Do are based on the ITF form. This means that the Tae Kwon Do patterns are completely different than the WTF form.
Even basic Kicks, Punches and Blocks may differ from the WTF style of Tae Kwon Do we practice. Examples of ITF Tae Kwon Do associations are the Tae Kwon Do Association of Great Britain (TAGB) or the United Kingdom Tae Kwon Do Federation (UKTF). There are also other styles of Tae Kwon Do different again to the WTF and ITF styles of the art.
Whether an ITF Tae Kwon Do accepts your grade is totally down to the individual who runs that particular organisation or association. Some ITF Tae Kwon Do Clubs will recognise your grade. However, you may have to wait while you learn the different patterns or forms of this new particular Tae Kwon Do Style.
However, others may wish you to start again from white belt! There may be some legitimate reasons for going back to white belt as at the end of a day it is a completely different style of the martial art (Even though it is under the Tae Kwon Do name it's like comparing Football to Rugby).
There are associations out there who may push you back to white Belt for financial reasons so that you have to pay the exam fees and tuition money all over again so be aware of that.
If a member of the ITF style Tae Kwon Do comes across to the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools we would recognise the grade (only if they were tested under a genuine instructor) but hold their progress until they have learnt the relevant patterns and forms of our style of Tae Kwon Do. We do not feel it is right to make a student start from white Belt again unless they have been out of training for some time, or have trained in a totally different style of Martial Arts like Karate, Judo, Ju Jitsu, or Kung Fu.
There are many Schools in the UK who recognise our style of Tae Kwon Do. If there is not a Matt Fiddes Martial Arts School Instructor within your area please call us and we would be happy to recommend a suitable Instructor.
Is the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools the largest Professional Martial Arts organisation in the UK?
Yes, we are glad to say that we have become very successful teaching our award winning programmes using the very best Instructors. On average there are two new Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools opening each week. Our ability to provide a superior student service has made us the leading brand for martial Arts instruction in the country and one of the leaders in the world.
Has Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools attracted a lot of jealousy from other martial arts instructors or organisations?
We would like to tell you that all martial arts Instructors will practice what they teach and that should be courtesy, self-control and respect. Most martial arts schools admire what the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools have achieved around the country.
But, with success comes envy and as the saying goes, "The lead dog gets all the thorns."
As you can imagine our rapid expansion, ambitious plans and member success has attracted the attention of many martial arts practitioners and Instructors. Unfortunately, some of these individuals will do anything within their power to try and stop this success by spreading rumours and untruths.
A true martial artist or Instructor would never make defamatory comments about another Martial Arts Style of organisation.
If you have any questions about Matt Fiddes Martial Arts methods, techniques or our instructors please contact us via email at: office@mattfiddes.co.uk
When you join the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts Schools you can be certain that you are receiving the very best tuition from the very best Instructors in the world.
Please take a look at our testimonial page to hear from reports from our members.
