Club Values

Whakatane Haidong Gumdo is built on three core values, Whanau, Challenge and Fun. In 2018, then Head Instructor, Danyel Degenhardt took the club through a values exercise in order to understand the roots of the club, as well as prepare for the future. These three core values have been the clubs foundation over the past five years.

Read on to understand more about our core values .

1. Whanau

Words of community, comradery, family, team and whanau are a must for us to sustain. Our club already has many families coming in and learning the martial together as parent and child or with their partners. The individuals coming into the club have quickly been invited to join the whanau of Whakatane Haidong Gumdo.

Whether it’s a Tuesday night training, heading to the beach for a workout, or just sitting around a campfire on the weekend, our club is dedicated to creating a safe and connected environment to grow as an individual within our whanau.

2. Challenge

Words of achievement, success, discipline, and challenge are values that are easily understood to be associated with a Korean martial art. I’m sure there are not many of us who wake up and think, “I can get a Black Belt in a Korean martial art.”

However, the Whakatane Haidong Gumdo Club understands that if you accept the challenge, anything is possible.  “Nothing is impossible” was club member Finn Fairlie’s biggest learning experience from archiving The Ordeal.

You may join Haidong Gumdo for the physical challenge that the trainings can offer in order to lose weight, build muscle and become the healthiest version of yourself. Or perhaps you may want to challenge your own beliefs in what you are capable of. Either way, prepare to be pushed in a safe but challenging way.

3. Fun

Here at Whakatane Haidong Gumdo, we recognise the importance of having fun.

As former Head Instructor Danyel Degenhardt once put it, “What’s the point of doing it if it isn’t fun?”

Weather it’s having a banter after a practice or just having a catch up outside of training, there have been many smiles and  laughs in our club over the years, and we plan to have many more. Like many kiwis we love our potlucks, outings, and a great pun.

Moving Forward

Our Whakatane Haidong Gumdo Club values of whanau, challenge and fun are brought into each of our trainings. When you join our club, you will be encouraged to bring these values into your trainings as well.