About Us

Tiger Taekwon-Do opened in 1985 at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. Mr Mike Lowe is the owner and Instructor.

Our club currently comprises mostly tamariki from four to 13 years, together with a few mātua.

Ākonga train with us for reasons including having fun, learning self-defence, developing self-confidence and getting fit.

In addition, we educate our ākonga about values such as courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

Ākonga are regularly offered opportunities to grade and advance their belt rank.

For ākonga with a competitive streak, there are opportunities to compete at regional, national and international levels.

Our members also participate in various seminars and camps.

International Taekwon-Do

Tiger Taekwon-Do is a member of the International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand Inc (ITKD). ITKD is a network of over 50 schools nationwide.

Our Purpose

ITKD teaches International Taekwon-Do, the sport, martial art, way of life and tool for social development, according to the legacy of General Choi Hong Hi.

Our Vision

Inspiring lives through the art of Taekwon-Do.

TenetsOur mission is based on the following values:

  • the philosophy and moral culture of the founder, General Choi Hong Hi
  • preserving the art of the original Taekwon-Do, and its quality
  • operating on a non-profit basis, for the benefit of our members
  • peace, community, and family
  • the Tenets of Taekwon-Do:
    • courtesy
      respect for all people and all cultures;
      to live according to etiquette
    • integrity
      not to compromise our teaching quality or standards
    • perseverance
      to pursue our vision
    • self control
      our actions for ITFNZ will be for the good of the ITFNZ
    • indomitable spirit
      to stand against adversity in the pursuit of our vision.

Our Instructor

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

Ko Hainamana toku tupuna
My ancestry is Chinese

engari
but

Ko Tāmaki Makaurau te whenua tupu
I was born in Auckland

Ko Te Papaioea te kāinga
My home is in Palmerston North

Ko kaiako kairīwhi ahau i Te Kura Tuarua mo Ngā Tamatāne o Te Papaioea
I am a relieving teacher at Palmerston North Boys’ High School

Ko Lowe tōku whānau
Lowe is my family

Ko Michael tōku ingoa
My name is Michael

Tēnā tātou katoa
Greetings to one and all

My Origins

 

My Vision

Our Team

Gina Oliver

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

He Pākeha ahau nō Aotearoa
I am a New Zealand European

engari
but

Ko Heretaunga te whenua tupu
I was born in Hastings

Kei Te Maire me Taitoko toku kainga 
My home is in Shannon and Levin

Kei au e noho ana Te Papaioea
I am living in Palmerston North

He kaiwhakangungu whaiaro ahua, he tauira hoki
I am a personal trainer and model

Ko Oliver tōku whānau
My family is Oliver

Ko Gina tokū ingoa
My name is Gina

Tēnā tātou katoa
Thankyou all

Gina assists with instruction in our Mini Kids and Junior Plus classes.

Ian Yen

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

Ko Taiwanese toku tupuna
My ancestry is Taiwanese

engari
but

Ko Te Papaioea te whenua tupu
I was born in Palmerston North

Ko Te Papaioea te kāinga
Palmerston North is my
home

Ko kaiawhina hokohoko ahua i Te Papaioea

I am a retail assistant in Palmerston North

Ko Yen tōku whānau
My family is McIntyre

Ko Ian tokū ingoa
My name is Ian

Tēnā tātou katoa
Thankyou all

Ian assists with instruction in our Mini Kids and Junior Plus classes.

Millissa McIntyre

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

He Pākeha ahau nō Aotearoa
I am a New Zealand European

engari
but

Ko Aorangi te whenua tupu
Feilding is where I grew up

Ko Te Papaioea te kāinga
Palmerston North is my
home

Ko ahau te Kaiwhakahaere Kaiawhina i te Roopu Koura me te Pango

I am the Assistant Manager at Gold & Black Group.

Ko McIntyre tōku whānau
My family is McIntyre

Ko Millissa tokū ingoa
My name is Millissa

Tēnā tātou katoa
Thankyou all

Whaea Millissa assists with instruction in our Kubz, Mini Kids and Junior Plus classes.

Hamish Lunn

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

He Pākeha ahau nō Aotearoa
I am a New Zealand European 

engari
but

Ko Te Papaioea te kāinga
Palmerston North is my home

He ākonga ahau ki te Kura Tuarua mo Ngā Tama Tāne o Te
Papaioea
I am student at Palmerston North Boys’ High School 

Ko Lunn tokū whānau
My family is Lunn

Ko Hamish tōku ingoa
My name is Hamish

Tēnā tātou katoa
Thankyou all

Pā Hamish assists with the instruction of our Kubz, Mini Kids and Junior Plus classes.

Cindy Carroll

Tēnā koutou katoa
Greetings to you all

He tangata Maraeia Hainamana ahau nō Aotearoa
I am a Malaysian-Chinese New Zealander

engari
but

Ko Mareia te whenua tupu
Malaysia is where I grew up

Ko Te Papaioea te kāinga
Palmerston North is my home

He tohunga hauora ahua
I am a health professional

Ko Carroll tōku whānau
My family is Carroll

Ko Cindy tokū ingoa
My name is Cindy

Tēnā tātou katoa
Thankyou all

Whaea Cindy is our club’s Relationship Liaison. Her role is to promote effective communication and co-operation in our whānau.  She can be reached at lyresh@hotmail.com 

 

Testimonials

We chose Mike Lowe as our childrens’ martial arts instructor as he taught my husband Taekwon-Do when he was younger and he was and still is a very respected and upstanding man. In a world where you need to be able to trust the people you choose to interact with your children, for us there was no other option. A lifetime of teaching High School students makes him very relatable he has the patience of a saint whilst still running a structured and efficient class.

Mike is a 6th Dan international black belt, so we feel incredibly lucky to have someone so talented and skilled teaching our children.

We love that the club is multigenerational with a mix of children and adults of all ages that supports healthy relationships between adults and children alike.

Our children have developed a great sense of morals and a greater understanding of the type of people they want to become with the tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. They have pushed themselves to be better and do better and not give up when the going gets tough.

It would be hard to find an instructor more dedicated than Mike. He likes to set his students up for success by providing quality teaching, and has always been available before or after lessons if my children needed to ask any specific questions, or for one on one demonstration for anything they are struggling to grasp.

Overall, Mike is an inspiration to everyone he comes in contact with and we feel very privileged to be a part of his club.

Joanna and Jason

My daughter joined Kubz just after turning five and has been learning Taekwon-Do for over a year. She has enjoyed it immensely and looks forward to it each week.

Mr Lowe’s instruction is a well-rounded balance of Taekwon-Do techniques and principles, taught through games, drills and discussion. Mr Lowe and his assistant instructors demonstrate a high level of patience and skill in their management of the class.

The kids learn useful tools to support their navigation through tricky situations in school and in life. I was grateful to see my daughter become more confident in dealing with a school bully who sometimes became physical with her. Taekwon- Do helped her to assert herself and establish boundaries to gain better control over the situation.

The kids in her class are a range of ages, sizes, skill levels and personalities. They quickly learn that Taekwon-Do is for everyone and they learn from each other as well as the adults.

My daughter will graduate to the older kids’ class in a few months, and I have no doubt that she will take on the next challenge with confidence. Kubz has been a great introduction to the martial arts environment, and I look forward to seeing the continued benefits to my little girl. 

Rosemary

The journey with Tiger Taekwon-Do for my son has been remarkable. The instructors’ dedication to excellence in instruction ensures a top-notch learning experience, refining both his technique and understanding of the art. Beyond mastering kicks and punches, the positive impact of training radiates into every aspect of his life, instilling discipline, resilience, and self-confidence. The atmosphere at Tiger Taekwon-Do is incredibly supportive, fostering camaraderie among students and providing unwavering encouragement from instructors. We are grateful to be part of such an empowering community.

Steve & Monica

My son has been attending Tiger Taekwondo for five years or so now and has been enjoying the training and the learning very much indeed. Mr. Lowe is an outstanding teacher and communicator and always provides a healthy mix of disciplined and fun activities within the club. The students focus not only on the development of physical skills and aptitude but also on mental and ethical competence. There is also a strong and respectful emphasis on cultural awareness and team work such that rounded and increasingly confident individuals may emerge.

Mr. Lowe’s experience and determination to maintain the highest standards of tuition are also evident in the training methods undertaken by students. He is constantly seeking to finesse and broaden the approach adopted and pushes the students forward into new areas of learning – areas which, again, involve physical, moral, and cultural skills.

To speak particularly to this element of innovation and expansion, in the past year or so there has been a very positive integration of tikanga Māori and te reo into the training and the culture of the club. This provides an excellent and enlightened complement to the Korean dimension of Taekwon-Do, which is never forgotten.

I feel that with Mr. Lowe’s steady, affirmative, and energetic guidance my son is continuously expanding his horizons, in terms of the martial art itself, the ethical skills built into Taekwon-Do, and his social identity as a citizen of 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand.

Mark

Emily has been attending Taekwon-Do since the age of four and has really taken the training on board. It has helped her grow her confidence, fitness and strength.  The instructors are very knowledgeable and extremely patient with the young ones, forming a very inclusive environment. She has found the progression through the levels really rewarding and has learnt many good life lessons during the process. Taekwon-Do is something I highly recommend to anyone I talk to. 

Jennifer

We just want to write a letter of thanks to yourself and to all the teachers that have helped with Ruben in his Taekwon-Do journey. We have seen great progress with Ruben since he has been in this class. His listening skills have improved and Ruben has taken on board what he has learnt from class into his day to day activities i.e. safety with strangers, bullying and also fire safety.

Ruben loves Taekwon-Do. The basic skills and training have given him enormous confidence in himself, and he has gained new friends along the way.

We always look forward to Taekwon-Do lessons.

Andrew and Cherri

I highly recommend Tiger Taekwon-Do!

Our kaiako Mr Lowe is incredible and very patient, particularly with the little ones. The classes are fun and engaging.

My daughter joined in 2018, starting with the Kubz and currently is a green belt. She loves going to  classes and it is now part of her routine. We initially enrolled her to learn self-defence, but she has learned so much more including self-discipline, focus and the value of hard work. As parents we appreciate how she also demonstrates these attitudes at home and school.

Freddie and Loyd

Tiger Taekwon-Do has grown from one kid and a sideline parent to both kids and the parent taking part. This is a very inclusive club and has been a natural extension to our family values. It has helped to grow self-confidence and a better understanding of ourselves and how we act. It has accelerated personal growth and is a highlight of our week. It is a great addition to our family, and we would encourage anyone thinking about it to give it a try.

From the kids: “Its the max! It has been so fun and there are lots of things to learn.” 

Joel

Mr Lowe isn’t just teaching Taekwon-Do; he’s sculpting model citizens. Through his unwavering commitment to discipline and perseverance, he’s instilling invaluable qualities in our boys that extend far beyond the martial arts studio. It’s inspiring to witness how the teachers at Tiger Taekwon-Do not only impart physical skills but also nurture the resilience and determination needed to succeed in all aspects of life. It’s a safe and friendly place to learn self defence for people of all ages and ethnicities.

Gulab