Master Martin Noddings

Chief Instructor — Warwick & Leamington TKD

7th Degree Master Black Belt | 45+ Years' Martial Arts Experience

For more than four decades, martial arts have been a significant part of Martin Noddings' life, as a student, competitor, coach and instructor.

Today, as Chief Instructor of Warwick & Leamington TKD, that experience is combined with something relatively unusual in martial arts instruction: professional experience of personal protection, security and real-world threat management.

Martin believes that a martial arts instructor should do more than teach techniques.

A good instructor should understand why techniques work, where their limitations lie, how people respond under pressure and how martial arts skills translate beyond the controlled environment of the dojang.

That philosophy underpins the way he teaches at WLTKD.

More than 45 years in martial arts

Martin is a 7th Degree Master Black Belt in ITF Taekwon-Do with more than 45 years' martial arts experience. His experience has never been limited to one system.

Over the years, Martin has trained in disciplines including Shotokan Karate, full-contact Karate, Ju-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga and modern combatives, alongside his extensive Taekwon-Do training.

That breadth of experience has helped shape his approach as an instructor.

Different martial arts solve different problems in different ways. Martin believes there is considerable value in understanding those differences rather than assuming that one system must contain every answer.

Taekwon-Do remains at the heart of what he teaches, but effective instruction also requires an open mind and a willingness to continue learning.

Competition experience at the highest level

Martin has extensive experience as a competitive martial artist.

He is a former England Taekwon-Do Team Captain, represented Great Britain internationally, became European Champion and is an eight-time British Champion.

His competition career has included regional, national and international championships, and his experience has subsequently been used in coaching and developing other competitors.

Even after retiring from regular competition, Martin returned to compete at the 2022 Inter-Services Championships, reaching the sparring semi-finals, where he narrowly lost to the then-current European Champion, and taking silver in black-belt patterns.

Competition remains an important part of WLTKD.

Martin believes it develops timing, distance, technical accuracy, composure and the ability to perform under pressure against a resisting opponent.

But he is equally clear about its limitations:

Competition is an excellent development tool — it isn't the same thing as real-world self-defence.

Military and professional Close Protection experience

Martin's understanding of personal protection doesn't come solely from martial arts training.

He served in the British military and subsequently developed an extensive career in professional security and Close Protection, working internationally in the protection of high-profile and high-net-worth clients.

That professional experience has significantly influenced the way self-defence is approached at WLTKD.

Effective personal protection isn't primarily about fighting. It begins with situational awareness, threat recognition, planning, positioning, avoidance, conflict management and de-escalation.

Physical intervention becomes relevant when those earlier options aren't available or have failed. Martin therefore teaches self-defence within a much wider personal-protection framework:

Recognise the threat. Avoid it where possible. De-escalate where appropriate. Protect yourself effectively when necessary. Disengage and get to safety.

That real-world perspective helps students understand not only how to perform a technique, but when physical intervention may or may not be the appropriate response.

A scientific approach to performance

Martin is also qualified in sport and exercise science.

This background contributes to his understanding of biomechanics, physical conditioning, athletic development, recovery and performance.

Throughout his professional career he has worked with athletes and performers from a range of sporting backgrounds, including international-level sportspeople and Formula 1 drivers.

That combination of martial arts knowledge and sports science helps ensure that training at WLTKD isn't based simply upon “this is how we've always done it.”

Students are encouraged to understand how their bodies produce movement and power, and how intelligent training can improve performance while supporting long-term physical development.

Teaching self-defence with a wider perspective

Martin's experience across martial arts, military training and professional Close Protection gives him a deliberately broad perspective on self-defence.

That includes striking and kicking, grappling and releases, ground defence, movement, distance and practical physical intervention.

But it also means recognising that the objective of self-defence isn't to win a fight. Whenever possible, the better outcome is to avoid the confrontation entirely.

If somebody does find themselves on the ground, for example, ground-defence skills are extremely important. WLTKD therefore trains effective defensive skills from that position.

But the personal-protection objective isn't to remain on the floor competing for a submission. It is to protect yourself, create space, regain your feet and escape as soon as circumstances allow.

This distinction between sporting success and personal safety runs throughout Martin's approach to practical self-defence.

Developing the next generation

As Chief Instructor, he is responsible for developing the club's black belts and assistant instructors and maintaining consistent technical and instructional standards across the club. He has also been involved in regional and national black-belt development and assessment.

WLTKD isn't intended to be a club dependent upon one instructor. A successful martial arts club should develop the people who will eventually become its future instructors, coaches and leaders.

The experienced instructor team at Warwick & Leamington TKD is therefore one of the things Martin is most proud of building.

What can students expect from Martin?

High standards. But also an understanding that people learn differently. Some students want to compete. Some want a black belt. Others want self-defence, fitness, confidence or simply an activity that challenges them.

Martin's role isn't to make every student identical. It's to help each student improve while maintaining the standards that give martial-arts achievement its value.

His philosophy is straightforward:

Train seriously. Question intelligently. Keep learning. Maintain standards. Help others improve.

And above all:

Never stop being a student yourself.

The WLTKD Instructor Team

WLTKD is not built around one instructor.

Our experienced team of black belts and assistant instructors brings together decades of martial arts, competition, teaching, coaching and professional experience. Each contributes different knowledge and strengths, while working together to maintain the standards and teaching philosophy of Warwick & Leamington TKD.