Chepstow Taekwon-do
Instructor Profiles
Tom Baxter
3rd Dan Black Belt
Head Instructor
Mr Tom Baxter has been training in Taekwon-do for over 25 Years and has been a black belt for 14 years. He continues his regular training under the Instruction of Senior Master Ray Gayle (VIII Degree Black Belt, chairman of P.U.M.A) and assists at Master Gayle’s classes as part of his senior teaching team.
As well as teaching Taekwon-do, Tom is also a qualified Personal Trainer and Level 2 Sports and Fitness Coach as well as holding various other qualifications related to coaching principles, nutrition, teaching, mental health first aid and inclusive teaching practices.
Tom is a British, English and International medallist, having represented P.U.M.A. at many different levels. He is also a qualified P.U.M.A. Umpire and regularly officiates at P.U.M.A. competitions as well as helping to run the new P.U.M.A. Indomitable Spirit Division for competitors with additional needs. Tom also works as part of the coaching team for P.U.M.A.’s All Stars, the additional needs national squad.
As is required by our National Organisation, Tom holds full P.U.M.A. Certified Instructor and Little P.U.M.A. Instructor qualifications, regularly attends P.U.M.A. Safeguarding courses, holds a regularly updated First Aid Qualification and Instructor's Insurance and an Enhanced DBS Check.
Nikki Miller
1st Dan Black Belt
Assistant Instructor
Nikki started training in 2014 and has gone on to be one of the senior grades at Chepstow Taekwon-do and an important member of the teaching team. She was the first Chepstow Taekwon-do student to be awarded a 1st Degree Black Belt and continues with her training under Mr Tom Baxter. Nikki is an active Taekwon-do competitor, among other things she represents her university competing as part of the British University Taekwon-do League’s National Student Squad.
Nikki holds full P.U.M.A. Certified Assistant Instructor and Little P.U.M.A. Assistant Instructor qualifications, passing in 2023 and 2017 respectively. She is the school’s assistant instructor, and leads the Thursday Little PUMA Classes. She regularly attends P.U.M.A. Safeguarding courses, holds a regularly updated First Aid Qualification and Instructor's Insurance and a DBS check as well as holding a qualification for inclusive teaching within martial arts.
Our School
So much more than just martial arts
Chepstow Taekwon-do has always been run on the idea that the students are the most important element of the School’s story. We're a welcoming, equal opportunities School that has helped countless students to reach their potential. Whatever your goal, you’ll be sure to find support, encouragement, friendship and an environment that helps you succeed.
From the moment you step through the door, you’ll be taught high quality Taekwon-do and given plenty of opportunities to try different aspects of the Martial Art, attend seminars and competitions, learn a dedicated weapons syllabus, train at Training camps, National Squad sessions, local fitness sessions and more.
Whilst Chepstow Taekwon-do exists primarily to teach Taekwon-do, we have also worked within the community in Chepstow, raising over £1000 for the Bristol Children Hospital by doing 50,000 Kicks in 9 hours, and donating a whopping 136.9kg of food to Chepstow food bank during the COVID lockdown.
We also held a 'Learn CPR' Event for Cardiomyopathy UK, where CPR was taught to all Students and their parents, and £200 was donated to the Charity.
In 2023 a committee from Chepstow Taekwon-do launched the ‘Chepstow Taekwon-do Future Champions Fund’ which supports students from less fortunate backgrounds to be able to compete and train in Taekwon-do.
2024 sees the School build on it’s successes achieved in it’s first decade and pushing to new heights whilst still maintaining the ‘Student first’ ethos that keeps our members training with us.