Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport renowned for its spectacular kicking techniques. Australia has a strong taekwondo community — Australian athletes have won Olympic medals, and community clubs operate in most major cities and many regional areas. Clubs (dojangs) need funding for equipment, mats, junior development, and competition. This guide covers the key funding sources for taekwondo in Australia.
Taekwondo Australia is the national governing body for taekwondo in Australia, affiliated with World Taekwondo (WT).
Key investment areas:
- Olympic pathway (taekwondo is Olympic — men's and women's)
- Paralympic taekwondo (para taekwondo for athletes with limb impairment)
- Junior development (poomsae and kyorugi)
- Club and coaching development
- Poomsae (forms) and kyorugi (sparring) development
Contact Taekwondo Australia and your state association for guidance on Sport Australia investment and national programme access.
State associations affiliated with Taekwondo Australia:
- Taekwondo NSW
- Taekwondo Queensland
- Taekwondo Victoria
- WA Taekwondo
- SA Taekwondo
Sport Australia funds taekwondo through Taekwondo Australia's Olympic programme investment. State sport agencies fund community taekwondo:
- NSW: Office of Sport — community sport development
- Victoria: Sport and Recreation Victoria
- Queensland: State sport agencies
Taekwondo clubs affiliated with registered venues can access gaming grants:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Community sport development
- State gaming trusts: Equipment and programme grants
Taekwondo requires specialised protective equipment for sparring:
- Hogu (trunk protector): Essential for Olympic-style sparring
- Helmet: Mandatory for sparring, including electronic scoring helmets
- Electronic Protectors: Required at competition level for automatic scoring
- Mitts, foot protectors, shin guards, groin guard, forearm guards
- Dobok (training uniform) for beginners
- Mats: Foam mats for training and competition
Electronic scoring equipment (e-hogu systems) is expensive and a significant upgrade for competition clubs.
Junior taekwondo is the sport's community strength:
- Tiny Tigers / Little Dragons: Entry programmes for very young children (4-6 years)
- Junior belt programmes: Structured development through belt grades
- Junior competitions: Age-appropriate kyorugi and poomsae
- Youth Olympic pathway: High performance development
Gaming trusts and sport agencies consistently prioritise junior sport — taekwondo's structured junior programmes are a strength.
Para taekwondo (for athletes with limb impairment or neurological conditions) joined the Paralympic programme at Tokyo 2020:
- Paralympics Australia: Para sport development
- State sport agencies: Disability sport inclusion
- Gaming trusts: Adaptive sport programmes
Taekwondo has strong women's participation at all levels — equal Olympic weight categories:
- Taekwondo Australia women's development: National programme
- Sport Australia: Women in sport participation
- State government: Women and girls sport grants
Strong taekwondo applications demonstrate:
- Participation numbers: Total members by age, gender, and belt level
- Olympic and Paralympic alignment: Clear pathway from community to elite
- Junior development: Age-appropriate programmes, graded progression
- Para taekwondo: Disability inclusion (growing significance post-Tokyo 2020)
- Women's participation: Strong female participation at all levels
- Equipment specifics: Electronic protectors, mats, protective gear for competition
- Safety culture: Appropriate sparring protocols, protective equipment standards
- Club governance: Accredited instructors, financial health
Tahua's grants management platform helps martial arts organisations manage grant applications, track equipment and programme funding, and demonstrate the participation outcomes that taekwondo funders value.