"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
Martial Arts Training in Harrow & Pinner, Middlesex
Phone: 07759 438779
The following black belts have trained and graded at the Academy, but for one reason or another (one became a Hollywood star, others moved away and some retired) they are no longer training with us. You can view all of their Dan grading videos, at the videos link on this site or via our YouTube page.
Mr Dev Patel, 1st Degree
Mr Patel started training at Rayners Lane Academy in 2000. Being very active within all the classes, he passed his black belt grading on 11th March 2006, grading at 15 years old but at an adult grading. On the way to black belt Mr Patel competed regularly in both national and international championships, including a World Championships and has won over 37 medals, many of which are gold and are testament to his high standards.
Mr Patel is held in high regard for his consistent training and technical abilities by both younger and older students. In 2006 his acting career took off when he gained a part in the hit teen TV show Skins. The following year he gained a starring role in the hit movie Slumdog Millionaire and in 2009 both his acting skills and Taekwon-Do skills helped him gain the role of Zuko in M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender, which was released in 2010. he has since gone on to make more films and star in a TV series in the US.
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Mr Patel often mentions his Taekwon-Do roots and his instructor in many of his interviews and remains as humble as ever.
Mr Patel is also featured in one of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 1, which he helped with whilst he was staring in the UK TV show 'Skins'.
Mr Fahad Ahmad, 1st Degree
Mr Ahmad started his training in Afganistan gaining his black belt there. When he came to the UK he joined the Academy and has trained there since 2001. Sadly, a long term back injury (non-TKD related) means he longer longer trains with us at present, but we look forward to him starting back up again in the future.
Mr Ahmad is also featured in one of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 1.
Mr Dave Harris, 1st Degree
Mr Tomaz Kubicki, 1st Degree
Mr Harris is presently not training due to work commitments,, but should return in the near future.
Mr Harris is also featured in one of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 2.
Mr Sushil Punj, 1st Degree
Mr Punj started Taekwon-Do at the Academy in 1999 at just 8 years old. After achieving his 2nd Kup he took a hiatus from training, returning to take his 1st Kup, before taking his 1st degree in April, 2009 at just 17 years old.
Mr Kubiki started his Taekwon-Do career in Poland in 1994. His first club was called "Green Sport Club"- where he trained with many Polish World Champions.
He was a very active student, taking part in many competitions (Poland and England) and TKD boot camps - Taekwon-do was always big part of his life.In 1998 he started University where joined a Kick Boxing club and having an ITF background help him succeed in the many University Kick Boxing events, as well.After University he came to UK, first for a honeymoon, but then decided to stay and he joined Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy as a black tag (1st Kup).
Mr Kubiki passed his first degree in 2006, grading along side movie star Dev Patel and others. After moving away from Harrow he attended Spirit TKD for a short while, before joining Total TKD under Master Nick Symonds, where he gained his 2nd & 3rd degree's.
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In 2016 he started his own Taekwon-do school in Watford, which ran until 2020 when he closed it down due to covid and moved to Poole, where he remains active as a scuba diving instructor. He hopes to set up a new Taekweon-do school in Poole soon.
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Mr Kubiki is also featured in one of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 1.
He has competed in both national and international tournaments including a World Championships in 2004. As a child student, Sushil unfortunately failed his 2nd kup grading and stopped training, as many young students do after such disappointments, however, unlike others he showed true indomitable spirit by resuming training a few years later being older and wiser, with a brand new and intense focus taking him passed the grading he previously failed and to 1st degree.
Mr Punj's focus made him not only an excellent student and black belt, but also a great instructor. Unfortunately, other areas of Sushils life have taken priority at present, so he is no longer in training, but we hope he will resume his training in the future.
Mr Punj also featured in a number of Mr Anslows books - The Encyclopedia Of Taekwon-Do Patterns: The Complete Patterns Resource For Ch’ang Hon, ITF & GTF Students Of Taekwon-Do Vols 1 & 2
Mr Marek Handzel, 1st Degree
Mr Richard Baker, 1st Degree
Mr Handzel began training at the Academy in 2005 after moving from another local club, where he had been dissatisfied with the level of training. He soon settled into life at the Academy, steadily making his way through the Kup gradings and attending various seminars and tournaments, achieving the rank of 1st degree in October 2011.
He has contributed to Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine in the past and features in some of Mr. Anslow's books on patterns.
Mr Handzel moved to the sunny climes of
Mr Baker trained at the Academy for a number of years, achieving his black belt in October, 2011.
His love of 'Traditional Sparring' and Hosinsul saw him move onto MMA and Krav Maga training.
Mr Baker is also featured in one of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 2.
Mr Imran Zaman, 1st Degree
Mr Zaman started his training on the 14th April 2003 at the age of 8, at another taekwon-Do school. With regular training he went on to achieve his kup belts over the next five years. On the 3rd April 2008, aged twelve he became the youngest person within his club (not the Academy) to achieve his black belt.
After many years of dedication and training, Mr Zaman decided it was time for a change of direction, so on March 2009 at the age of thirteen Mr Zaman enrolled at Rayners Lane Taekwon-do academy. Since then, he has gone on to compete in both national and
Mr Yll Kelani, 1st Degree
Mr Abhijay Sood, 1st Degree
Ms Lyndsey Reynolds, 3rd Degree
Ms Reynolds started training in Taekwon-do at Rayners Lane Academy in 2000, gaining her 1st Degree in March 2008 and in doing so, she became the first female student to attain a Dan grade at the Academy. With continued and committed training, Ms Reynolds graded to 2nd Dan in 2011 and then 3rd Dan in 2018.
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As a white belt, her first ever competition was a World Championships in 2000 and since then she has had a good competition career and is a fearsome
Mr Sood started training at the Academy in 2003 aged only 5 years old, along with his Father and graded for his 1st Degree black belt in 2013. Whilst he longer trainings due to work commitments, his Father is still training with us.
North Yorkshire in July 2012 with his family. Unfortunately, he has been unable to find a suitable Taekwon-do club in Harrogate. Nevertheless, he maintains a strong interest in Martial Arts in general, and currently studies Wing Chun, though can sometimes be found practising his patterns in his garage (when it's not too cold).
Mr Handzel is also featured in a number of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, as well a Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul 2.
international competitions, where he has won numerous medals and trophies.
In 2011 he competed in the PUMA Black Belt World Championships where he obtained a gold medal for patterns. Mr Zaman, is sadly not presently training.
Mr Kelani achieved his black belt in October, 2013
fighter. One of her most notable tournament successes was at the 2004 World Championships where she achieved a gold in sparring, a silver in patterns and a further gold as part of the Rayners Lane female team in the team sparring division.
At the Academy all students are equal and thus the girls mix it up with the boys which has transcended further for Lyndsey over the years, with a memorable moment being when she was a yellow belt and there were no other ladies entered in her sparring division. The event organiser gave her the choice of a straight gold or fighting in the mens division. She chose the latter and despite some tough opponents took the bronze! This happened again recently as a black belt. Ms Reynolds skills, guts and steadfast determination make her not only an excellent black belt, but a great instructor as well.
Amongst her numerous medals, that she has won at the many competitions she competes in, are 4 World gold medals, from only two World Championship events, where she won double golds at both; first in 2004 and then again in 2012, a true testiment to her quality.
Reynolds is also featured in a number of Mr Anslows books - Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul: Real Applications to the ITF Patterns, Vols 1 & 2, as well as The Encyclopedia Of Taekwon-Do Patterns: The Complete Patterns Resource For Ch’ang Hon, ITF & GTF Students Of Taekwon-Do Vols 1, 2 & 3 and Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hosinsul: Self Defence Techniques From Ch'ang Hon (ITF) Taekwon-Do.
Mr Suliman Majeed, 2nd Degree
Mr Majeed started training in January 2004 at another Taekwon-do school when he was 6 years old. He trained there for 3 years and gained his Black belt there on 23rd June, 2007. He carried on training at that club until March 2009 when he stopped and had a break.
Mr Majeed returned to martial arts in January 2010 and joined Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy to continue his journey. He is a credit to the Academy and a shining example of how a junior black belt should be. Upon joining the Academy, in a short while he had learnt all 9 Kup patterns (plus saju jirugi & saju makgi), as well as the three 1st Dan patterns to a high standard, as he had learnt different ones at his previous school
Mr Majeed graded for Junior 2nd Degree on 11th April, 2013 and is now no longer a junior black belt, but a full black belt.
The Odunaiya's brothers story starts way back in the early 2000's when their Father trained at the Academy. Whilst he didn't go all the way to black belt, he always valued his training and so enrolled his three children into the Academy
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Mr Ayomide Odunaiya graded for his 1st Degree black belt in February, 2015.
Mr Ayomikun Odunaiya graded for his 1st Degree black belt in October, 2018.
Mr Ayomidun Odunaiya graded for his 1st Degree black belt in October, 2022.
Mr's Ayomide, Ayomikun & Ayomidun Odunaiya,
1st Degree's
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Mr Elias Boston, 1st Degree
Mr Matthew Baxter,
2nd Degree
Mr Boston started training at the Academy at the age of 5. His family emigrated back to America for a couple of years, before retuning to the UK, which allowed Mr Boston to train up for, then grade for his 1st Dan in October, 2018.
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He presently trains and competes in Thai Boxing and MMA
Mr Maciek Krychowski,
1st Degree
Mr Krychowski started Taekwon-do at the age of 7 in his hometown of Wigston in Leicester (training under Krystyna Sargent, then 2nd degree) and completing gradings under Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha (who examined him up to 2nd kup). He passed his 1st kup while he was training at Aston University.
Following a short break, he resumed his training at Rayner's Lane in 2015, grading to 1st degree black belt in October 2018, as well as winning 'Student of the Year'.
He features in Mr Anslow's book 'Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-Do Hosinsul'.
Mr Baxter began his Taekwondo journey in his second year at Loughborough University, in 2011, joining the University Taekwon-do Club. Grading up to 1st Dan as part of the GTUK in 2014. He then took a break from Taekwon-do and continued training in Kickboxing and Western Boxing for a period of 2 years. By 2016 he had moved back to London and found Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy where he has trained ever since, achieving his 2nd Dan in October 2018. Since then he has also trained sporadically in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Hillingdon Jiu Jitsu Club.
Mr Baxter’s Taekwondo competition experience is extensive, having competed all through his time at Loughborough and whilst at Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy, achieving 16 medals in total. One of these being the Gold medal in sparring at the inaugural Black Belt Pure LTSI Championships in 2018.
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Although not a formal instructor at Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy, Mr Baxter does assist in teaching colour belts from time to time. He likes to focus on kicking technique when given the opportunity to teach, and particularly enjoys pad-work, and sparring.
Mr Krychowski has retired from training to raise a family.