ITF Original Magazine offers ITF clubs and groups to send in their news, articles, photos and much more and have it published by them. This magazine has already been slammed by top Masters of the art for its approach on uniting all ITF practitioners - some have even tried to shut it down due to the editors no nonsense approach and the fact he speaks the truth and leaves fiction at the door. Read this great magazine now!!!
O N E D R E A M , O N E V IS IO N, O NE I.T.F. Excel P u b l i c a t i o n s What’s inside? Introduction to ‘Original I.T.F.’, the magazine I.T.F. news and events round up I.T.F.- V 43rd International Instructors course I.T.F.- K Grand Master honoured I.T.F.- C South East Opens Report 09 Politics or just group rules? (An Instructors opinion) I.T.F.- C L.T.S.I. Europeans report and photos Age has NO boundaries I.T.F. Club directory Issue No. 1 June 2009
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ExcelP u b l i c a t i o n s
What’s inside?� Introduction to ‘Original I.T.F.’, the magazine� I.T.F. news and events round up� I.T.F.- V 43rd International Instructors course� I.T.F.- K Grand Master honoured� I.T.F.- C South East Opens Report 09� Politics or just group rules? (An Instructors opinion)� I.T.F.- C L.T.S.I. Europeans report and photos� Age has NO boundaries� I.T.F. Club directory
Issue No. 1 June 2009
Since June 2002 when our founder passed
away, the I.T.F. has splintered into three.
Instead of the I.T.F.’s uniting as one, we
have seen the divides widen, some say due
to politics and egos. Well, there comes a
time when we, the soldiers, must take action
to repair and build the bridges. It is
impossible for us to get all groups as one,
but not impossible for us to build on
friendship. Hopefully, one day soon, our
seniors who can fix this situation will take
note that we, the membership, do not want
to be separated but united as one.
My name is Chris Snow, a 5th Degree
certified International Instructor / Examiner
and head of the U.K. group the L.T.S.I., an
I.T.F. affiliated group. The Lions Tae Kwon
Do Schools Independent was founded by
me in November 2004.
I have studied this art for nearly 24 years -
during this time, I have heard many
Independents not associated to the I.T.F.
make claims that I.T.F. is corrupt, I.T.F. is a
money making machine etc. The one point
that all miss is I.T.F. is the best product out
there, as it evolves all the time.
The time has come for all those of us paying
members of the I.T.F. to build a platform where
affiliation will not matter, as ‘Original I.T.F.’ is a
FREE on-line magazine for all those that are
affiliated members of any of the I.T.F.’s across
the globe, those that want to keep our style of
Tae Kwon Do pure as our founder wanted.
This magazine has been shelved until the time
came and that time is now. Yes I know, there are
countless FREE magazines out there already but
we are NOT about trying to undermine their
readership - our aims are simply to unite the
I.T.F. family and publish information on
Associations, Groups and clubs registered under
any of the I.T.F. groups or banners (hence the
name ‘Original I.T.F.’). Some will see this as a
way of attacking the independents, but I can
assure you this is not our aim. This magazine is
for the millions who are part of the I.T.F. that
want to share, unite and publicise I.T.F. Tae
Kwon Do only events, news and achievements
from around the globe.
I am not super human, so it will be vital that all
submissions from you, the editors, reach our
website www .original-itf. com in digital format at
least two weeks before each publication.
Photos and reports should be zipped and
sent to us by e-mail - the report should be in
a word file or simple e-mail format (please
ensure that you spell check these prior to
sending). We will try and check all
submissions but, as a FREE service, time
will be our number one enemy. So, whoever
you are, if you want to help us put I.T.F. on
the map, get submitting.
What we need:
� Reports on official I.T.F. events
� News from each of the I.T.F.’s
(please give name and grade of
reporter)
� Full reports on association news
and your National events and
photos.
� Club news, Black Belt Promotions
and anything newsworthy to do with
the I.T.F. family.
� Club directory - advertise your club
for just £15 per issue.
Promotions at St. AlbansTwo students from St. Albans L.T.S.I. recently took
their promotions under the examining panel. 11 year
old Poppy Downes was promoted to 1st Degree,
whilst club mate Mark Doran was promoted to 2nd
Degree. The two students were put through an
intense examination for three hours which included a
45 minute written test, all patterns, all set sparring
and self defence, finishing off with six rounds of
contact sparring and five destruction breaks each.
I.T.F.- C to host InternationalInstructors Course On 14th June
2009, senior members of 4th Dan and above
will sit a three day course under the guidance
of Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa, IX. The
course is to be held in the U.K. near to
Heathrow airport. Full details on this course
can be found on the I.T.F/-C website
www.itf-administration.com
Master Class with GrandMaster Choi Jung Hwa IX
On 5th September 2009, Grand Master Choi
will visit the U.K. to conduct a colour belt and
Black Belt seminar. Hosted by the I.T.U.K.,
this will be in conjunction with England I.T.F.
(I.N.O. 2). The seminars are open to all
practitioners, regardless of affiliation.
Information can be found at Master Harry’s
website www.masterharrystaekwondo.com or
by visiting www.itf-administration.com.
I.T.F.-C Head Office set to returnto South Korea As many are aware, the
Head Office of the I.T.F. has been located in
Canada, with the administration being located
in the U.K. We have noticed that I.T.F.-C have
announced on their website that the I.T.F.-C
Head Office will soon be relocated to Korea in
preparation for the coming 2010 world
championships. Amidst many rumours
circulating over the last six months, we have
now learnt that the relocation to Korea is
happening later on this year.
A Great SiteBeing a web designer and having an interest
of building bridges within the I.T.F.
Communities, it is only right that we inform all
readers of an amazing website called TKD
Source. Though many have made claims it
favours I.T.F.-C, it has had thousands visiting
it and generally talking about Tae Kwon Do,
which is a good thing. If you get the time, nip
on over to T.K.D. Source at:
http://www.tkdsource.com
I.U.T.F. Ireland announces
that it will host the European
Championships in Cork from 25th June to
1st July 2011. Master Dalton, Head of the
Association who is said to have spread
Tae Kwon Do across the country, told a
reliable source of this magazine at the
Europeans in May in Croatia this year
that they expect between 500 and 600
competitors. I.T.F. Original plans to get
further information on this in the next
issue.
A place to announce all types of news concerning I.T.F.
XII U.K.T.A. London OpensPreparations are underway for theLondon Opens at the Guildford SpectrumSports Complex, Parkway, Guildford,Surrey, GU1 1UP on 19th July 2009.
The tournament is run and organised byMr. and Mrs. Norris who are activemembers of the U.K.T.A. You can gainaccess to this event by visitinghttp://www.londonopen.co.uk
L.T.S.I. IV South East Invitation-als in St. Albans
The Lions TaeKwon Do SchoolsIndependent willhost their 4th SouthEast Invitationalson 27th September2009. On behalf ofthe L.T.S.I. I wouldpersonally like toextend an open
invitation to all U.K. residents (I.T.F. andnon I.T.F.). All events hosted by theL.T.S.I. are fully matted and insured withthe B.T.C. and a private insurancecompany. Further details can be found atwww.ltsi-tournaments.co.uk
Imperial British ChampionshipsThis will be held at Rivermead LeisureCentre, Richfield Avenue, Reading, RG18EQ on 10th and 11th October 2009. Allevents hosted by the I.T.A. are fullymatted and insured with the B.T.C.Please visit www.tkd.co.uk for more
As our aim is to be fair to all sides, information
that appears here will be from our contributors
only so we cannot vouch that the information
is 100% correct, but we will visit all I.T.F. sites
to check where possible. Please send all club
news and events listings to us A.S.A.P.
ExcelP u b l i c a t i o n s
Message from Grandmas-ter Leong Wai MengWith respect and humbleness, I am thankful to His RoyalHighness, the King in Malaysia, the Sultan of Pahang, SultanHaji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan AbuBakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah, for knighting me andconferring on me the prestigious royal title of Dato, on 6th May2009 at the Royal Palace in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia. Thisconferment is conjunction with the celebration of His RoyalHighness’ 78th birthday on 25th October 2008.
The Malaysian royal title of “Dato” is equivalent to the Englishroyal title of “Sir”.
First of all, I would like to dedicate this Dato-ship award to mybeloved Parents, the late Mr. Leong Choo Wah and the lateMrs. Mok Seng Yin, who had provided me with divine parentallove, life, care and upbringing, even after their passing, and tomy beloved present family members and children, who havealways supported me and encouraged me, even when I have totravel round the world many times over, in the propagation ofTaekwon-do, and for continuing to love me, from near and fromafar, in good times and in difficult times.
I would like to dedicate this award to my family’s PreceptorBhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who has all the while, beforemy birth, in this present life and will be in my future lives,provided me with His Divine guidance and protection. Every celland every atom in my body vibrates His Divine name.
I dedicate this award to my beloved Teacher, the legendaryFounder of Taekwon-do, General Choi Hong Hi, who hasprovided me with the lessons and opportunities in life, thus hasmade me what I am today and recognised throughout the world.
I dedicate this award to the homeland of Taekwon-do, DPRKorea, its dynamic leaders and its beautiful people, who haveproduced such a wonderful son, General Choi Hong Hi, and art,Taekwon-do, which has made my life whole and meaningful.The Korean culture and ethics, through Taekwon-do, havetouched the soul of millions all over the world.
I dedicate this award to our beloved ITF President Prof. Dr.Chang Ung, IOC member, who is always there with encourage-ments and fatherly advice, who has provided me with preciousguidance and timely warnings, thus enriching my work in theITF and in my life.
I dedicate this award to all ITF Grandmasters, especiallyGrandmaster Rhee Ki Ha who has always been my hero andan inspiration, and to all Masters, Instructors and students, forwe are always there for one another.
I hope this Dato-ship conferment will be an asset contributingtowards the betterment of ITF in the near future, that this awardwill be an example and encouragement to our young, energeticand ambitious ITF members to understand, that through excel-lence in Taekwon-do one could reach real heights in life, ourachievements recognised and rewarded.
Thank you, all my seniors and friends, that through your supportand cooperation that I am able to excel in life through the nobleart of Taekwon-do. The conferment of this Dato-ship is truly notfor me, but for General Choi Hong Hi, for DPR Korea and itspeople, for ITF and its leadership and for all us brothers andsisters in Taekwon-do, for we are One.
Date: 11th May 2009Yours in Taekwon-do,Dato Dr. Grandmaster Leong Wai MengVice President of ITFSecretary General of IMGCChairman of Umpire Committee, ITFChairman of Consultative Committee, ITFPresident of Oceania Taekwon-do Federation
43rd International Instructors Course
Held by I.T.F. Vienna 1-3 May 09
On May 1-3 2009, the 43rd International instructor Course was held in Buenos Aires,Argentina. Five hundred and forty five participants from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uru-guay, Paraguay, Colombia and New Zealand were present. Twenty seven Mastersstood in the first line along with two hundred 4th degrees and above.
Never in the past have so many participants attended an IIC, and again the courseproved that it is the best tool to give technical instruction and social interaction for ourmembers.
The IIC Committee could not believe their eyes when entering the stadium - it was anemotional moment for the Grand Masters Marano, Trajtenberg and Master Wim Bos.
Master Willy van de Mortel from the Netherlands was specially invited to give somesparring and self defence sessions, for which we received very positive feedback fromthe participants. There was a wonderful atmosphere during the three days of the IIC,which was divided into two groups: 1st kup to 3rd degree and 4th degree and above.
Promotions for degree have been held on Saturday May 2nd, 2009 and the followingcandidates have been promoted:
Masters Alberto Katz and Condomi to 8th degree.
Edgardo Villanueva, Roberto Fernandez, Marcelo Eisen. Eduardo Diaz promoted to7th degree with the title of Master.
Froylan Quiroga from Columbia to 5th degree
On behalf of the IIC Committee members we like to thank the organizers and staffmembers who made this IIC possible and to all the Masters, Instructors and Studentswho shared three wonderful days with us.
SincerelyGrand Master Hector MaranoChairman of I.T.F. Technical & Instruction Committee
On 6th May 2009 at the Royal Palace in Pekan,Pahang, Malaysia, Dato Dr.Grandmaster LeongWai Meng, Vice-president of ITF Under theguidance of IOC Member Professor Chang Ungwas awarded the title of Dato by the King inMalaysia, Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Haji AhmadShah Al-Musta’in Billah Ibni Al-Marhum SultanAbu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’adzam Shah.The Malaysian royal title of “Dato” is equivalentto the English royal title of “Sir”
On this occasion ITF HQs would like to extent awarm congratulation to him on his being award-ed Datoship, highly prestigious title in Malaysiato be awarded to the prominent figures whohave made a tremendous contribution to thesociety and human being.
Our regular friends, both from I.T.F. and Independent sides, werethere to do business and, boy, did it get noted. Rayners Lane camemob handed, as did Northants G.T.U.K., Learn T.K.D., Hay HarrisT.K.D., U.C.T.K.D. and Hemel Hempstead L.T.S.I., to mention just afew. A new group to attend was the I.T.U.K. who bought 40+ stu-dents to test their skills.
The four 6 meter matted rings and the centrestage 7 meter ring made all the difference, asthose that do not normally use mats commentedhow different it was to compete on them. TheL.T.S.I. has no intention to use 9 meter rings, sosome I.T.F.’ers complained about the size. Theresponse from us was the event is not an I.T.F.event, only I.T.F. styled and we certainly don’thave any intention of making them fully I.T.F.,now or in the future. Veterans came out of thewoodwork to see if they still had what it takes towin the medals. This was good to watch, as the35+ men and lady Black Belts fought for gold.The children’s tournament ran smoothly andmany quality fights were seen. Juniors no biggerthan your waist height demonstrated the truequality which was good to see, as some just allowfor their schools to be crèches - this obviously isno longer the case, as many of the young ones were demonstratinggood standards.
Onto the senior sections and what a sight! Looking across the arena,100’s of Black Belts (or so it seemed – 120 really) were on the floor.Yikes, Tae Kwon Do’s army had arrived! Juniors fighting for theirspoils, making sparks as they kicked into the next rounds, refereesrunning around like chickens with their heads cut off, sweating pro-fusely. The great thing was there was only one incident all day. Thesportsmanship was there, the respect was there but, most of all, thebrotherhood of all was there.
Up first was the team event. Team Aldershot gave a good performance- many thought they had won, but the judges thought otherwise. Theteams (10 in total) made a play to win. The current champions, theL.T.S.I. originals, fell at the first post - oh well, back to the drawingboard for us then! New entries to this event were Hemel HempsteadL.T.S.I. and Northants G.T.U.K. - both gave valiant shows, but onlyHemel would win a bronze. Team I.T.U.K. were eventually the overallwinners. All in all, this was the best team challenge to date in the histo-ry of the team battle.
Onto tuls, the L.T.S.I. tookgold and silver in patterns13’s to 17’s Black Belts.Both students were frommy main St. Albans club,which was a lift as we werehaving a bad day. Damn, Ithink we have been havingbad days the last fewevents…… L Not really, I
just think the event has some great practitioners attending it now,hence less medal returns.In the 13 to 17’s heavyweight Junior Black Belt section, some qualityfights unrolled with L.T.S.I. securing gold and bronze in this division.Surprisingly, the L.T.S.I.’s no. one seed was knocked out in the firstround. As they say, a bad day at the office can mess anyone’s game up.Making up for it though, he moved on to take the gold in the patterns
The girls’ Black belt section started and my daughter made a play towin gold - a more experienced fighter beat her to the post taking thegold, but a silver first time out as a Black Belt is not bad at all.Next up was the female veterans section, which was open weight. Firstup was Lisa Blewitt (L.T.S.I. Instructor) took the gold, showing truespirit. Not bad, as she only decided to take part on the Friday before!My old adversary Stuart Anslow was lined up amongst some HUGEveteran males. Yikes, he looked like a mouse in amongst the othersthere as he was the smallest and was giving away 20+ kilos to most.
He took the gold and proved speed and techniquewill always lead you to victory.
Contact levels were good in the Black Belt roundsas expected, but some of the colour belt roundswere too excessive in my opinion. This has to beplaced on the referees shoulders but, to be honest,it’s not that easy when the tournament is open, asinterpretations of safe sparring differ widely be-tween I.T.F. and independents. We do know thatat the ‘Invitationals’ in September, we will be sort-ing the referees problem out that were found thistime.
My old adversary Stuart Anslow was lined upamongst some HUGE veteran males. Yikes, helooked like a mouse in amongst the others there ashe was the smallest and was giving away 20+ kilosto most. He took the gold and proved speed and
technique will always lead you to victory.
Contact levels were good in the Black Belt rounds as expected, butsome of the colour belt rounds were too excessive in my opinion. Thishas to be placed on the referees shoulders but, to be honest, it’s notthat easy when the tournament is open, as interpretations of safe spar-ring differ widely between I.T.F. and independents. We do know thatat the ‘Invitationals’ in September, we will be sorting the refereesproblem out that were found this time.Aldershot Tae Kwon Do wonthe best school title again, which surprised all as I.T.U.K. Longeatonhad held the spot all through the day. Mr. Adams, we take our hats offto your school, unbeaten in two years. Let’s see if you can do a triplewin like the ex champions, Rayners Lane.We look forward to seeing you all at next event – it will be as good asthis one, so be sure to sign up and get involved. We thank all coachesand helpers for assisting us on the day.
On a final note, there are many events in the U.K. but very few offeran event like ours - one where all rings have independent umpires, soNO biasness at all and a place where the I.T.F. and independents cancompete and test their skills on the understanding that neither havethe upper hand. If you think your club has a good standard, come andtry our event and see if you are as good as you think. It’s not abouthow good you are, it’s about working with other like minded TaeKwon Do’ists and strengthening our art (or at least it is for us).Written by Mr. Chris Snow, 5th Degree
From Monday 25th to Saturday 30th May, the I.T.F.- C European Tae KwonDo championships were held in Croatia. Hosted by I.T.F. Croatia, more than300 contenders attended this four day event from across Europe. Topfighters from each country lined up to win the title of European Champion.
I.T.F. England (INO 2) were in attendance with an impressive 40+competitors. I.T.F. England, made up from various groups from around theU.K., arrived heavy handed with both Juniors and Seniors ready to do battlewith some of Europe’s top fighters. Also, there were a number of qualifiedI.T.F. umpires and referees who assisted at the event to ensure theproceedings ran smoothly and efficiently.
The arena hosted four full sized matted rings and a seating area suitable for1000 spectators. All competitors stayed off the arena until the time to dontheir equipment, do battle and show some great abilities.
Seven Masters were in attendance at the Europeans. Threeattended from the U.K. - Secretary General of I.T.F.-C MasterNicholls, 8th Dan, Master Hogan, 7th Dan, and Master Harry, 7thDan.
The Masters all stated that the practitioners, supporters and officialsthat attended did the U.K. a real justice, as it showed just how intune I.T.F. England is these days.
The following report and photos come direct from members of theL.T.S.I. and I.T.U.K. who were also part of the 40+ squad.
Stephen Townshend2nd Degree
Adam Aliousalah2nd Degree
Elliott Moulster2nd Degree
Alicia Chapman1st Degree
XX ITF SENIOR, XI JUNIOR, III VETERANEUROPEAN TAE KWON DO CHAMPIONSHIPS 200
On May 25th 2009, four L.T.S.I.members headed out to compete inCroatia at the I.T.F. Europeans.Travelling with the four was parentPaul Townshend, who wouldoversee the four whilst away.
The troop met up with someI.T.U.K. members and MasterHarry, the head of their group, atStansted airport to fly out to Triestewhere they would all travel down toUmag by mini bus.
The four were part sponsored by theL.T.S.I. to the tune of £1200 plus£200 from www.excel-webs.co.uk(Mr. Snows company) and £200from B.J. Builders.
The troop went on the tripunderstanding that this was more forexperience, but to their Instructorsjoy, all returned home to Englandwith an impressive 5 bronze medals.Here’s their own report of the weeklong trip.
On Monday 25th May 4 members of the St Albans LTSI met up atLondon Stansted Airport – ready to make their way to the Euro-pean Tae Kwon Do Championships in Croatia. The team consist-ed of Adam Aliousalah (15) 2nd Degree, Stephen Townshend (16)2nd Degree, Elliot Moulster (16) 2nd Degree, Alicia Chapman (29)1st Degree and were accompanied by Mr Paul Townshend.
Once at Stansted they had to wait for Master Harry and his groupof competitors to arrive, only to find that 5 people from his groupwere unable to attend leaving only 2 competitors: Ben Dale (14)accompanied by his father, and Arron Matharu (12) accompaniedby his father Mr Hardeep Matharu. The day started well, as every-one was at the airport on time and had booked in, but it wasn’tgoing to be plain sailing….
In the queue to board the flight to Trieste we saw a couple of fa-miliar faces from Master McCarthy’s club who were also going outto compete – representing Ireland.Once on the plane we were unable to sit together but we didn’tmind, as it was out of our control. Further more we were delayedby an hour due to an inconsistency in the number of bags in thehold, and couldn’t leave until that had been rectified. This meantthat we were now an hour behind schedule even before we leftBritish soil! Once airborne the flight was ok although a little turbu-lent at times, and lasted 2hrs.
On arrival at Trieste it was a swift transition through passportcontrol and we left to pick up our minibus, where Mr Townshendagreed to jump in to the driving seat, driving up safely throughItaly, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia to the Sol Garden Hotel forour official weigh-ins. Due to our late departure from Stansted, itwas touch and go as to whether or not we would actually meet the6pm deadline for our weigh in…After a series of wrong turns, due to poor directions and poorroad signs we finally made it to what we thought was the right ho-tel with about 5 minutes to spare, only to be told that we were atthe wrong one, and that it was the next one along. We all jumpedback in the minibus and darted over to the right hotel. We arrivedat 2 minutes past 6, but luckily the weigh-ins were still in progressand we were allowed to weigh in and complete our registration inthe competition. During the weigh in Elliott and Stephen both mettheir weight categories, but Adam and Alicia had to move up to thenext weight division, which turned out to be to their advantage.
We finally left the hotel at around 7pm, and had the task of find-ing our way through the winding roads to our apartment. Again,due to poor road signs and unfinished roads it was longer thanexpected before we made it to the apartment. In the end we founda very helpful local who drew us a map and we made it to theapartment at about 8.30pm. It had been a very long day; bearingin mind we’d all been up since about 6.30am! After unloading thebags and selecting our rooms we asked a local where we couldfind somewhere to eat and took a short walk to the local pizza res-taurant, where we finally ate dinner at around 10pm. After we ate,it was a case of heading back to the apartment for bed, as it wasgoing to be a 7am start on Tuesday for the start of the EuropeanChampionships.
In the morning we had to leave early to make sure we got to thehotel in time to follow the coaches to the venue, where we arrivedat 9.30 for the opening ceremony, which started at 10am consist-ing of speeches, introductions and the Croatian National Anthem.
The competition finally commenced at about 11am with the senior6th Degree male patterns, moving on to junior grades after. Firstup from our group of competitors was Stephen in patterns. Thefirst pattern to be performed was designated by the judges and thesecond pattern was the competitors’ choice. Stephen’s designatedpattern was Gae Bek followed by a spectacular Ko-Dan. Unfortu-nately at this point Stephen drew against his Scottish oppositionand had to perform another designated pattern – Chong-Moo. Atthis point Stephen had a blank and forgot his pattern, returning tohis starting position. His opposition finished the pattern and sub-sequently won the bout although he performed the pattern incor-rectly. Next up was Elliott in patterns. Lucky His designatedpattern was Chong-Jang and his for his choice he also performedChong-Jang. He won the match and went on to the next round. Inhis 3rd round he was against a fellow England competitor where heperformed Kwan-Gae followed once again by Chong-Jang. At thispoint Elliott unfortunately lost the bout and was knocked out ofthe competition.
First up for sparring was Alicia, who was up against a latecomerfrom Greece (Hellas). In the first of the 2 rounds the Greek wasin the lead but in round 2 Alicia came back fighting, scored somemuch needed points and performed some good solid techniques.One in particular was the jumping turning kick to the mid section,which successfully made contact against the Greek and scoredwell. In the end it was a close match but Greece made it throughto the next round, meaning that Alicia had secured a bronze.
Next to spar in his division was Ben Dale. He was lucky enough tobe awarded a by in his first round and went on to win his 2nd fightagainst his Italian opposition, putting forward to the final on Fri-day against a Scottish competitor.
The competition ran on till 8.30pm with the final event of the daybeing junior male special technique. Adam, Elliott, Ben andStephen were all in this category and performed well. Stephenprogressed well and got down to the final 2 in line for a bronzemedal, but after having to perform a multitude of techniques in-cluding jumping front, jumping 360 reverse turn, jumping 360back kick (above head height) and flying side to name but a fewStephen was unfortunately eliminated from the competition by thejumping 360 reverse narrowly missing out on the bronze.
Wednesday was originally set aside for the team events, but due torunning out of time on the Tuesday, the remaining categoriesfrom the individuals section had to be finished off first. First upwas Adam in sparring who was matched against a Croatian com-petitor who towered above him. Despite being faced with someoneso much bigger than himself Adam put up a good fight, althoughhe was no match against the Croatian’s stature. Despite losing thefight he had secured himself a bronze.Second to spar was Elliott, who was again lucky to be awarded aby in his first round due to his opposition failing to turn up whencalled. In his next round he was up against an Italian competitorwho managed to aggravate a previous injury on Elliott’s foot andsubsequently went on to beat him, leaving Elliott with a bronze.Next up was Stephen. In his first fight he was against Greece, whohe managed to beat with a series of double attacks, and swiftmovements taking him through to the next round. In his 2nd roundStephen was up against a very large and extremely solid Croatian.Everything that Stephen made contact with just seemed to bounceoff the tank like Croatian. Needless to say, after putting up a verygood fight, he lost but still secured himself a bronze.
After watching all the team events, where the English team tri-umphed in the Senior Male division, it was time to get back to theapartment and have a well-earned dinner.
It had been yet another long and tiring day, and once back to theapartment after dinner, everyone hit the sack and got some muchneeded sleep.Thursday was the Euro Cup Competition. Arron was competing inthis competition so we were all up early again to go to the venue andgive him our support and encouragement. In his patterns categoryhe walked away with a gold and managed to secure silver in hissparring category. Although we were only there to support Arron, itwas still a long day as the categories were spread out, meaning thatwe were only able to leave the sports hall after 3pm. This was ourfirst and only day to take in the scenery and have a well-earnedmental and physical rest! We went to the Sol Garden Hotel andchilled for an hour, before making our way back to our apartmentto get showered and changed before heading back out to the venueat 7pm to pick up Master Harry and Mr Matharu who had beenofficiating, before heading out in to town to get something to eat.
Friday was “FINALS DAY!” All of the finals from the individualsand team competitions were to take place, but they didn’t start theproceedings until 2pm – which meant that it would be another latenight! Ben Dale successfully won his title and obtained a gold, al-though it was evident that it wasn’t going to be an easy fight, as hisScottish opposition wanted the title as much as he did.
The medals were also awarded after the completion of each category, and it wasn’tuntil about 9pm that we had all been awarded our medals. We stayed on to watchthe presentation of the cups for overall winner, best team, best individual, best refe-ree etc and enjoyed the atmosphere despite how tired we all were.England won best team and came 2nd overall, with the clear winners being Italy!We left the venue for the last time at around 10pm and made our way to a restau-rant for dinner before heading back to the apartment to pack and hit the sack be-cause it was to be yet another early morning to drive back to the airport in Triestefor our flight home.
It was a long and tiring week, but all of us enjoyed the experience. We would like tosay thanks to all involved in making this trip possible especially the LTSI for partsponsoring us and to Mr. Paul Townshend for driving us to and from the airport,around the small, winding & unfinished roads in Umag for supplies and to andfrom the venue everyday making sure that we arrived on time.
We all came home with much more than just a medal round our necks… We re-turned home with pride and the personal satisfaction of representing England,competing and being triumphant at a European Competition. It was our first timegoing abroad as a team and we were able return home with our heads held high.
Report written by the team over the week.
Master Harry VII DegreeShowing his student he still has it!
Age has NOI was always told it goes downhill from 35. I would say they areright to a certain degree as, when I’m sparring the younger BlackBelts nowadays, I tend to be more standoffish and play thecounter game more.
I still get the ‘buzz’ - sometimes that goes against me as I think Iam still 19 and, when I go on the attack with a flurry ofcombinations, I am whacked out, puffing in minutes!
I think the message here is age has to catch up withus all and, yes, we all think we are 19 still but often the body saysdifferently. Whether we like it or not, participating in Tae KwonDo means you remain more agile than most not taking part at all.
If you get chance to train with Master Harry, take it with bothhands as seeing is believing. The picture on the left is MasterHarry at the L.T.S.I. annual training day on June 7th 2009.
We have used many Masters over the last 8 years - Master Harryis the kind of Instructor that if only two students sign up to acourse, he will still be there and you pay only what you can(which is the way it should be).
I am sure he will be demonstrating his skills at the coming GrandMaster Choi seminar on 5th September - give him a call and seeif you can take part. You will not be sorry.
Article by Chris Snow, 5th Degree
How many times have you saidHow many times have you said‘Damn, I’m getting old’?‘Damn, I’m getting old’? Maybe hundreds likeMaybe hundreds likeme! Yep, I am 36 and I seem to always be complaining about gettingme! Yep, I am 36 and I seem to always be complaining about gettingold. Well, I used to until I met Master Harry, 7th Degree Black Belt,old. Well, I used to until I met Master Harry, 7th Degree Black Belt,Head of the I.T.U.K.Head of the I.T.U.K.
We have been working closely with this Master and had himWe have been working closely with this Master and had himundertake our seminars three times to date in the last 18 months -undertake our seminars three times to date in the last 18 months -each time he leaves me and my coaches amazed at his flexibility,each time he leaves me and my coaches amazed at his flexibility,stamina and power, not to mention the humbleness and charisma.stamina and power, not to mention the humbleness and charisma.
I find myself looking and thinking “If I am like him when I’m aI find myself looking and thinking “If I am like him when I’m aveteran, I will be happy man”. I have studied T.K.D. for many yearsveteran, I will be happy man”. I have studied T.K.D. for many yearsnow and those that know me will know I am a perfectionist in whatnow and those that know me will know I am a perfectionist in whatI do. I can kick better than most with flexibility that makes manyI do. I can kick better than most with flexibility that makes manylook in amazement, but when I am training with this Master I feellook in amazement, but when I am training with this Master I feellike a white belt (which is NOT a bad thing, as it keeps you on yourlike a white belt (which is NOT a bad thing, as it keeps you on yourtoes and always looking to better yourself).toes and always looking to better yourself).
Recently I started to question the age thing - I have met manyRecently I started to question the age thing - I have met manymature Masters over the years and most have already slowed down,mature Masters over the years and most have already slowed down,but they’re still pretty agile compared to your average 65 to 70 yearbut they’re still pretty agile compared to your average 65 to 70 yearold who does not partake in such a great art.old who does not partake in such a great art.
I have spoken to many about the age thing and most state it’s aI have spoken to many about the age thing and most state it’s a‘mind over matter’ thing. I’m not so sure, as I remember when I was‘mind over matter’ thing. I’m not so sure, as I remember when I wasyounger, I was like a Duracell battery that did not stop. I would doyounger, I was like a Duracell battery that did not stop. I would do300 kicks in a session and still have loads left in the tank!300 kicks in a session and still have loads left in the tank!
KICKING FOR CHARITYKICKING FOR CHARITYOn Sunday 24th May Hemel Hempstead Taekwon-do school hosted their first everKick-A-Thon to raise money for the MSsociety.
At half past 10, I arrived alongside Mr StuartSmith 4th degree and helped prepare the hall forthe extraordinary event. The sun was blaring whichmeant kicking for 45 minutes was going to be ex-tremely exhausting. Once all of the 24 students(ages ranging from 6- 44) had arrived we startedkicked off the event
We started with a basic warm up which consisted ofstar jumps and jogging on the spot. Then we movedonto stretching. As it was a hot Sunday morningeverybody was feeling a bit sluggish and our legswere very stiff nevertheless we got on with theevent as it was for charity and there was smiles allaround.
After we had completed our stretching our legsstarted to ease off. Alongside Mr Smith at thefront of the class of was his senior students, my-self Mr Andrew Smith 2nd Degree, Miss CharlotteSmith 1st Degree, Miss Amy Smith 1st Degree andJade Doran 1st Kup we all took turns in demonstrat-ing different TKD kicking techniques for the restto follow.
Firstly Mr Stuart Smith took us through 3 basictechniques which include front snap kick, axe kickand turning kick. Every time we completed 10 setson each leg of three techniques myself, Mr AndrewSmith would take the students through somestretching drills. I was astonished about how manyof our students were doing the splits.
As the Kick-A-Thon progressed the senior studentsincorporated more skillful techniques such as turn-ing kick followed by jumping reverse turning kickinto the event.
At the half way stage of the event most of the stu-dents were shattered but on the upside at least half ofthem were in full box splits. The event was non-stopand everybody was feeling the strain by the last tenminutes. Throughout the event music was played to helpstudents build a rhythm. Also the music kept the eventfun and helped some of the students take the mind ofthe strenuous event in which they were participating in.
Towards the end of the event all of the students weredrenched in sweat from head to toe. All of the windowsand doors were open however this did not feel as if itcooled down the temperature of the hall. It was like anoven in there! The last 5 minutes was non stop kicking.We perfomed front snap kicks as fast as we could andthen turning kicks as fast we could followed by sidekicks. After this burst of kicks my legs were on fire.
After enduring 45 minutes of vigorous exercise everystudent was extremely proud of themselves and theschool. This is because the school produced 43,000kicks which means that each student in the hall pro-duced 1,700 techniques which is an incredible amount todo in 45 minutes. Some people, including myself werefeeling the effects of the event 4 days after it.
We chose to sponsor the Multiple Sclerosis Society asone of the student’s parents have this condition. A to-tal of £927,57 was raised for the Herts MSsociety. Acheque was presented to Mr Anthony Styles who wasthe representative from the MS society. The event wasa great achievement for all students, ages as young as6years old. Bennetts End Community Centre gave thehall free of charge to show their support. Also localswho passed by the centre saw what we were doing andgave money towards the charity.All in all, it was a fantastic day for everyone.
Report written by Mr Andrew Smith 2nd Degree I.T.F.
Upon the news of the founder of Tae KwonDo’s passing in 2002, the worlds I.T.F.practitioners watched as three I.T.F.’semerged (one shortly before under the sonof the founder). Each claim they are the trueone, but who is the real I.T.F.? Many ask(and still do), as confusion set in. Sevenyears later and still a resolve has not beenfound - court cases emerging for the rightsto use the items of I.T.F. This has causedproblems between the groups.
No matter what I.T.F. site you visit on theweb, all are making progress and all claim tobe bigger and better than the rest. In reality,all have made progress and the I.T.F. brandis stronger than ever before, but is just beingrun by three different Head Quarters. Allseem to be concentrating on different things.
I.T.F. Vienna under Grand Master Transeems to be set on making I.T.F. morefamily orientated and teaching the ‘do’.
I.T.F. Canada under Grand Master Choiseem to be committed to getting Tae KwonDo in all the less privileged countries andbringing Ki Ups into tuls.
I.T.F. Korea under Mr. Chang Ung seem tobe committed to getting I.T.F. merged withW.T.F. (or, at the very least, see I.T.F.practitioners compete in the Olympics).
All three are positive moves which will helpthe I.T.F. as a whole, so no one could faultthem.
Pre the splits that we have seen, I.T.F. wasunited as one, or was it? Many claim it hadproblems from inside the ranks, but theGeneral was one that lead a tight ship andruled with an iron fist. Many have stated tome he was the glue of the original I.T.F.
As a coach of Tae Kwon Do, I originallycame into the I.T.F. in 1999 (13 years afterstarting the art) and, in this short time, I haveseen many things happen. Politics arealways used as the reason Independents donot want to be part of the I.T.F.
I have witnessed seniors use there positionto beat the juniors down with a yard stick. Asa group senior coach myself, our group hasleft those we were affiliated to due to manyreasons including politics (or should we sayunfair rules) because, when we cut throughthe BS, this is all the politics mean. Ipersonally see politics is what groups claimthey have forced on them by any of theI.T.F.’S. There are simple rules in I.T.F. thatall of us follow. Some claim these are unfair,but personally I see the rules in place as fairas they protect the members (and us). Ascoaches, we MUST all be professional anddemonstrate good ethics.
When we started the L.T.S.I. in 2004, we hada small group policy of about 5 pages -nowadays, we have about 30 pages ofguidelines set.
As we have grown in numbers, so has thepolicy to prevent problems occuring.
It’s important to have rules in place, asthese protect the groups or associationsand, yes, there will always be those thatleave due to new rules being set.
If you look at the rules of many of theI.T.F.’S, they are all similar and all fair.
� All Associations MUST be registeredand coaches plaqued or licensed toteach.
� All members must apply for I.T.F.Degree certification
� Only 4th Dans that are InternationalInstructors can grade.
� All instructors MUST teach the I.T.F.sine wave, which distinguishes us toindependents.
� All members MUST follow the I.T.F.constitution.
Being part of the I.T.F. you can have little todo with it or make it a major part of your lifeif you wish, but you should follow theirrules as above. We try and get all of ourstudents on as many I.T.F. seminars andI.T.F. events as we can.
My opinion on I.T.F. Is it means you arestandardizing your Tae Kwon Do full stop.All forms of Tae Kwon Do are great, butI.T.F. is for me - it’s my life, as I loveeverything about it.Thank you to all those that helped createthis magnificent art.
An Instructors opinionWritten by Chris Snow, 5th Degree
KICKING FOR CHARITYKICKING FOR CHARITY
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What’s in Issue No. 2� News & Events from across the I.T.F’s� Annual I.T.F. Open training day Reports� Smoking & Sports article� Reports from the U.K.T.A. London Open� Sports science� How to guide on kicks� Much, Much More.....
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