WAKO AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Il -Shim International Taekwon-do Black Belts and ITF Taekwon-do Australia National Champions / Oceania Champions Trent Hayden and Oxana Gorskina defended their 2015 titles winning Gold at the WAKO National Champions in both Light Contact Continuous and Point Fighting divisions last weekend 15 May 2016.

Both Champions showed brilliant form displaying exceptional technique and tactics in their highly entertaining bouts. Congratulations to both competitors on this achievement and we wish them all the success in their future competitions.

International Umpire Course

ITF Taekwon-do Australia members comprising of Senior Vice President Master EL-Sheikh, Vice President Paul Harper, Treasurer Michelle Harper, Umpire Chairman Gerard Kelly & Instructor Trevor McIntyre attended the International Umpire Course held in Auckland New Zealand and conducted by the ITF Umpire Committee Master Katz & Master Ottesen. Thank you to Master Mahesh Bhana, Mrs Natasha Iotua, Master Paul McPhail and their organising team for hosting a hugely successful event.

Below is a report from ITF Taekwon-do Australia Umpiring Director Gerard Kelly;

Wow!! What a great weekend for one of the best International Umpires courses I have EVER attended!! (I have been to 3 now!) Participants from all over New Zealand and Australia gathered for this fantastic and informative event on the 30th April and 1st May. Umpiring director Master Alberto Katz and Master Kurt Ottesen came to the land of the long white cloud to instruct us in the noble art of umpiring.

As this was a qualifying event for the next few international events, it held particular significance for myself, as I have been accepted as one of the umpires to represent Australia at the next world championships in Ireland 2017.

The 2 days were filled with so much information it can make the head spin, but Master Katz and Ottesen were such a fantastic team, spreading the theory and practice out beautifully. The exercises really made you think and under pressure too! Believe me when I say that even the most experienced umpires can have a brain snap! (Ask the Aussies what happened!)

Absolutely everything was covered, leaving no stone unturned, with all questions answered with a certainty that comes only from experience. These Masters really know their stuff and truly care about ensuring that the umpires that are selected are the best at what they do!

Now to go and practice just as hard as the athletes do because they deserve the best from their umpires! If you get a chance to go, even if you are not an umpire yet, but a competitor, then you really need to get along as well. These seminars can give you an insight into what the umpires are looking for in all the disciplines.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the floor umpiring!

Taekwon

Gerard Kelly V Dan

ITF BOARD MEETING

ITF Board Member, Oceania Taekwon-do Federation President and ITF Taekwon-do Australia President Master Michael Daher departs Sydney Australia today for the ITF Board meeting scheduled for April 2016 to discuss the development of Taekwon-do and other business with ITF President Trajtenberg and ITF Executive Board members.

Master Daher will also be visiting Dubai, UAE and Beirut, Lebanon.  We wish him a safe and successful trip.

TRENT HAYDEN AT ARNOLD CLASSIC

ITF Taekwon-do Australia member Mr Trent Hayden from IL-Shim Taekwon-do Sunshine Coast fights strongly returning with a solid performance and results to match. Trent was the only ITF fighter present at this prestigious high level competition. Trent was in Melbourne along with other ITF exponents at the United ITF National Championships organised by Master Michael Muleta held on Saturday.

The next day Sunday Trent fought at the Arnold Classic with a dominating strong performance in his bouts Trent won Gold in the light contact continuous sparring and Silver in the point sparring divisions. In the past 2 weeks Trent has competed in 3 championships with good strong bouts in all events being at Fight Series 1 in Sydney, United ITF National Championships in Melbourne & The Arnold Classic in Melbourne. Trent is one of the members of the current National Squad vying for selection to represent Australia at the 2017 ITF World Championships, Dublin Ireland. We wish Trent all the success in his training and future competitions. The road to Ireland has officially begun.

FIGHT SERIES 1 – SYDNEY

There was a lot of anticipation leading up to the first ever “Fight Series” tournament. What would it be like? How would the rules be different? How many competitors would be there that we hadn’t encountered before?

The hall at the Olympic Park Netball Centre is a great venue for this type of tournament and the presentation of the tournament was first class. The tournament was conducted on three rings on the main “Show Court” which provides for a huge crowd seating capacity with superb viewing for spectators as well as the ability to easily control access to the competition floor. This venue could easily handle several more rings if required.

There were banners everywhere and a podium for the Medal awarding photos. The Medals themselves were among the best that we have ever seen and have now become a “must have” for the trophy collection.

The concept of an “Open Martial Arts Tournament” using modified ITF rules was an experiment that was designed to attract competitors who would “challenge” the status quo, and as a result help to lift the overall standard of competition. To call the concept a success or failure after one tournament would be premature. On the day there were a number of different Martial Arts schools in attendance and it was obvious that they were there to “test the water”. Without doubt the concept will continue to be fine tuned and will attract even greater numbers of students from other Martial Arts styles in the future. The overall attendance level at this first Fight Series tournament was in line with previous ITF National events. There is little doubt that the element of introducing other martial arts styles into the competition will challenge our competitors to work on their skills if they wish to maintain their tournament success.

Throughout the day we witnessed some spectacular action, particularly from the junior black belt categories, with some new faces that made a big impression in their debut onto the national scene. There was also a group of competitors who travelled all the way from New Zealand to give us a taste of what the number one country in the ITF world can dish up. It is always a privilege to witness the standard of competitors that are produced by the Kiwis. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the final event 3 Team Sparring, which saw teams of three fighters pitted against each other in short rounds with no break between the rounds. This was a very fast paced and non-stop action event with the winner the team with the highest accumulated points total after each person had fought.

Overall our impression of the inaugural Fight Series tournament was that this is a great concept that will continue to develop and grow as it is fine tuned. Undoubtedly in time, it will become the premier tournament event on the Australian ITF calendar.

Ken & Gail Hayden

National Team Managers

MASTER EL-SHEIKH IN USA

ITF Taekwon-do Australia Senior Vice President has been promoted to 7th Degree Master rank during the history making IIC at Sea being conducted by the ITF Technical Committee headed by Grand Master Marano with Grand Master Weiler and Grand Master Lan.

Master EL-Sheikh has become the first Master in ITF history to be promoted on a cruise ship travelling to 3 countries USA, Haiti & Jamaica. Ironically Haiti is where Grand Master Tran lost his life while working as an engineer in 2010. Master El-Sheikh’s last promotion to 6th degree was conducted by Grand Master Tran, Grand Master Trajternberg and Grand Master Bos in Argentina 2009.

ITF Taekwon-do Australia are very proud of this current achievement by its senior vice president. Master El-Sheikh is no stranger to setting records back in 1992 he became the Oceanias first ITF International medalist winning Bronze in Sparring at the age of 17 at the ITF World Championships in 1992 under coached by President Master Daher and now becoming the first ITF Master promotion on a cruise ship in the history of the ITF.

Congratulations once again to our newest Master in Australia.

NEW LOGO

ITF Taekwon-do Australia Executive Board after review of all submissions presented by its members and modifications have selected a logo which more accurately reflects who we are and the direction we are headed into.

3 distinct images make up our new logo

1. BODY – Kicking in motion

2. MIND/HEART – ITF coloured Fist

3. SPIRIT – Kangaroo

Once merged we have the body in dynamic motion executing side piercing kick with the kangaroo our spirit an extension of our kick leaping out of the kicking leg with power and positioned above us and inside our spirit the kangaroo our mind and heart the coloured ITF fist.

ITF Taekwon-do Australia continues to grow from strength to strength & welcomes all interested in promoting Taekwon-do to join this National Association which has a history under our President Master Michael Daher unbroken back to the arts foundation years.

ITF TAEKWON-DO AUSTRALIA DEGREE PROMOTIONS

ITF Taekwon-do Australia conducted degree promotions for 5 of its members on 13 February 2016 in Sydney. The gradings were conducted by our President Master Michael Daher who put the candidates through a rigorous testing of all technical requirements to their respective ranks.

Master Daher tested;

Patterns, Fundamental movements, Step Sparring, Free Sparring, Ground Sparring, Slow Motion & Accuracy techniques, Power Breaking, Speed Breaking, Fitness test, Ground Self Defence & Theory.

Members and rank promotion as follows;

5th degree Trevor McIntyre
5th degree Tomasz Bohdan
3rd degree Sam Murray
3rd degree Niklas Larsson
3rd degree Zoran Lazic

ITF Taekwon-do Australia congratulates you all on achieving your new ranks and wishes you well in your Taekwon-do future.