Taekwondo v13i05

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TAEKWONDO & KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE

VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 5 JULY 2008

FRONT KICK

Hoe to improve yours

NESBIE ALTUN Multiple World Champion!

THE BLACK BELT How old is too old?

TAEKWONDO IN KOREA What’s it really like?

I.T.S. FIGHT NIGHT FURY Visit the TKD-KMA magazine website at www.taekwondomag.co.uk

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You’re never too old

It’s never too late!

I train at Strike Taekwondo, a small club in West Yorkshire. I started training 7 years ago at 33years old, not having done much in the way of exercise or sport since my school days (save a fair bit of walking). I have trained regularly 2/3 times a week and seldom having missed a class but definitely consider myself a ‘recreational’ martial artist.

It being 3 years since my 1st Kup grading, I have spent what feels like most of that time trying to avoid the inevitable question - when are you taking your black belt? So it was with mixed emotions that I travelled with 3 of my fellow students Damien Barber, Charlotte Turner and Ben Mitchell, to Grandmaster Vohra’s Academy in Nottingham on Saturday 10th May 2008, to take my 1st

Dan grading. We had all attended several black belt training sessions over the previous couple of months so the journey down the M1 was becoming familiar however, today was the day!

Having felt peculiarly calm that morning (I guess knowing I had prepared as best I could for the last few months), as we set out chairs for spectators in the dojang WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 135

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with complete focus and conviction.

Suddenly I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my fellow club mate Damien had stuttered to a halt, don’t get distracted I thought and finished my form. As we returned to ready stance I was wondering what had gone wrong for Damien as the moves he’d finished with were from the 3rd pattern not the 4th; he must have got really confused I thought! I became horribly apparent what had occurred when Grandmaster Vohra said ‘Taeguek Sa Jang’ next and thought ‘hang on, we’ve just done that?’ Then the realisation came crashing in, I had misheard Sam Jang (3) as Sa Jang (4) and done the wrong pattern! I was asked to perform Sam Jang as I should have done previously, and then the rest of the patterns passed without incident.

and brought in boards and bricks for breaking, my nerves started to build. By the time we had changed into doboks, warmed ourselves up and stretched, the room seemed to have become increasingly warm and I found myself regretting the cup of rather strong coffee I’d drunk on the 2 hour journey down as the increase in my tension matched that of the temperature (it was a hot day).

We began with poomsae having bowed to the flags and Grandmaster Vohra.

There were 16 participants in all, 12 Taekwondo students, 3 Kung Fu stu-

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dents and one lad taking his 1st Dan in both arts. As my turn to perform came closer I realised that no-one appeared to have made any major errors, I prayed I wouldn’t be the first, though I had practised them diligently.

We performed all 8 Taeguek patterns (called out in random order) in pairs and all seemed well for the first 2 or 3 forms; Grandmaster Vohra would call out the name in Korean and ask one of us which number it was. Stood in joonbi (ready stance), I heard ‘Taeguek Sa Jang’ and launched into said pattern

We then had a respite as we watched the Kung Fu students and the higher Dan grades perform. It was interesting to see the Shaolin Dang Lang forms very intricate; Snake, Crane, Monkey, Tiger and Eagle.

Next up was 1 Step Sparring. I was partnered with my club mate Damien again.

After a few minutes taking turns to show our techniques, I was amazed when my final takedown saw him hit the mat with far greater speed and force than I had intended. It was at this point I realised that my adrenaline was racing. The curious thing for me was that having suffered anxiety attacks for the last few

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years, high adrenaline normally means mental panic and confusion. I had not realised how pumped up I was because my head felt clear and focused. After some stance work in lines, kicking techniques came next; first on the spot doing repetitions of straight knee, diagonal knee, crescent kick (all variations), axe kick (all variations), front kick, back kick, turning kick, reverse turning kick, side kick and twisting kick. We then did these as jumping kicks from joonbi (feet level) and then jumping from fighting stance, switching sides each time. No rest for the wicked! Now it was the same techniques whilst stepping through and jumping down the dojang or doing 360’s.

Now it was a very hot day, I’m nearly 40 years old and have suffered some health problems in recent years, not to mention paying the cost of a misspent youth (smoking etc); I did at one point feel so hot I wondered whether I might faint, I felt like the ‘Ready Brek Kid’ with his nuclear glow, but it’s a black belt grading so you keep going and worry about that later in the ambulance! So the last part of this section - the enormous kick bags - as many front kicks as you can do without touching the ground, followed by front kick, turning kick; turning kicks left then right, side kicks; turning kick, back kick; 2 footed jumping side kick and shoulder roll into side kick on the ground.

Phew! I might have missed something it’s a bit of a blank in places.

The relief of finishing that particularly gruelling section gradually gave way to the next wave of adrenaline as I remembered what was still to come. Next Hosinsul Self Defence. Now generally at our club we have practised escape from a single attack. This time, as each one of us stood up, 4 people attacked one after the other. Adrenaline has robbed me of much recollection of what happened!

Left feeling decidedly in at the deep end after all that, there was no respite as freefighting followed. Now in my club (like many WTF Taekwondo clubs I’m sure), we have only practised sport Taekwondo sparring with WTF rules and the limitations that ensue. It quickly became apparent that as we were sparring with Kung Fu students aswell as Taekwondo colleagues, WTF rules did not apply and we could sweep, throw, grab legs, punch to the head etc if we so desired. The deep end seemed to suddenly have got a lot deeper. We each had to spar 4 or 5 different people, one after the other and I don’t remember much other than making sure I didn’t hit anyone lots younger or frailer too hard and trying to make sure no-one bigger and harder hit me at all! We then had the task of ganging up on those testing for higher grades e.g. 1 versus 4 for 4th Dan.

Only breaking now remained. I had to break a 1 inch board with front, back, side, turning, reverse turning and side kick. Then what I’d been dreading - flying side kick over 2 people curled up. I think I joked to the people holding the board to lower it; saying they should watch their knees cos ‘I’m no good at this’. We’ve only been practising this for a few months and it had always left me with an aching back & hips, feeling my age. It was with what can only be described as pure shock, that I found myself in the air above 2 people, watching my food shoot out and break the board! After that, reverse punch was a doddle.

Finally brick breaking - I had 4 attempts at chopping with a knife hand but didn’t succeed, though 3 or 4 others did well done!

So after possibly the most intense six hours I can remember, our grading was over. Grandmaster Vohra had said on several occasions that at this level what he wanted was 25% Tae, 25% Kwon and 50% Do - that spirit, focus and effort was what really mattered and his grading process certainly demanded that.

So after the last 3 years of doubt, ill health and general anxiety (from myself) and constant badgering, harassment etc (from my class mates) I finally achieved my 1st Dan. I read a lot of martial arts magazines and I am more than aware of the debate that rages. I know that 30years ago only exceptional students made black belt, but also know that some of those who trained then damaged themselves in ways they regret now they are older, be it bad backs or joints. For better or worse times have changed - I have trained 3 times a week for 7 years rarely missing a class, however, I know

I could be fitter and more flexible inspite of my age. Putting on a black belt does not suddenly make me a better practitioner than I was a month ago, but having been put through the adrenaline ride, pushed beyond my comfort zone and succeeding at something I was convinced I couldn’t do (breaking wood with a flying side kick), I do feel that I earned it. ‘A black belt means what it means to you’ Grandmaster Vohra said, continuing ‘it’s up to you to be a good black belt’. I resolve to get fitter and become more flexible!

One memory that will stay with me is of a very young Kung Fu student; having failed with his flying side kick twice and sitting down. His Sifu took the board from the lads holding it, held it up, looked him straight in the eye and said ‘I believe you can do this’. The lad got up, ran, jumped over 2 people and broke the board! Inspiring!

Congratulations to everybody who passed that day, not forgetting my fellow club mates - Damien Barber (1st Dan), Charlotte Turner (1st Dan) and Ben Mitchell (2nd Dan) - Thanks to our club instructor at Strike Taekwondo, Lisa Winteridge (3rd Dan) without who I wouldn’t have kept training, and thanks to Grandmaster Vohra for the seminars and encouragement.

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THE FUTURE'S BRIGHT THE FUTURE'S YOURS!!!

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Available for; Gradings, Courses, Seminars, Presentations, Training camps, Referees courses, Advice, Help and Support.

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Lets work together to develop WTF and Kukkiwons presence throughout the World WITH THEIR SUPPORT!!!

Please contact me on the numbers below or arrange to visit my full time school, I would be most pleased to meet you and help you in any way I can.

Grand Master Tony vohra. 8th Dan. Kukkiwon registered.

Nottigham School of Martial Arts, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, NG7 3FX

Tel: 0115 9780439 Mob: 07980041864 E-mail: info@martialartsvohra.com Fax: 0115 9785567

Web: www.martialartsvohra.com I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU! SSV001/01

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Nesbie Altun 12 times Turkish Kyrougi Champion

talks to TKD-KMA magazine There can be few more dedicated martial artists than Nesibe Altun. The 36-yearold Taekwondo player, who was 12 times Turkish Kyrougi (fighting)Champion, began training at 10 years old and was graded 1st dan by the age of 12.

After fighting at local, national and international level, in 1995 she turned her attention to poomsae and every year since then has been Turkish Champion. This would be no mean fete in any country, but possibly more so in Turkey, where Taekwondo is part of Turkish culture, coming only second in popularity to football.

she also believes that through Taekwondo youngsters are taught valuable life skills. In Turkey the children training also have to have their academic records checked, to assure that they are succeeding in school as well as excelling in their martial arts.

Not satisfied with those achievements, Nesibe has now decided to pass on her skills to the next generation of Taekwondo players. So despite working from 8.30 till 5.30 at her regular job, she also teaches Taekwondo every evening and three classes on a Saturday.

Despite being a 6th dan in Turkey, Nesibe was awarded 5th dan by the Kukkiwon in 2004, due to an agreement made between the Turkish Federation and the Kukkiwon. She was also graded as an ‘International Taekwondo Instructor’ at the Kukkiwon in 2005 and a year later qualified as an ‘International Poomsae referee’.

She currently teaches over 50 children, aged from 6 upwards, at a time, to whom she aims to be a motivational role model,

We recently caught up with this dynamic woman to discuss the subject she is most passionate about.

Nesbie pictured centre

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Nesbie pictured centre

Which aspects of Taekwondo did you most enjoy?

What are your ambitions for your association?

NESBIE ALTUN: Well of course fighting, it was great fun and I found it relaxing as well. I love Poomsae but it needs more concentration and motivation. I no longer fight, as the years tell on you and if I do anything I want to be the best at it. With poomsae I can still compete at top level and I love the adrenalin rush of competition.

NESBIE ALTUN: I want for those in my association to achieve their ambitions and they can all do that, if they are disciplined, work hard and follow the programme. I always remind people that it is important for an athlete to have the support of not only their trainer but, also, their family then, with discipline and endeavour, it all comes together. It is a winning combination and I’ve seen it work time and time again.

What do you think it takes to be successful at martial arts?

NESBIE ALTUN: Firstly, the right trainer someone with both the physical ability and technical knowledge; they must also be able to assess you and know how to get the very best out of you. Secondly hard work. You need discipline and motivation and the desire to achieve the standards that you set for yourself.

How do you measure effectiveness in the martial arts, through winning competitions or through gaining grades?

NESBIE ALTUN: Both I think, obviously you can measure a person’s standard by the grade achieved but also as Poomsae is divided into different categories you can compare yourself to people of your own age and rank. However, each person has his or her own strengths and weaknesses and that’s what makes Taekwondo such a great sport.

When you see people competing you can often judge how good they are, sometimes even before they actually fight you can tell if you see them using good, correct technique.

Sometimes you can predict beforehand who will get the medals.

What’s your favourite colour?

Yellow What’s your favourite food?

Fish and vegetables What’s your favourite film?

Troy What’s your favourite music?

Latin music What are you currently reading?

Noah’s ship / ark What’s your favourite technique?

When I fought, neryochagi; What’s your favourite pattern?

Jitae

Talking of good techniques, do you have any tips on how to improve and develop your techniques?

NESBIE ALTUN: if I feel that I am making mistakes on a technique or I simply want to make a technique better then I repeat and repeat it; I watch and imitate those who perform the technique well. Having said that, I think you must feel the technique; I must feel the technique to really make it mine. When you have achieved that it will be like an art form and the technique becomes effortless.

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KUKKIWON Certification Available Now! Kukkiwon grades are cited around the world as one of the most credible qualifications available to the martial arts community.

Now you can apply for certification, regardless of style. ● Independent 8th Dan instructor BASED IN THE UK! ● Seminars and course in the UK and abroad ● All gradings certification direct from Kukkiwon Korea. ● Groups or individuals catered for.

Call today to find out more!

● Any and All grades up to 7th Dan catered for. ● Full certification from Kukkiwon HQ supplied. ● Check yours or anyones credentials on the Kukkiwon website. ● WTF or ITF or Independent stylists welcomed. ● No Politics - Just good practitioners invited. ● Kukkiwon gradings are open to any practitioner. ● Pre-grading tuition is also offered. ● Group visits to Kukkiwon in Korea can be arranged.

Grand Master Tony Vohra. 8th Dan. Kukkiwon registered.

Nottingham School of Martial Arts, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, NG7 3FX

Further details or to ask any questions call us on:

Tel: 0115 9780439 Mob: 07980041864 E-mail: info@martialartsvohra.com Fax: 0115 9785567

Web: www.martialartsvohra.com

In association with:

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU! If you’ve ever wanted to take a true kukkiwon sanctioned grading but couldn’t afford to go to Korea to do it - LET KOREA COME TO YOU! SSV001/02

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GB Taekwondo returns from European Champ’s

with Four Medal Haul Great Britain returned today from a successful European Taekwondo Championships in Rome where they won 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 4-day event, which took place at the Piazzale dello Sport in the Italian capital. Britain, who only took 8 athletes to the event due to the unsanctioned introduction of electronic point scoring equipment, have never before obtained 4 medals at the senior European Championships. This haul complements the excellent achievement of the junior team who were last year ranked second overall at the Junior European Championships.

Britain started well last Thursday with Caroline Fisher (Scorpion Taekwondo Club, Doncaster) winning a silver medal in the -51Kg weight category, Louise Mair (Focus Taekwondo Club, Scotland) and Tyrone Robinson (Puma Taekwondo Club, Mansfield) winning bronze medals, losing out to Azerbaijan and Turkey in their respective finals.

Britain’s success continued on day 2 with Martin Stamper (Elite Taekwondo Club, Liverpool) winning a silver in the 62Kg category, losing out to German Levent Tuncat in the final.

Gary Hall, Performance Director for British Taekwondo, was happy with his team’s overall efforts and said, “Winning 4 medals from only 8 competitors is a great achievement and in addition to this we had a further 3 athletes who reached the Quarter Final stages. In light of the introduction of a new electronic body protector, which has yet to receive the World Federation’s approval, we were a little apprehensive about how well they would work.

Despite their last minute introduction the team responded very well to the change in tactics required and had the scoring system remained what were used to I think we could have come away with more than 4 medals. ” The 8-strong which Britain took to the European Championships was as follows:

MALE Romaine Bailey -54Kgs Fusion Taekwondo Club, London

Tyrone Robinson - 58Kgs Puma Taekwondo Club, Mansfield Martin Stamper -62Kgs Elite Taekwondo Club, Liverpool Davoud Etiminani -72Kgs Fusion Taekwondo Club, London Craig Brown -84Kgs Fusion Taekwondo Club, London Adam Corrigan -84Kgs Allen Taekwondo Club, London FEMALE Louise Mair -47Kgs Focus Taekwondo Club, Elgin, Scotland Caroline Fisher -51Kgs Scorpion Taekwondo Club, Doncaster

with: MBI001/02

TLP001/02

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FRONT KICK Introduction article to prepare for fundamental kicking continued, by Grandmaster Tony Vohra . Who is accredited by Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters as 8th Dan Black belt and a 1st class Instructor. Further articles will be done on a monthly basis.

In the last article I introduced some exercises to drive the knee up high, and outlined the importance of bringing your heel to your buttock (this is like a gun – cocked and ready to fire). I also gave you a leg – raising routine, which you should complete before attempting the exercises, I gave you this month. We are concentrating on the front kick. I intend to show;

1. The kicking leg is brought up in front of the body, bent at the knee, heel as close to the buttock as possible. The higher you want the kick, the higher you drive the knee up. Also the more ‘cocked’ the kicking leg is (including the foot pointed down), the stronger the kick will be.

can be; a) hitting with pointed toes, the contact coming on the big toe (instead of the ball of the foot), for a more concentrated force or b) hitting with the heel.

Some older martial artists may not be able to angle the foot down and toes up, so try hitting with the heel instead.

2. The leg is extended to the target. Toes are pulled back and contact is made with the ball of the foot. (‘Cocking’ the leg also promotes more of a straight – through, penetrative force on contact, and makes correct foot positioning more instinctive). Variations of the front kick

3. The kick is retracted in the same way – remember that this means ‘re-cock’ your leg, you may want to fire multiple kicks. Also, taking your leg back to the ‘cocked’ position will make sure you don’t put your foot down too close to your opponent where the leg or the rest of you could be vulnerable.

a. How it should be executed. b. How to practice the kick. c. It’s applications and targets d. An exercise routine to make your legs stronger and your technique better.

The front kick, delivered from the front leg or rear leg, is probably the first kick most of us have ever learnt. With the front kick, the body is forward, execution of the kick and the kicking foot is driven straight forward.

For study, the front kick can be broken down in to its component movements. Remember, the most direct way to the target (from the floor, via ‘cocked’ position, then to the target) is the quickest way.

3. Knee up depending on height you want to kick 144 TKD/KMA WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK

1. Sparring Stance

2. Move Rear Foot

4. Knee High

5. Kneeing first from different angle

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6. Knee to chest for high kick

7. Partner work someone sarne height or taller

8. With Partner practice accelerating from floor to target as if in sprint blocks

9. Shin Kick

10. Groin Kick

11. Solar Plexus

12. High ‘Face/Head Kick

13. Heel Kick to Waist

14. Head Kick with Heel WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 145

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15. GMTV demonstrating Front Kick on Zenn Athar

16. Practicing with support on punch bag

17. Knee up and bent

18. Extend and hold for 10 seconds as high as possible

19. Kick hold with the front of the toes

20. Kick hold with the ball of the foot

21. Kick hold with the heel of the foot

22. Working in front of a mirror.

23. Practice knee up

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24. Practice kicking centre line of body.

When practicing kicks (remember to exercise ‘weakest’ foot first), develop the technique from the ground up.

First, concentrate on foot positioning and the mechanics of the kick. Remember to try front leg kicking and rear leg kicking.

Do this by supporting yourself with a hand on a wall whilst kicking. Then try reverse front kick, striking with your back leg.

Then practice your technique in a mirror. Use your own reflection as a target.

Where? Shin, knee, thigh, groin, solar plexus, neck and face (from the groin and up – attack the centreline), - the higher your target, the higher you must drive the knee. Do keep your guard up – whichever you favour – I like a forward guard and a centre of body line guard.

Next, practice against a physical target (a punch bag), focus pad or even the wall.

Concentrate on the impact, with the ball, toe or heel. How is the kick retracted? You can even try some multiple kicks. You will see that because of the emphasis on driving up the knee, at close range you can choose not to extend the kick and just knee (to hit the thigh, groin or trunk), or use your shin or instep for a groin attack.

Then, you should try your kicks facing a partner: he/she should stand first ready position, then in the fighting stance. Look for your target; contact with your partner is not necessary. Accordingly, you and your partner should move about freely and you can engage in ‘one (kick) for one (kick)’ sparring. Keep looking and checking your own and each other’s technique.

You can also develop front kicking skills and strengthen in every day life. When you face a flight of stairs, try springing up them quickly, a couple of steps at a time. Instead of bending down, squat instead, and spring up to standing again. There shouldn’t be a limit to your training or your art.

Here is a great routine to develop and strengthen the muscles for front kicks.

You can later do them unsupported from fighting stance. But now, just concentrate on the legs and foot positioning.

25. Practice as high as possible

26. Practice on target.

1. Stand alongside a wall, with the hand closest to the wall on the wall to aid balance. The rest of your posture should be as close to a fighting stance (with the foot nearest the wall being the front foot), running parallel to the wall.

your kicking foot to the ground, and then fully retract the leg to return to fighting stance. Work both legs three times.

This exercise will strengthen and lengthen the muscles using in front kick; from your abdomen to your toes. As your balance improves, you can take your hand from the wall to complete your guard. When you are more confident, just do the exercises facing a mirror. If holding for 10 seconds and doing 10 leg extensions becomes too easy, take the number up to 15 and then 20.

2. Exercise your weakest leg first! As you stand alongside the wall, your weakest leg is farthest away from the wall as is the rear leg in your fighting stance. Slowly bring your rear, outside leg up to the ‘cocked’ position and then extend it to full front kick. Keep it as high as you can and pay particular attention to foot position: foot down and toes right back. Hold it there for 10 seconds, and then retract the kick in the same manner as it was extended –slowly and with the correct technique.

Turn around and repeat the procedure for the other leg. Work both legs three times.

3. On to the second stage of the exercise.

Stand as before and bring your rear leg up to the ‘cocked’ position. Then quickly extend it, breathing quickly out and then ‘re-cock’ the leg (breathing in). Do this 10 times in quick succession without dropping your knee down or replacing

Grandmaster Tony Vohra (8th Dan) Examiner in accordance with: Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters, 8th Dan and 1st Class Instructor. Tony is available for seminars, gradings, demonstrations and affiliation at home or abroad. Contact him with your thoughts or questions.

Grandmaster Vohra’s Academy, International School of Martial Arts UK Headquarters, Ilkeston Road, Nottingham NG7 3FX England.

Telephone: +44 (0)115 9780439, Facsimile: +44 (0)115 978 5567 Website: www.martialartsvohra.com or www.mastervohra.com Email: info@ martialartsvohra.com

27. Working with Adam Razaq aged 4 showing sparring stance

28. Correcting front Kick position on Adam Razaq aged 4 WWW.TAEKWONDOMAG.CO.UK TKD/KMA 147

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Tang Soo Do Hall of fame British Tang Soo Do instructor inducted into the Tang Soo Do Hall of fame.

Master John Trudgill has been practising Tang Soo Do for well over 2 decades and during that time has won numerous international competitive and coaching awards.

He has over 750 students practising under him in the UK and USA in several schools.

During his recent visit to the 35th All Tang Soo Do International Championships in Boston, USA he was honoured by the American Tang Soo Do Association President Grandmaster Richard Byrne and inducted into the ATA/UTC Black belt Hall of Fame.

competition boasts the largest number of Grandmasters and Masters assembled in the United Kingdom at any point in Tang Soo Do history.

For more information please visit our Website www.ttfuk.co.uk.

Mr Trudgill is the first European Master instructor to be honoured in this fashion and was humbled at the award. The Traditional Tang Soo Do Federation is proud to be affiliated with the United Tang Soo Do Congress.

Master Trudgill will host the International Tang Soo Do Festival of Martial Arts in May of this year with many competitors attending from all around Britain, Europe and the United States of America. This

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The American Tang Soo Do Association is the longest established Tang Soo Do federation in the

United States of America.

Grandmaster Byrne is the founder and president of the United Tang Soo Do Congress which is a world recognised governing body for the traditional teaching of Tang Soo Do around the world and is made up of many different federations and associations worldwide.

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Be the Best!

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ould you like to see your club grow? Would you like students who can't wait to get to class and give you their best? Talk to us. We're the best at inspiring our students to be well motivated, self disciplined individuals who get out of their art what they put in. We boast the widest syllabus in the UK, backed by a Chief Instructor with over 30 years experience, Tony Johnson, a man who knows how to give the best instruction, turning out the best students. Our team of instructors, ranging from 1st Dan to 4th Dan are skilled in not just the technical aspects of Tang Soo Do, but the teaching skills that enable them to pass their knowledge on to their students. All of this is achieved by running a tight, well informed association, giving them the tools to do their job. Hassle free registration, licensing and insurance processes. Open access to information and instruction and regular gradings, designed to test our students not just physically, but mentally too. Regular seminars ranging from looking at the technical elements of forms, through to blasting fitness sessions that will test you to your limits. Call us today to find out how we can help you reach your potential. ● WIDE SYLLABUS, INCORPORATING WEAPONS ● FREQUENT SEMINARS FOR BOTH DAN AND GUP GRADES ● EASY ACCESS TO CHIEF INSTRUCTOR ● OPEN ACCESS POLICY TO KNOWLEDGE ● REGULAR GRADINGS ● CHIEF INSTRUCTOR WITH OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE ● TEAM OF FIRST RATE INSTRUCTORS ● SUPPORT READILY AVAILABLE TO SATELLITE CLUBS ● AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP OFFERS ALL THE BENEFITS OF A LARGE AND WELL ESTABLISHED ORGANISATION WITHOUT ANY INTERFERENCE IN YOUR DAILY AFFAIRS

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Taekwondo in Korea

By Rob McGovern

The alarm woke me into a panic but I couldn’t move to stop it. My mind was racing, unsure of what was happening but my limbs were unresponsive. The alarm clock was making the kind of unbearable noise a baby makes when it cries, the kind of noise that demands attention. But I couldn’t move. My limbs wouldn’t budge. They felt heavy, like the seized up cogs of a long abandoned machine. I creaked and groaned with even the smallest movement toward the now screaming alarm. The pain from my muscles and joints was as unbearable as the din being produced by the alarm clock and I knew if I didn’t get up and stop it now it wouldn’t stop. Every six or nine minutes the racket would begin anew but now I knew it would be coming.

I managed to reach out and grab the clock with the kind of effort that is usually

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reserved for life or death situations, but the exertion was too much for my battered and bruised body and I collapsed back into the warm indent in the bed where my body had been recovering for the last nine hours. Now I had to get up and go through the ordeal again with my rusted cog like limbs and the solid masses that were formerly, my supple but underused muscles.

I have lived in Korea, the land of the morning calm (which seems to be a touch ironic when you first start practicing Taekwondo), for just over 13 months and have been studying Taekwondo for six of those months. My muscles and joints are slowly learning that, along with the rest of my body and mind, they have to adapt to a new way of life. They have to unlearn a lifetime of walking, running and jumping in favour of kicking, twisting and stretching and it’s hard work.

The seized up cogs are getting oiled but time and Taekwondo wait for no man and so I have been forced to slip in extra stretching on the roof of my apartment (in full view of hundreds of Koreans who live in the towering blocks of apartments that surround my place) in order to not embarrass myself, my teacher or the way of life that Taekwondo is for so many Koreans and non-Koreans around the world.

Taekwondo truly is a way of life in Korea. There seems to be a dojang in every building, kids in their doboks run everywhere and at certain times of the day the roads are jammed with minibuses from Taekwondo schools picking up and dropping off students all over the country.

I don’t wear my dobok in public, not for my own self conscious reasons you understand but for the safety of the Korean people. Some are so fascinated with my white face that the merest

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glimpse of me in a dobok would surely be too much for some of them to process and I fear there would be children and adults alike lying motionless in the road after their brains had just short circuited.

My teacher is an eighth dan master and lives for Taekwondo. He is also a devout Christian. He recently asked me and the three other foreigners in our morning class, if we would put on a Taekwondo demonstration at his church, to which we said yes. There are regular Taekwondo demonstrations and events all over the country and they can often be found in churches as well as the more traditional sports centre. The Korean army and the police force are both trained to 1st and 2nd dan levels respectively and Korean universities have Taekwondo departments and professors of Taekwondo.

Taekwondo has proved vital for me, as a way to keep fit and defend myself and as a sport, but most importantly as a window into Korea, its people and culture. Immersion is often touted as being the key to enjoying, appreciating and understanding a new and different culture and immersion can come in many guises.

For some it’s the food, eating new things or taking part in strange ceremonies, for some it’s the language and for others it’s participating in some kind of traditional activity. For me it has been all three but Taekwondo in particular seems to have grabbed me around the lapels and after the first hour it demanded I go back for more limb bending and muscle stretching. Taekwondo is much more than just stretching, kicking and punching however. It is more than just the physical; it’s the social, the spiritual and the communal.

When you put on a dobok, you enter into a martial arts family and in my experience the family welcomes you with open arms.

When the iron fist of my teacher, Jeon Jeong Sul Kwan Jang Nim, opened up it invited me into a world seen by few travellers or even lifelong Taekwondo practitioners. I was invited to see and participate in the very essence of Korea. The ritualistic and communal eating habits of Koreans may be well documented but they were well and truly transcended when the two guests at an annual meeting of regional Taekwondo masters were myself and another young, white, western Taekwondo beginner. We were invited to see behind the curtain, to see the internal workings of the machine and to be able to interact with the masters that keep this Taekwondo machine moving.

These meetings are frequently held at restaurants (or at the very least include a sizable lunch break) and that day was a beautiful summer day. The restaurant was next to a flowing river on the out skirts of a city called Jinan. We drove through the countryside and around mountains, past small farms and even smaller dwellings. We turned off a small

road onto another road which was more of a track than a road. There was a large house in front of us as we crossed the bridge over the river, which turned out to be a guest house. Next to the house was, what looked like a tennis court; there were men playing a game called ‘cheokku’ on it. Cheok-ku literally translates to foot-ball and is like doubles tennis but with feet instead of rackets and a football instead of a tennis ball. The mini bus parked up and the assembled masters disembarked. The seating area was a raised platform under a kind of awning, the river on one side and a wall of trees on the other. The ambience was a combination of Korean chatter, the river swishing by in the background and the main course yapping in an annex.

The steaming bowls of poshintang arrived after a debate amongst the masters, presumably some were saying we shouldn’t have it and others were saying we didn’t understand what we were getting ourselves into; the repetition of “kwen-channa? (OK?)” was testament to this. As the bowls were laid down, all eyes turned to us, there were jokes made and laughs exchanged but it was all done with the kindness of parents joking with their children. Along with the world famous kimchi, poshintang is said to be very good for your health and is eaten more during hot weather as it is said to have qualities that can help to keep you cool during Korea’s exceptionally hot summers.

Not everyone likes poshintang (the often vilified dog meat soup) and so at lunch a chopped up chicken was offered too. The lure of a cultural experience and the addition of some brownie points from the assembled Kwan Jang Nims was too great an opportunity to pass up. The meat, minus the soup, was also served up with a kind of dipping sauce. I added to my Taekwondo street cred again by

drinking the obligatory two shots of soju that were offered to me.

As I went to bed that night thinking about how lucky I have been so far during my stay in Korea and how many amazing things I have experienced as a direct result of my practicing Taekwondo I could only imagine the amazing things that were in store. The creaking limbs and aching muscles haven’t gone away yet but as I inch toward my 1st dan the pain becomes more bearable. I have realised that the path to Taekwondo ‘enlightenment’ is a long one and getting from white to black only represents walking to the garden gate from the front door. The real journey can only begin when you’re at the gate but it’s a journey I look forward to. I have realised that I am participating in a pilgrimage to the land where Taekwondo was born and where it is at it’s purest and I can only hope that Taekwondo practitioners around the world have found as much kindness and friendship through Taekwondo as I already have. A journey to the land of the morning calm to see the art practiced in full, glorious technicolour should be on the wish list of every Taekwondo practitioner.

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I.T.S. Fight Night Fury 2008

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The last weekend in May saw the unveiling in the next generation of fight night events hosted by Independent Taekwondo Schools as over 180 spectators and 60 competitors squeezed into the venue in Highley, North Shropshire. The venue boasted an elevated and spot lighted fighting platform which proved to be an excellent stage for some flamboyant and exhilarating points style fighting of the highest quality.

The results were as follows 1. 3-way fight off 1st - Emily Siviter 2nd - Grace Francis 3rd - Riley Grazier 2. William Lewis bt Sulaiman Alhail 3. Connor McLeod bt Joshua Francis 4. Jessica Chance bt Madeline Bowen 5. Ryan Atkar bt Thomas Rhodes 6. Lauren Rhodes bt Imogen Bowen 7. Harry Bridgford bt Kieran Dewhurst 8. Alex Morris bt Joseph Howkins 9. Taome Jennings bt Courtney Turrall 10. Craig Hall bt Ashley Hepworth 11. Daniel Rowberry by Louis Dawson 12. Kevin Smith bt Scott Robb 13. Tag Team Sparring 1st - Team Verve UK 2nd - Cobras Taekwondo 3rd - Dynamic Taekwondo Eclipse Martial Arts 14.

15.

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Phillip Marr bt Mel Grainger Scott La Croix bt Jason Leung Elaine Grazier bt Abigail Craddock George White bt Matthew Dowson Susan Rhodes bt Sharon Dalziel Ryan Coles bt Edward Moore

20. 3-way fight off 1st - Helen Weaver 2nd - Heather Busby 3rd - Kate Holzer

Top of the bill and the final fight of the night did not disappoint as current I.T.S. English and British Champion took on WUMA national champion Jon Weaver. The bout was conducted over 2 x 2 minute rounds and round 1 started with some furious leg kicking and short hand combinations. The half way stage saw the competitors within 2 points of one and other - Cartwright ahead by 2 at 8 - 6. Round two began equally as quick with Weaver scoring a head kick and heavy hand blitz in quick concession, putting him in the lead but the bout changed direction again as a middle section spinning hook kick scored Cartwright 2 points and seemed to take the momentum away from

Weaver, Cartwright finishing the round victorious at 18 - 15.

A large amount of credit and gratitude must be given to the I.T.S. hosting instructor Mr Tim Spilsbury and his team of assistants as well as the supporting members from Verve Martial Arts, Dynamic Taekwondo, Cobras Taekwondo, London Chinatown Taekwondo and Eclipse Martial Arts.

Other events to look forward to this year are the I.T.S. British Champs and also the newly launched 2008 Verve UK Open, check out the website for more details - www.its-taekwondo.co.uk or contact Mr John Swift on 01562 827437.

21. Lee Grazier bt Martin Blything 22. Matthew Cartwright bt Jon Weaver The closest and most keenly fought bout of the evening was arguably the fight that saw Ryan Coles from Worcester TKD take on local Dynamic TKD student Edward Moore. The 2 x 2 minute round bout was literally battled out point for point and saw them have to fight through an overtime round.

Points were scored from every possible position, angle and technique going and the progress and technical abilities of Ed Moore were very evident but ultimately Coles came out victorious with his better use of basic and efficiency.

The bout lifted the roof!

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