TAEKWON-DO GENERATION Nº 06 English/January 2017 by TKD ITF

Taekwon-Do International Taekwon-Do Federation www.taekwondoitf.org

generation ISSUE 06/ JANUARY 2017

6th World Cup

budapest P. 26

GM DONATO NARDIZZI

P. 14

A VERY SPECIAL DO JANG

P. 62

MISSION HAITI

P. 78

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OCTOBER 2017 CITYWEST HOTEL

DUBLIN

IRELAND

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20 92

index 05 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

08 14 20 26 36 46 54 58 68 74 78 84 88 92

GENERAL CHOI AND I GRANDMASTER Donato Nardizzi

EDUCATIONAL Hamstrings

WORLD CUP BUDAPEST BUDAPEST After a lot of Time

COMPETITOR FOR EVER Carl Van Roon

ITF CONVENTION MY DO JANG Brazil / Argentina

KIDS Learn through playing

HARMONY Capabilities

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Mission Haiti

AFRICA New Continental Federation

ITF CONGRESS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IRLANDA-DUBLIN

dear

itf community

This new edition of the official ITF magazine comes to share with us something of that the second half of 2016 has left. As a reminder of what has been achieved, as a summary of the progress made, the pages of this issue serve us to know what we were capable of, and allow us to draw a new horizon together with this new year which begins with satisfaction and trust. New challenges are appearing and this medium gives others the opportunity to share our experiences, and for us to broaden

among we all our understanding and communication. We are already in 2017. Something new starts and different stories are beginning to be written ... and the most important thing is that we are living it and we will write it between all. These stories, in addition, renew our vows to follow the philosophy of our art through its practice and through the example. Let's enjoy being together!!!

GM Pablo Trajtenberg President

GENERAL C By GM Paul Weiler

CHOI AND I

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general

choi and i by gm Paul Weiler

From left to right:: Myself, GM Ung, General Choi, Master Vones, Master Komorowski and GM Becking at the April Conference

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Although I started with TKD in 1972 it was April 1988 at the World Champs being held in Budapest (Hungary) when I met General Choi for the very first time in private. It was during breakfast time at Danubius Hotel when he entered the breakfast room with his wife and GM Master Park, Jung-Tae. I went to his table to salute him and he welcomed me in a very friendly way. It was an amazing feeling for me having the first contact with the „Legendary Founder of TKD“. Two years later (in April 1990) I went to Vienna for a seminar with General Choi and he came to me to know how the ITF in Germany would be working now (I had been elected in April 1989). I told him that the Federation would grow again and that our team had returned with good results from the World Festival of Youth and Students in September 1989 in Pyongyang. He

told me in private that he would have confidence in my work in Germany and that he wants to have ITF Germany under my leadership in the future. Needless to say how I felt after this! It is important to know that the SG at the HQ in Vienna was working against the new Board of Directors in Germany but GM MacCallum – at that time Under Secretary General – had informed General Choi about what had happened and from that time on General Choi supported my work. I can proudly say that we had a good relationship with each other which encouraged me to ask him to lead a seminar in my hometown Cologne. He accepted to conduct the very first seminar for our newly organized Federation in October 1991 (75 participants from 6 European countries were present) and I could train under his guidance and was promoted by him to 5th degree.

General Choi corrected my performance for Yon-Gae Pattern (at the right: GM Becking)

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General Choi accepted the invitation to Cologne for another seminar in 1993 although he was traveling a lot and was very busy. I had applied for a seminar for black belts from 3rd degree and above in order to have a seminar also for higher degrees. General Choi accepted the invitation but was not very pleased with this request and he started with fundamental exercises as he usually did. On the 2nd day of the seminar we (GM MacCallum and I) reminded him politely about the agreement to perform also the higher patterns (I did not feel well to remind him) but General Choi was in a good mood and we continued with Sam-Il pattern. Anyhow, General Choi was a strategist “par excellence”. After one of the higher patterns he “jumped back” to one of the lower patterns and again to a higher pattern and so on. At the end of the seminar we actually arrived to Tong-Il. Above that he supported and protected me against some people from outside of ITF Germany who wanted to be promoted after the seminar and bypass the rules and regulations of the Federation. He just told them very clear: “You have to ask Mr. Paul Weiler”. Nobody can imagine what this meant for me. In 1995 I invited General Choi as a honorary guest of the European Championships = EC being held in Cologne and a seminar prior to this event. During this seminar he surprised me at lunch time with the wish to buy a hat. I was so surprised that I asked him again if I had understood him correctly – and General Choi confirmed again. It was a bit stressful for me because I had to find a hat shop near the venue and this wasn’t easy. Eventually General Choi bought a beige hat and he left the shop with a smile on his face although the hat was a bit too big. In 1997 a delegation from Germany with the main instructors participated at the April Conference in Toronto and I asked General Choi for permission to translate the English version of the condensed Encyclopaedia into German language. General Choi agreed (it was my impression that he did this with pleasure) and we returned very happy with this message not knowing what kind of hard work would expect us!

In October 1999 General Choi came to Cologne for the last time (together with his son Master Choi, Jung-Hwa) to conduct another seminar for Europe and even my sons (at that time 12 years and red belts) had the opportunity to train under the guidance of General Choi! A very exciting moment for my sons and myself!!! On the occasion of this seminar General Choi spoke with Master Stefan Schmitz and myself about the translation of the condensed Encyclopaedia and brought some copies with corrections for the book. We had a dinner in my house in a very private atmosphere and also GM MacCallum, his son Master Choi, Jung Hwa, GM Ung, GM Becking, Master Vones and Master Komorowski were present. General Choi was very pleased with the translation work of Master Schmitz. In September 2001 General Choi appointed me to be a member of the Consultative Committee and the Committee has been confirmed at the Extraordinary Congress in Vienna in January 2002. He wanted it as advisory committee and to protect the ITF. Furthermore General Choi conducted the 1st Masters Seminar in ITF history. On that occasion Master Schmitz and I had a meeting to finalise the preparation for the German version of the condensed Encyclopaedia. The picture below was taken at Inter City Hotel, Vienna. Unfortunately General Choi has not experienced the publication of the German edition anymore because he passed away 5 months later. General Choi, Father and Founder of ITF, was one of the famous founders of a martial art and for sure unrivaled. At the age of 83 years he still conducted seminars for at least 6 hours a day!! With his detailed work and indomitable spirit he has developed a martial art that is matchless. I can say with pride that I had the unforgettable opportunity to learn from him! His sayings at seminars „Who is your instructor?” and „Ask your money back“ were noted. It is now our challenge and our duty to keep is legacy alive and to convey it to the younger generation.

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Present for General Choi after the seminar in 1999

From left to right: Master Choi, Christian, General Choi, Andreas and myself

GRANDM

MASTER

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grandmaster

Donato Nardizzi

Son of an Italian father (with the same name, Donato Nardizzi) and Spanish mother Remedios Rodrígues, born in London 55 years ago. He began the practice of TKD in the year 1977 in Putney, London with Tong Wang Shin (ITF 1st Degree but now a WTF Grand Master). During the recent World Cup held in Budapest, Hungary, he was awarded with the IX Degree certificate, thus becoming the world's

Grand Master, what do you feel when you hear that now you are called that way? Obviously, it is a great feeling to be called a Grand Master especially because I am sharing the same title as our beloved founder and father of Taekwon-Do, Grand Master General Choi Hong Hi, as well as many other distinguished Grand Masters. But with this new title comes new responsibilities. I feel proud to be awarded this title for my achievements and the work I have done for TaekwonDo in the past. I am also excited and eager to live up to this title by continuing to promote the legacy set by our Founder. What has changed for you since you replaced your yellow tie with a white one? A lot has changed already and I believe will change further in the

forthcoming months as I am quickly having to restructure my life to allow myself more time to pursue new goals and new projects as a Grand Master. I have had to delegate a lot of my work to other people to free up my time. I also want to free up my time to spend more quality time with my wife, Xanthi. Without her support, I could not have achieved what I have and I owe her a lot. Can you tell us how and where you started your career in Taekwon-Do? I started in Putney, London on 9th July 1977. My best friend Spyros Pépés (who is also a co-author of the ITF Kids Program Study Book) encouraged me to start TaekwonDo with him. I was not very keen but I went along anyway. I was completely transformed after my first class. I knew there and then, I would be doing Taekwon-Do for the rest of my life.

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I remember that day very well because a funny thing happened to me just before my first class. I was recommended to buy my dobok from the Martial Arts shop in Fulham. I mistakenly walked into a Marital Arts shop (with sexy lingerie) thinking the sign outside said ‘Martial Arts’ but it said ‘M-A-R-I-T-A-L not M-A-R-T-I-A-L.

You are also author of the C h i l d r e n Development Program. What made you focus on children’s education in TKD?

It is known that you had many contacts with the GM General Choi during courses and during IICs. Could you share the experiences, anecdotes or comments that have marked you?

I very much enjoy teaching children as they are more open and impressionable than adults. I have always had a good rapport with children since I grew up looking after younger kids because my mother was a child minder and I often helped her keep the children occupied and entertained. I also was a school teacher of Science and Technology for 12 years so I had a lot of experience in children’s education. I gave up teaching because I didn’t agree with the national education system which focussed too much on good academic results to gain a good reputation for the school instead of focussing on the welfare and pastoral care of the children. I realised that I was more able to influence children’s lives through Taekwon-Do than through academic education.

My first encounter with GM General Choi was quite amusing. He kicked me out of a meeting in front of many new instructors who recently joined ITF in England. I arrived 30 minutes late because my car got a punctured tyre and I had to change the wheel on the motorway whilst wearing a suit. I arrived with my shirt covered in black marks which didn’t create a good first impression. He later threw me out of the meeting because I spoke up for what I believed was morally right (it was a real test of my indomitable spirit). I argued twice with GM General Choi. Once for telling him that the meeting was unconstitutional and secondly, I told him that I was the representative for UKTF instead of the current UKTF President. I had a mandate voted by the UKTF Board because our President had a vote of no confidence. He said I was arrogant (which I admit I was, as I didn’t have much tact in the way I communicated at that time) and he told me to leave. GM McCullum later explained to General Choi to clarify the political situation in England so he then understood what I was trying to say. Things turned out well in the end because after the meeting GM General Choi invited me to share a drink and sandwiches with him whilst the other instructors sat around the table and watched me getting special treatment. I never forget his words to me. He said “Sometimes a father must scold their child but it doesn’t mean the father doesn’t love the child”. After that GM General Choi and I got on very well. He often asked me to be standing by to demonstrate patterns in the IIC.

I also realised the trend that more and more children were taking up Taekwon-Do so I took the opportunity to develop a program for children that would help instil the character education that would benefit the children’s future in a positive way. In addition, you are the Chairman of the Children Development Committee. How do you see your work as a team and imparting courses in other countries? We have a great team in our Committee with Fabian Izquierdo and recently joining our committee is Mark Banicevich. Our biggest challenge is convincing some NA’s to adopt the Taekwon-Do Kids Program in their country. Some instructors believe that children aged 3 to 5 are too young to learn Taekwon-Do and it is better to start later. In my opinion, Taekwon-Do should be taught in its full context

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which includes Moral Culture (the ‘Do’) and the best time to develop this is at the early stage in their life. If you ask a parent when they would like their childwren to learn how to be polite, honest, fair, well behaved, assertive etc. I think most parents would say “as soon as possible”. Recently, the Taekwon-Do Impact you run has just turned 20 years old. What is your assessment of all these years of work? Running an association has been exciting and challenging. I can say that I have learned so much in the 20 years. I have made many mistakes which is fine because I have learned so much from my mistakes. I now would like to hand over more responsibility to the member instructors of Taekwon-Do Impact which will hopefully help some of them develop as leaders. And if all this was not enough, you are also President of the ITF England. Being this your third term how do you see your future within the TKD in your country and in relation to the ITF? ITF England now has a very good foundation due to the work from a good team in the ITF England Board of directors. When I became President ITF England in 2010 it was an umbrella body with just 4 associations. During my 6 year term as President it has grown to around 26 associations/ groups. I believe the secret of its success lies in the motto “Freedom and Fairness” which I advocated. We changed our Charter and Bylaws which was more accommodating to new members joining ITF. We kept only the essential rules and gave the associations the freedom to run how they want, as long as they abided by the ITF Bylaws and followed the principles of TaekwonDo. To keep things fair, we wrote many protocols so that members knew what to expect unlike some associations which make up rules

and procedures as they go along as circumstances change. I am a great believer in principle centred leadership where rules are based on principles (which rarely change) rather than basing leadership on circumstances (which are often changing). I believe that is why our rules have stood the test of time. None of the groups or associations have left the ITF in last 6 years. What is your main goalv now that you are a Grand Master? My main goal is to be a true ambassador of Taekwon-Do by promoting the principles of Taekwon-Do to the world. This means promoting what the purpose of Taekwon-Do is. What is the main goal of Taekwon-Do? According to the Taekwon-Do encyclopedia it is to build a more peaceful world. This has been my goal for a long time. Some people dismiss this goal because they believe it is not achievable. In my opinion, it is appropriate to choose an unachievable goal in life because it ensures you have that goal for a lifetime. If it easily achievable, what would you do after you achieved it? Just because it is unachievable doesn’t mean it is not worth pursuing. For example, it is impossible to perform a perfect pattern. Does this mean we should not try to perfect our technique? The main thing is to strive to promote the ‘Do’ as means to make the world a better and more peaceful place. We may never achieve a completely peaceful world but we can keep pushing in the right direction.

EDUCAT

By Anne-Marie Kinsella MISCP BS (Hons) Physiotherapy - VI Dan Irish

TIONAL

Sc (Hons) Human Physiology BSc h TaeKwon-Do Association

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Hamstring By Anne-Marie Kinsella MISCP BSc (Hons) Human Physiology BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy VI Dan Irish TaeKwon-Do Association

Is that your Hamstring you feel when you stretch or is it your Sciatic nerve? Often times when people are statically stretching their hamstrings they are under the impression that more intense actually means it’s a better stretch. However is that intensity coming from the muscle or is it a nerve that is being pushed too far? A common phrase I have heard is “I have always had tight Hamstrings, it didn’t matter

how much I tried to stretch them they never improved”. When testing these people more often than not it was an issue with their sciatic nerve resulting in them never actually getting their leg into a position that would allow them stretch their Hamstings. Too much stretching of a nerve can damage it!

HAMSTRING ANATOMY The Hamstring muscle group (fig. 1) is made up of three large muscles the biceps femoris (this has two heads) the semitendinosus and the semimembranosus. They originate at the ischial tuberosity (seat bones of the pelvis) as a common tendon (except the short head of biceps femoris which originates on the Femur). They separate 5-10cm below their origin with the biceps femoris inserting at the fibula and outside portion of the back of the tibia (shin bone). The semimembranosus and semitendinosus end at the inside portion of the back of the Tibia (see fig 1 and 2).

Bones of the lower limb (posterior view)

The Hamstrings cross the hip and knee joints resulting in extension (moving back) of the hip and flexion (bending) of the knee. Flexion of the knee is also assisted by the calf muscle gastrocnemius.

Hamstring muscle group

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NERVE MECHANICS The nerves in the body need to be able to slide, bend, stretch and withstand compression. Fig 3 shows the nerves of the back of the leg and fig 4 shows how these relate to the other nerves in the body. Nerves cross many joints in the body resulting in the fact that tension in one area may cause tension or relaxation in another and vice versa. When looking at fig 3, 4 and 5 it can be seen that there is a neural link from the brain to the foot.

• Spinal cord to the sciatic nerve (running down the back of the legs) • Sciatic nerve into the common peroneal and tibial nerves (end in the feet)

Nerves of the body

• Brain into the spinal cord

Bones of the lower limb (posterior view)

Stretching should be painfree if done correctly, it is not a case of “no pain, no gain” which is often thought. When stretching muscles the aim is to lengthen the area between the attachments. For the hamstrings these are the ischial tuberosity and the tibia/fibula.

nerves of the posterior lower limb

Some of the common hamstring stretches include:

static done

• standing bending forwards to touch the toes

So, what happens when you do a static hamstring stretch?

• standing, placing one foot in-front and pulling the toes towards the knee

Muscles are pliable and can generally stretch one and a half times their length. A gentle stretch relaxes the muscles and allows them to grow longer.

• Sitting legs in-front holding toes as in fig. 6

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All the above generally tend to be done with the head down as seen in fig 6.

are considered (pelvis to below the back of the knee) there is no part of them that attaches to the foot (see pic 3). This would suggest that the tension has increased in a structure other than the hamstrings, one that travels the back of the thigh crosses the knee and finishes in the foot.

Illustrates stretching hamstrings head flexed and feet pulled back

The perception seems to be that pulling the toes back offers a greater stretch to the hamstrings due to the fact that the “pain/ intensity” of the stretch seems to increase. When the attachments of the hamstrings

How to ensure it is the Hamstrings that are being stretched?

your toes away when bending forward. Stretching the Hamstrings as in fig 8 allows more control of the tilt of the pelvis and therefore increased control at the site of origin of the Hamstrings.brain to the foot.

Hamstring stretch in supine keeping hip flexed beyond 90degrees

If you think of the course of the nerve from the brain to the foot fig3 you will be able to offer some slack to the nerve along its course. An example of this would be keeping your head up as in fig 7 or pointing

head up as stretching Hamstrings

REFERENCES: Butler D.,The Sensitive Nervous System. NOI group publications. Australia. 2000 Donatelli R.A., and Wooden M.J., Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. Churchill Livingstone. USA. 2010 Gray H. Gray’s Anatomy. Running Press.USA. 1974. Travell J.G., and Simons D. G., Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction The Trigger Point Manual Vol 2. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. USA. 1993

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WORLD CUP

- BUDAPEST

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6th World cup Budapest From October 12th to 16th 2016 the largest ever ITF took place in Budapest Hungary, the 6th ITF World Cup. The event attracted almost 3,000 participants from 58 countries with 1852 competitors, 103 umpires, 114 officials, 528 coaches and 640 registered supporters. Of the 1,852 competitors 1,209 were black belts with the remaining 643 being blue and red belts. The ITF World Cup is an event, which allows open participation from all ITF members as qualification for the national team is not necessary and also caters for veteran categories allowing those of older ages to compete in the advanced (36 to 45 years) and veteran sections (age 46+). As well as this the younger participant who are not yet old enough for national team events (Continental and World Championships) get to compete in the pre junior 12 to 14 years categories. You can view all details of the participating countries, numbers in each category and all the results at this link: http://wcup2016.pztkd.lublin.pl/index.php

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BUDA

AFTER A LO

APEST

OT OF TIME

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sabrina

condrĂł VI Degree

Let's see, tell us where you were born and when you started to train TKD. I was born in Buenos Aires but I'm half from Santa Fe, my heart beats once in each side, Casilda (a small town in the south of the province of Santa Fe) is, due to the memories of my childhood and the big family that I have there, the city that I love!!! I started practicing TKD on March 14, 1979, at age 19; I think it was the effect of the TV series Kung-Fu, starred by David Carradine where, besides those that I believed amazing physical skills, what made a great impact on me was the philosophical teaching involved in the learning of the techniques. That awakened in me a search. Why did you choose TKD? Because in those years, first it was not common for a woman to train Martial

Arts as it is now, and, on the other hand, Karate, Judo and Kung-Fu, were the most promoted martial arts. I always had a great inclination towards sports and was always very competitive in the positive sense of overcoming, but could not explain why I chose TKD, was an intuitive choice despite knowing about the other martial arts, I never felt inclination towards any of it. I can mention that since my first class I did not take off the dobok for several years, even with injuries I didn't stop attending classes; I was always there, even sitting as an observer. TKD was and is for me, a synthesis of expression of one's being that while mostly covers the physical, expresses who we are and gives us the key for self-knowledge.

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And when did you start competing? There being no women in classes or to organize a category in a tournament, my first competition was already as black belt in 1984 and if I'm not mistaken, from there straight to my first World Championship in Athens 1987, where I was disqualified in the first bout due to heavy contact. Tell us about the highlights of your stage as competitor. I could say that my most beloved memories were my first two World Championships, in 1987 in Athens and in 1988 in Budapest. It was a work of years of hard training with exceptional companions (me the only woman!) some of which are no longer with us as in the case of Pablito Sabalain, others are already Masters and others only wear the Dobok to go training with friends. There were all wonderful memories, of exceptional people. Which was the tournament or championship that marked you more and why? Coincidentally it was the 6th World Championship in Budapest in 1988, a year after Athens; there I won the silver medal in 2nd Degree patterns and the bronze in sparring up to 58 kg. The structure of competition was different and North Korea had many competitors in each category who were real athletes, climbing to the podium twice was something dreamed; was a goal achieved and a great motivation to go after a higher improvement. Which was your last competition? Why was (as you believed) the last one? My last World Championship was in 1994 in Kuala Terenganu, Malaysia. It was a bittersweet experience, although I got the silver medal in 4th Degree patterns, I travelled with an almost disabling knee injury. The whole experience was very frustrating.

I never thought about the last competition. One is a competitor for life!!! Only that life set traps and puts you to the test… And speaking about setting traps, there was a moment in your life, personally, that marked you as a before and an after. Do you want to share it? Would rather say there were two moments. One was the birth of my daughter, which put my beloved TKD to one side for a few years, a huge learning being a mother and putting my daughter above all. And, well, the other moment, happened in 2009, exactly the day my daughter turned 10 years old; I found a lump in my right breast that turned out to be cancer. It was another huge learning. Fear, or rather terror, causes that the short-term vision totally change the point of view about life and overcoming, which is not immediate but a long process of trusting again and at the same time of letting everything go. Well, the result is very positive when you have the luck to survive and as always, the TKD was, -as my Master Villanueva used to say to me- "the best medicine”. And my family, my friends and my TKD brothers and sisters always, always were present and willing to support me in everything. And once you overcame that fight ... How did you come up to compete again? Then, with my dear friend Mario Shaur from the USA, who came out as World Heavyweight Champion in Budapest in 1988, we agreed to return to compete there again 28 years later. But life takes you along the path of responsibilities and it stayed in standby mode… A few months before the World Cup, my Master Edgardo

Villanueva was already asking me for collaboration for this trip and suggesting me to travel; and when I knew that one of my dearest friends in TKD, Roberto Mattar was decided to compete again after 22 years and that also another dear friend German Von Foerster, with whom we shared Budapest 1988 was travelling to compete, I did not wanted to miss that golden opportunity. What else to add? Everything was already said, total happiness, travelling and competing there again and with my friends, what else could I ambition??? Tell us, how was the preparation? To the decision to travel to compete with 57 years and after more than 20 years of not having competed in sparring, the training issue was immediately opened. Obsessive as any competitor, I made a training plan not very strict, I would say, but that life, the old injuries, the many daily classes that I impart, my daughter, etc. etc. etc. were responsible for sabotaging. That is why I decided, in complicity with my Master (and here comes the learning of life), to let go, to do what is possible, to enjoy every moment: the previous, the journey, the beautiful group, the return after 22 years to travel with my Master to an international competition surrounded by colleagues and friends and fabulous people, to put on my gloves again!!! the helmet - which I had never used before- ! to feel the adrenaline of competition… In short, I left everything in the hands of life, with the aim of enjoying the maximum as possible of everything. And I embarked on a wonderful journey that has not yet ended due to the internal and external repercussions. A fabulous experience and for which I feel blessed and very, very grateful.

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German von

Foerster German Von Foerster, black belt, apprentice (as he defines himself), 49 years old, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

When did you start training TKD? And why did you choose TKD? I started learning TKD in the old headquarters of the CAT (Centro Argentino de Taekwon-Do) when I was 14, motivated by a cousin who was already training. ÂżWhen did you start competing? I remember my first tournaments as a green belt in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires province, Nationals, etc., when Taekwon-Do was only one, with no federative divisions.

Tournaments were almost agreed fights (in advance), there were several competitors who always appeared in the competitions and were known almost certainly, with whom you were going to fight. The real challenge was, and still is, when you trained and fought with and against people of first level class after class. I always liked and recommended the competition, but my true passion was and always will be to learn and improve.

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the will to carry it out and that virtues are more worth than talents. I'm not sure what I went looking for to Budapest, but I know what I found. I found that friendship, links and moments are unique, unparalleled and unrepeatable. I discovered that all efforts are worth to build many large "now" to be preserved and shared as unforgettable memories.

One really learns and improves very little if only compares with others. Why fight to overcome sportingly someone for a couple of rounds, if it is preferable to surpass oneself constantly? Those desires to train, learn, and develop as a person bring us closer to other parts of the "path" to other arts, to teach, to coaching, to participate in seminars, to convey the passion and, without realizing it, also keep us far from other "paths" or we travel them less often, putting off the competition a little to a background. After the 2012 World Cup, I stayed away from competition for several operations and injuries until, earlier this year, encouraged by masters, classmates and

students, such as Pablo Trajtenberg, Edgardo Villanueva, Sabrina CondrĂł, Roberto Mattar, Gustavo Balabanian, Ladislao Csobanka, Nestor Miguel and Leonardo Plot, the idea was born to return to compete in the same Tournament, in the same place where I had competed 28 years ago.

Now back in my country, I want to express my congratulations to the directives, organizers, the hosts and referees for the convening and for the impeccable development of the event.

From Budapest 88 'to Budapest 2016. I felt that the tournament had chosen me, not the other way around. So it began a strategic and ingenious work to be able to face a fight with the resources I had.

Congratulations to all the representatives of Argentina for their unbeatable location in the awarding list.

I was motivated on one hand by the ego, ego that drove me to want to prove that the "path" is always followed, no matter the age or the injuries. Convinced that one is always at its best: the now; regardless of the podium, the medals or the sporting result. I speak of the ego of wanting to set an example. At this moment in the Martial Arts and in general, the only thing that perseveres is in inconstancy, which is motivated, on the other hand, in denial. It ensures that one makes more effort to escape from what is afraid of, than to pursue what is desired. The denial came from that side: escaping from injuries, excuses, age and stagnation. In this experience I learned that everything is reduced to just wanting to do something and in

Also to all competitors, especially for their participation and for the many efforts to be there.

I want to thank my Master and my companions for their eternal and unconditional support. I want to thank my disciples for their confidence and for their constant teaching. I want to congratulate all who have learned something, taking that as the greatest achievement. I want to say THANK YOU to everyone for being present and for being part of what is going to be a beautiful and unforgettable memory. Finally I would close with a few words that help me as a compass on a day to day: "Take a chance and risk everything, or play safe and suffer a defeat"

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Roberto

Mattar VI Degree, Argentina

When did you start training TKD? I started my TKD practice in April 1977, in the "Instituto Sucre" in Belgrano neighbourhood, with GM Pablo Trajtenberg. Why did you choose TKD? Because a cousin, older than me, practiced it right there, and invited me to witness his green belt exam. At that time I was 10 years old. I always liked activities of that kind and playing soccer. But when I saw the exam, I wanted to start practicing at that time. But my parents preferred me to be a little older, so I started at age 14. In April 2017, I am celebrating 40 years of practice. When did you start competing? Why? I started in the first tournament organized by the "Centro Argentino de TKD", founded by Grand Masters Pablo Trajtenberg and Hector Marano in 1981. I think I was a red belt. But in reality, I competed very little, some important and some selective tournaments. There were some in combat, 4 or 5. In what I competed at any tournament possible, was in Power Breaking. That fascinated me.

Maybe at the beginning I competed in combat because we went there with my friends to have fun. But then I found a huge attraction toward power breaking tournaments. Tell us about the highlights of your competitor stage. Characteristics of the trainings in times before, anecdotes, the most outstanding achievements. There were tournaments, a few actually, in which I competed in the three items: sparring, pattern and power breaking. But what I liked the most was power breaking. I won several national and selective tournaments. Previous to the selective tournaments for world championships, there were tournaments in which the competitor chose a technique to execute or it was indicated to him which one to perform. If there was a tie, different techniques were drawn until the winner was determined. Then, when the selective tournaments began, when the rules came into effect, it implied competing in five different techniques, two of hand and three of feet. These are currently used in the world championships. At that time, there were several tournaments during the year to compete. I won

several selective so I was 1Âş to compete in North Korea in 1992. A beautiful trip that I shared among others with Master Edgardo Villanueva, German Von Foerster, Mario Shaur, Pablo Ferreiro, Mariano Bechara, Fernando Ormazabal, and was able to share that trip also with my excellent student Cristian Quevedo. Of that time, I have the beautiful memory of having competed with Carlos Bonomo, excellent person and competitor, who in 1994 became World Champion in Malaysia. I also remember Hugo Lopez, Walter Tacchi, Pablo Ferreiro, etc., true monsters in that item. Regarding the training in that specialty, they had nothing to do with how it is today training. We only had the congo, and a couple of plastic boards that in that moment gave me Master Alberto Katz. But for competing, wooden boards were used. They were empirical trainings, only counted the will and the experience. Then, when time passes, different elements were incorporated that, in part, were facilitating the task. For example plastic boards, the use of pads, shields, mitten pads, etc. And then what one was adding, but always to trial and error. Some things were useful and some were not, they were discarded. We started to design and assemble some supporting machines, which added to the plastic boards were gradually becoming essential elements for training, but always with protection for both hands and feet. Ideas were added which we tried and if they served, we worked to fine-tune them. For example, draw in the centres of the board small squares to visualize

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the focus, filming from all possible angles, even in different heights, each technique separately. It helped to see defects that could only be visible in slow motion; otherwise they would not be detected. We saw deviations provoked by the same displacement that the body generated when increasing speed, etc. And what finished designing the training of today, was the rigid application of the protocol in force. This made the student almost robotic, so that the whole training sequence starts even with the bowing to the table, never forgetting the three minimum sparring positions that imply the same protocol. This is fundamentally the difference between the trainings before and how we do it today. Of course, the execution of the technique in the air, helped by bars, etc., is a matter of daily training. This training design, regardless of the physical preparation, was the one we used with my student Julian Tavric 3er Degree, owner of an exquisite technique, who came out for the second time, now in Budapest, World Champion in Power Breaking, as he had done before in Brighton in 2012. Which was the tournament that marked you the most? Before this World Cup in Budapest, the one that I remember the most was a selective tournament that took place in Club Banco Provincia, Bs. As., in 1991, where for the first time I competed in the 5 techniques of power breaking. But I went thinking that I only had to compete in fist!!!. Well, that tournament I won in the five techniques.

Imagine that now, what we experienced in Budapest, this dream come true, make this tournament, the most important in my life. I won in sparring, in the Veterans category + 78 kg., and I finished 4Â° in power breaking in the same category. But also influences in this tournament to acquire the personal dimension that I confer, the fact of travelling and having as a coach my brother in TKD, German Von Foerster, who won the bronze medal, in the same category of mine, but -78 kg, Sabrina CondrĂł, with her gold medals in sparring and in patterns and my student Julian Tavric, as I mentioned before, make this tournament and trip something unforgettable, with Master Edgardo Villanueva at the top. More cannot be asked. Which one was your last competition? Why was the last or you believed it was? The last in sparring I think it was in that same selective that I told you in 1991, in which I won in power breaking. And in power breaking was the Panamerican of 2000 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. I think that because I had already lived the experience of a World Championship in Korea, I had travel with another exceptional student, Cristian Quevedo, an exquisite in sparring. I was already a bit older, I worked a lot and started to consolidate in the classes I dictated at the Marist School Manuel Belgrano (1988 to date), and I also taught at the gymnasium of GM Pablo Trajtenberg. It influenced a lot the fact of working also in my other profession that I love (I am architect, I received in

1987 in the UBA). Maybe all those things together were the motive. After the "recess", how does it occur to you to compete again? Can you explain why? What were the motivations? I think that in order to answer this question, I must unite several factors. When Julian (Tavric) was chosen for the sparring team for the New Zealand World Championships in 2011, having already won the place to compete in power breaking, I began to like more and more the idea for him to travel, to compete, to develop as a competitor, beyond the enormous talent that he has. And the help of Master Edgardo Villanueva was fundamental for this development. Then came the Brighton World Cup in 2012, and he won the gold medal. And then was Jamaica 2014 and Italy 2015. I was always tempted to accompany him, but due to job issues it was very difficult. Until the last year, he once again conveys me his desire of me to accompany him, this time to Budapest. Perhaps was the last one for him to compete. And by the end of 2015, talking with Pato Garelik, she started to raise the idea of competing in Hungary, since it was the chance to accompany Julian. She spoke to me in such a way, with that serenity and wisdom she has, and told me that I had to go to Budapest and get the medal, which I owed to myself so much. We talked about it several more times.

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You can imagine the motivation that produced me that such a "monster" of TKD started to fill my head of it. And these dialogues with Pato, added to the fact that the every time that Julian traveled I could not go by always putting the job first, made me decide and make my best to go and compete. And it was added the fact to return to travel after 24 years with German, Sabrina and Master Edgardo Villanueva. A dream. Tell us, how was the preparation? The preparation regarding the sparring training did not vary too much, since I never stopped to train. I always try to get on time to classes at noon to be able to enjoy with my classmates. All my life I did it. Yes, I will not deny that it was increased in the part of physical preparation, especially aerobic, and at the evening, I trained with Julian, in one of the two schools where I teach, the subject of the power breaking, at the end of the class. It was exhausting. I want to stress the indispensable help of the Master Alberto Katz, in reiterated opportunities, to repeat and instil in us the protocol to be used in this item. It is complicated at this age (being in Budapest I turned 54 years old!!!), for the thousands of pains that appear throughout the body. Ask for the pain that you want, I have it!!!! Training with my colleagues, all terrible "monsters", much younger than me, on the one hand becomes a very hard task, but on the other I think it was one of the keys to having been able to obtain this achievement. But these trainings, which I am very used to, were the key. My usual day (I get up at 6:00 am), begins at the work under construction, until 12:00 pm. Then three times a week I'm going to train at 1:00 p.m. (My classmates laugh because they see me coming in with the dirty safety shoes). Then I give a class for children in two schools (two instructors collaborate with me in the two schools I teach, the Manuel Belgrano and the Marcelino Champagnat schools), in the middle I do desk tasks for the works under constructions and in one of the schools

I teach adults. Then we trained power breaking. All of this was done without neglecting my family and my daughter whom I love, Sofia. It was very hard, but you get out the energy from the passion and the clear objective to fulfil. There are no secrets. When you are passionate about something, and it also have as an aggregate, to experience it with friends, everything becomes easier. But I do not deny that it was a huge sacrifice, which implies having a strong will and a very rigid discipline and order respected above all, with defined schedules for each task, and being focused on the objective to achieve, without distraction. Perhaps these last thing I'm telling you, is what I intend to capitalize on this wonderful and unforgettable experience that I lived. To be able to transmit to my students, especially the youngest, that with order, discipline concentration and sacrifice, without diverting the focus from the objective, things in life can be achieved. If you had to make a balance after Budapest, what would it be? Did you get what you went for? The balance is simply wonderful, in every sense of the word, on a human level with the friends and companion travellers. I would definitely choose the same ones again, without any doubt. At health level, thank God we did not suffer major mishaps, except the injury of Alan Aidar, which hurt us all when he took off his shoulder. At the travel level, to know an amazing place like Budapest. And on a competitive level, what more can I ask for. My student Julian, who killed himself training, takes the gold medal in power breaking for the second time. Sabrina CondrĂł the gold in sparring and patterns, German Von Foerster the bronze in sparring, in addition they both were entering with the Argentine flag in the opening ceremony, since they competed there again, 28 years before!!!!!! It was a moment of tremendous emotion, an example for all!!!!!! And personally I was 4Â° in power breaking and won the gold medal in sparring. I cannot ask for more, that simple, the day before my birthday. Was a gift from God.

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COMPETITOR

R FOR EVER

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Carl van Roon

Sport Scientist & Head Coach of ‘Van Roon Martial Arts’

You first competed at the ITF World Championships in Warsaw, Poland 2003 and haven’t missed a World Championships since - what inspired you to pursue excellence on the world stage then and what has kept you going? I think I’d simply grown up watching one too many Martial Arts movies!! <Laughs> That and I was so inspired by the previous generation of ITF Taekwon-Do competitors, who in many ways I’d say were the ‘golden generation’ in my eyes as an 18 year old preparing for my first World Championships! Fighters like Stephen Tapilatu, Tomas Barada, Rhee Chol Nam, Pierre Guennete, Paul Germain, Hwang Suil of Tekken fame and others around the turn of the millennium were my role-models at the time. For that to go around full circle, for me to meet those who inspired me and inspire others in turn has been a wonderful cycle. What has changed in your life between starting out as an International competitor and now being established as a well-known personality and coach on the world scene? So much has changed! I’m a full time Coach and Sport Scientist now running my own business ‘Van Roon Martial Arts’ here in Auckland while also travelling to

coach frequently overseas, plus I’m the ‘full-time’ father of two beautiful little girls; Adara who is 3 years old and our youngest Sia who is just 4 weeks old! It’s been an amazing journey and looking back, the best way for me to describe the feeling is simply one of gratitude. The way our ITF organisation operates is like one giant family and I feel grateful I’ve been given so many great opportunities to extend myself as a competitor and coach through Taekwon-Do as a vehicle for my own development. Looking back 15 years ago to when I began to get really serious about competing Internationally, I could never have imagined I would go on to achieve all of my competitive aspirations including 2 x Best Overall Competitor of the World Championships etc as there was a prevailing feeling that New Zealand was just too isolated to be competitive on the world stage. Looking at your online presence, it is apparent that you cross-train and compete in a variety of Martial Arts styles. What would you say to those who might see that as a lack of loyalty to ITF Taekwon-Do or that you are perhaps impure in your approach as a Martial Artist? My first observation is that ITF Taekwon-Do as we know it today arose out of a number of influences

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as devised by General Choi and that is part of our strength. From my perspective, in many ways, each new Martial Art which is developed is a ‘Mixed Martial Art’ as is the case with the particular combination of influences General Choi drew on to create the evolved art of Taekwon-Do we practice today. My desire is to follow General Choi’s example and I’ve therefore taken time to dive into research in other Martial Arts to strengthen my Taekwon-Do practice. I realise in the past this may have been frowned upon because of geopolitical reasons but in the post MMA renaissance world I think that view is something that may hold us back rather than allow us to grow if we cling onto a closed door policy going into the future. In the study of linguistics for example, someone might be an expert French, Spanish or Italian speaker, but I don’t think anyone would accuse them of being impure or lacking loyalty if they wanted to understand the deeper historical context and evolution of a language by exploring for example the Latin roots of all of these languages or taking it a step further by looking into Sanskrit. I see that approach more as doing your homework as a dedicated Martial Artist, and making use of the wisdom of the past to better understand

the beauty of ITF Taekwon-Do in it’s entirety today. I have blackbelts in Karate (3rd Dan) and WTF Taekwondo for example, and have represented NZ overseas in these disciplines as well as WAKO Kickboxing without disrespecting my ITF Taekwon-Do practice which has become the core of my direction as a Martial Artist. Exploring Karate for example has given me a better idea of why the General chose to alter techniques the way he did, what he took from Karate that he saw as valuable and how he looked to take it further. My collaboration with fellow Martial Artists in WTF Taekwondo on the other hand, whether it be through experience in coaching or competing has also been rewarding in that I’m armed with deeper knowledge as to how our most immediate Martial brothers, sisters and cousins approach their arts. Frankly, I think this has allowed me to appreciate ITF Taekwon-Do more rather than less, but also to see value in other arts as well as a what we have in common. To return to the linguistic or language analogy, I see myself as a native speaker of “ITF Taekwon-Do” but I’m capable of communicating in a variety of other tongues including “Karate”, “WTF Taekwondo” and “Kickboxing”.

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Overall, I personally feel this approach as ITF Taekwon-Do practitioners helps us to better position ourselves in the world. It helps us to further understand the relative strengths and beauty of our art rather than being threatened by what other arts do well, while also helping us contextualise our approach to ITF Taekwon-Do going into the future rather than operating in a bubble and ignoring developments or the direction of Martial Arts as a whole in society. Ultimately, I think this type of open-mindedness will only allow us to honour General Choi’s vision for the ultimate Martial Art rather than stagnate or be left behind. As a Sport Scientist (Masters Degree in Sport Science), how have you applied this to your own coaching and competitive career, and what do you think Sport Science can offer us in terms of our evolution in our approach to daily Taekwon-Do training? General Choi was very specific in the way that he described Taekwon-Do in scientific terms as being superior to other forms of Martial Arts. One key principle in science is to constantly question yourself and your approach to any endeavour with an openmind and strive to do so without bias which may sway you away from the most effective way to approach a task. This is a sentiment echoed in the work of the late, great Bruce Lee who died a decade before I was born, but had a profound influence

on me with the simple, yet definitely scientific statement: “absorb what is useful, reject what is useless”. Furthermore, understanding fundamental principles of sport science such as sport specificity, progressive overload & super-compensation, periodisation etc. truly have the ability to transform the way you approach your training and unlock your potential if you take the time to do so. My personal journey in Sport Science was intertwined with my International Taekwon-Do career from the beginning. in 2003 I was getting ready to compete in my first ITF World Championships in Poland while also completing my first year of a bachelors degree in Sport Science at the University of Auckland. I would continue studying full time and sometimes part-time in parallel with my competitive career, culminating with being awarded my Masters Degree in 2010. When first encouraged by my parents to enrol at University I remember asking facetiously: “Is there a Taekwon-Do degree?” which of course (in New Zealand at least) there was not. The closest thing was to study Sport Science, so I took it up, be it somewhat begrudgingly, and proceeded to twist the content of every project, case-study, essay and thesis to somehow apply or refer back to exploring better ways to enhance Taekwon-Do or Martial Arts training. For the dissertation I wrote for my Post-graduate diploma in Exercise Rehabilitation

for example, I focused on how to help martial artists to recover from mild traumatic brain injury (concussion). Later, for my Masters Thesis I would assess the effect our mindset or “self-talk” has on regulating or enhancing our performance of a set task. In this case, I chose to use the “yopcha jirugi” or side piercing kick as the set task by which I would determine how changing our mindset influences our performance and this would mark the beginning of research that would change the way I would approach the mindset coaching element of sport / TaekwonDo - which is really only just becoming mainstream now, with professionals around the world not just describing themselves as Sport Psychologists (which for some carries connotations that something is perhaps ‘wrong’ with an individual or they need ‘help’) but also ‘mental skills coaches’ or ‘mindset coaches’ and this is something I try to both explicitly and implicitly weave into the group and private 1:1 coaching I do at ‘Van Roon Martial Arts’. In a more practical sense, once I saw the parallels between for example ‘special technique’ and track and field events, or ‘power breaking’ and shot put / discus for example, I took it upon myself to seek out like-minded Sport Scientists and strength coaches who could help me piece the puzzle together as to how we could take a more evolved look at how to prepare for such events rather than relying on historical context or limitations. I credit this approach in helping me to become New Zealand’s first and only senior free-sparring ITF World Champion as well as for helping me remain undefeated to win 5 x Consecutive Individual special technique World Championship titles 2003-2011. The MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) revolution of the last 20 years is one that polarises Martial Artists, some are inspired and fascinated by it, others want to distance themselves from it. Where do you sit on this spectrum and do

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you see value in the rise of MMA? As someone who also trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a range of other Martial Arts, how do you see Taekwon-Do in terms of it’s future in a world increasingly saturated by interest in MMA? Although I appreciate people’s concerns with MMA as being too violent and devoid of the strong values seen in the traditional

Martial Arts (such as the tenants of Taekwon-Do), I am also encouraged by the way in which a great majority of the very top echelon of MMA’s greatest fighters of the past 2 decades have very much retained an affinity with traditional martial arts values and reconciled their sometimes traditional backgrounds with contemporary, cutting edge training methods.

In a more general sense, I predict we will see a greater and greater number of traditional martial arts studios around the world offering MMA programs to move with the times (as is already occurring on some scale) yet grounding their modern approach to MMA with the moral culture of arts such as our own ITF Taekwon-Do. As for the reconciliation or effectiveness of Taekwon-Do in MMA in for example the UFC or other large scale promotions such as Bellator or ONE Championship in Asia, we are now seeing more fighters of a Taekwon-Do background effectively employing the trademark kicking game in a way not previously seen. This is likely due to the trend that developing a solid wrestling / Jiu Jitsu game is universally acknowledged as essential hence this new generation of TKD practitioners who have strengthened this weaknesses are now able to employ the exciting, dynamic spinning kicks, jumping kicks and deceptive lead leg kicks which we all know and love. I like to think of this trend as ‘retro’ coming back into fashion again, as we are seeing more techniques used in the 1970’s and 1980’s in Martial Arts being used once again such as the ‘Crane kick’ by Lyoto Machida and reverse turning kicks by fighters like Stephen ‘Wonderboy' Thompson to name just a few examples. Thank you for your responses Mr van Roon and best of luck with all of your future endeavours! Thank you. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the love of my life Marney for supporting me in all that I do. Taekwon!

BIO: CARL VAN ROON Msc, PGDipSci, Bsc - Sport & Exercise Science Head Coach of ‘Van Roon Martial Arts’ ITF World Champion in -80kg free-sparring 2011 ITF World Champion in special technique 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 ITF World Champion in Prearranged (traditional) Sparring 2013, 2015 ITF World Cup Champion in Prearranged (traditional) Sparring 2012 ISKA World Gold Cup Champion 2010 & 2016 All Japan Seishinkan Karate Champion 2007 Former Captain of the NZ National WAKO Kickboxing team

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ITF CONV

VENTION

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MY DO

O JANG

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My Do Jang

By: Sabum Nim Ricardo Ramirez, VI Degree

Brazil The Taekwon-Do Harmonia School is located in the city of Campinas (around 1.200.000 inhabitants), San Pablo State, in Brazil. It is a school affiliated to the “Asociación Brasilera de Taekwon-Do” (ABT). I started practicing Taekwon-Do in august 1985 when I entered the University of Engineering (UNI) in the city of Lima-Peru. In 1987 I obtained a scholarship to study Electronic Engineering at the State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, and already by that time

I was passionate about Taekwon-Do and had the luck and happiness to find a Taekwon-Do Instructor who had started to teach classes within the same university, in the Faculty of Physical Education. In this way, I was able to continue training regularly, dividing my time between my engineering studies and my Taekwon-Do practices, and since I was one of the highest graduates in the group, whenever I could, I helped my Instructor who gradually was giving me each time more responsibilities. In 1992, already as a black strip, I practically gave all the classes at the university. I remember that we trained at lunch in the sports centre of the university, with approximately 50 students, and often it happened that the university restaurant was closed and we had to look for some other place to eat because our classes were so fun, that no one cared to lose the lunch.

IT'S TIME FOR DECISIONS The next year, 1993, was a turning point year for my future. They were several facts that changed the direction of my life. In August I met a lady, student of my Instructor, with whom in a few months we became fiancés.

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In September of the same year I was graduated as a Black Belt First Degree and in December I finished the university studies being graduated as an Electronic Engineer. It was a moment of decision making because by the end of the year I had to return to my country, Peru, but I had a feeling of prolonging my stay in Brazil. Every day I spent more time in Taekwon-Do and I was more and more interested in physical activity, both to study and to practice. A fact that I always remember is that year, - 1993 - I had the opportunity to meet Grand Master Pablo Trajtenberg in a seminar in the city of San Pablo. On the occasion, I managed to greet him and to have a talk, I commented him that I was studying Electronic Engineering, he told me: "...first finish your engineering studies and then dedicate yourself to TaekwonDo...", it seemed that my expression already showed my intentions of wanting to leave everything aside and dedicate myself to Taekwon-Do. Finally, I decided to prorogue the return to my country, I presented myself to a quota for a Masters, joining my knowledge of engineering and physical education; I developed a research work in the Biomechanics Laboratory of the University.

In parallel, I continued to train and teach Taekwon-Do and it was at this stage that "we decided" - I say “we decided” because I was no longer alone, I had my girlfriend - with whom after a few years we were married - to work together in Taekwon-Do. She, Ednea Vidoto today V Degree, just a year after I did it with engineering, also finished the Faculty of Letters and Linguistics. So, together, we decided to expand Taekwon-Do out of the university and started teaching in some gyms after which, in a few months I was

with my schedules fully completed, teaching at four gyms in different places of the city. At the same time, I continued with classes at the university, which were already totally in my charge. For that reason, my time was divided between teaching classes and the transit to go from place to place. And in that way the engineering was being left behind. I felt so good about what I did that at no time I regretted not working as an engineer and not having also incomes as an engineer.

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THE DEFY OF THE OWN DO JANG A few years passed and in one of the gyms where I taught, I had approximately 30 students in a single schedule, then I proposed to the owner to open an exclusive venue for martial arts, but she did not want to risk, so with my partner we decided to do it by ourselves. We invested by trusting that with the payment of the 30 students we already had, we could cover the cost of rent, and being sure that with our work we would have more students to pay the other expenses to maintain the venue.

So in December 1998, we inaugurated the "Academia Harmonia", with the support of all our students, and at the same time we kept classes in the other gyms, because we knew that those students would not move throughout the city to attend classes at the new headquarters of "Taekwon-Do Harmonia". Our forecasts were positive, we increased the number of students and we were able to pay the rent and expenses to maintain the venue. On the other hand, we had a small house in a farm a little away from the Academy and, as we had in mind the idea of having a venue of our own, once again, we decided to risk.

the Academy, we did not miss the opportunity. We did everything to guarantee that it would be ours, we managed to sell our beloved house and bought the land, with the little that was left over from the purchase and adding something else through bank and family loans, we started the construction. After three years of paying rent, finally at the beginning of 2002 we went to our local, the Taekwon-Do Harmonia had an own and appropriate place.

I remember that we thought "what if we sell the house and buy land to build our Academy?â&#x20AC;?

The School in front of Academia Harmonia, at the time we moved, was a bit abandoned, with few students, but in 2005 was bought by partners who already had other schools and made several reforms and improvements, increasing considerably the number of students.

We did that. We walked a lot around near the venue that we had rented looking for something interesting, until finally we got a land exactly in front of a school less than 300 meters from the place where we had

In 2007 I was invited to offer Taekwon-Do as an extra-curricular modality, (it was the first that the school offered to students, today there are more than 15 modalities among sports, arts and music).

The first year the practices were inside the classrooms, we removed the folders and we settled as we could. We started with approximately 60 students in 5 groups of 12 students, 2 classes per week for each group. I remember the first day, the Principal invited to an experimental class, we had no idea how it would be or how many would go to that class, we prepared the room and waited for the students, they were arriving and arriving and arriving, and when we realized, we had more than 50 in a small room, so I had no choice but to take them to the courtyard. When we were there, in the middle of class it started to rain but I did not give importance to the rain and we continued training and having fun, wet, performing "flying kicksâ&#x20AC;?. The following year we made an agreement with the direction of the school so that the classes were taught in the Dojang Harmonia, that is, in front of the school, where the number of students and the available schedules were increased.

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The offered classes are exclusive for students of the school, from the Infantile Education since age 3, students of Primary and Secondary. We always work with 2 instructors, we go to the school for the children, we cross the street in a row and once the class is finished we take them back to their teachers and there we look for another group and this way we spend the morning and the afternoon. There are more than 300 students enrolled.

PROFESSIONALIZING TEACHING By observing the significant increase of students in the Harmony Academy, in the school, and maintaining the students of the university, gyms and clubs, we had the concern to encourage and prepare students who already studied Physical Education and practiced Taekwon-Do to be assistants and to be formed as Instructors, others were motivated and decided to enter the university to study Physical Education by themselves. At present Taekwon-Do Harmonia has 9 Instructors, 6 graduates in Physical Education and 3 studying at university. Already more than 3000 students have passed through our facilities, many started as children and now they are professionals in different careers. We work with all ages, by differentiating classes for children, youth and adults, respecting the different individual capacities.

By necessity, we opportunely created a Children's Program (Harmonia TKD Program) for our students up to 10 years, until in 2014 we had the chance to travel to Uruguay and participate in the presentation of the Kids Program by SN Fabian Izquierdo. That International Course was very beneficial and enriching for us, so gradually we incorporate the Kids Program and today we work with the two Programs; The Kids Program with children from 3 to 7 years old and the Harmonia TKD Program with children from 7 to 10 years old and from the age of 10, we continue with the Traditional ITF Program. Our next goal is to incorporate the Harmony Program, as we have students with more than 65 years old. It is clear for us that for the growth and expansion of Taekwon-Do we need trained Instructors. In this way, we are constantly seeking to improve, by participating in Courses and Seminars, such as IIC, IUC and IKC. Also, we often meet to prepare and organize our classes and events. We offer Taekwon-Do to suit everyone's taste. For those who are interested in the competition, we prepare and take them to national and international championships (several have already participated in South American, Pan American and World championships). And for those who are merely interested in physical activity or simply has, as defy, conquering the Black Belt, we give them what they want, being concerned that

they know the curriculum of each graduation which encompasses both physical and mental development. But, above all, we work for our students to enjoy the TKD in Harmonia (harmony in Portuguese).

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

My Do Jang

argentina Anabel Vicario is II Degree black belt, and together with her sisters Pamela and Marisol, conform the "Grupo Vicario" belonging to the "Unión Mediterránea" of TaekwonDo Argentina. What makes this Dojang particular is that the Boo Sabum Nim Anabel Vicario adapts the contents of the Children Development Program (IKC) to teach TaekwonDo to children, adolescents and young adults with various types of pathologies, as well as autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, total blindness and cerebral palsy, among others. Anabel tells us: I was born in the town called Río Primero in the

province of Córdoba, Argentina, on August 26, 1976. I moved to Caleta Olivia when I was 4 years old along with my parents and sisters because my father, who at that time served as postman (in what is now "Correo Argentino"), was transferred to that city of Patagonia. I started training TKD when I was 6 because a neighbor invited me to join her in the neighborhood gym. As I had suffered an episode of bullying (although the term was not at that time widespread) and I wanted to learn to defend myself, I accepted the invitation and it turned out that I met with the great passion of my life, this beautiful Martial Art, barely known by then.

A very special Dojang By: Anabel Vicario

It was so much the pleasure of training that I did it 7 days a week, about 3 or 4 hours a day, which led me to get my First Black Belt Degree when I was 12 years old, being "the first juvenile black belt in all Patagonia”. Sometime later I had two children and I dedicated myself full time to their raising and education, reason why I made a pause for almost 10 years both as a practitioner and as an instructor. Despite being away from the activity, I never stopped feeling love and passion for this martial art, at the same time I discovered that my vocation was working with children with different capacities.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

THE AWAKENING OF VOCATION

in a serious and effective way with my students.

I worked as a secretary in a therapeutic center where children with different capacities attended to carry on their different therapies, and then the natural bond that existed with these children became evident.

With this clear objective, I obtained the title in early stimulation, in sign language (for people with hearing loss), in assistant special teacher and recently in therapeutic companion in mental health, disability and addictions.

On the other hand, I also discovered that there were no spaces where they could practice some sports,

On the other hand, 3 years ago I assisted to my first course with Sabum Nim Fabian Izquierdo on the

which led me to unite these two great passions, on the one hand the TKD and on the other the children with special capacities and thus create a project in the Sports department for my local municipality.

Children's Development Program of ITF TKD in Peru, and since then I have participated in several workshops and in a second IKC in Rosario, Argentina.

This project consisted of teaching children who had different pathologies. So, when I decided to teach adapted children, I assumed a great commitment for what I dedicated to study and to attend numerous courses that would allow me to be a better instructor and thus to can face any pathology within my Dojang. I consider that training is very important to know about any pathology and to be able to work

In that way, I use the Children Development Program to teach TKD to my students with different or "non-conventional" capacities, according to the current convention, adapting their resources to the needs of each one. After years of applying it in an adapted way, I can state that it was extremely positive, having noticed a significant advance in the capacities of the students. As an example of adaptation, the materials that I use to work are the same footprints, little hands and circles in EVA rubber, also the ribbons and markers suggested

in the IKC, with the exception that for the pathologies that I handle in the Dojang, the colors used are of a strong tones, especially fluorescent. This is so, because with this kind of colors I manage to draw more attention and concentration when it comes to perform exercises or activities. I also work with balloons, with water balloons, feathers and especially with bottle corks also painted with fluorescent colors. I must say that this latter had a great result with students who presented

cerebral palsy and that through it use in different activities they were able to improve their balance significantly.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

THE BIGGEST OF THE REWARDS

Although the process is usually slow and one must overcome all kinds of barriers and obstacles, the bond created with the student and his/her family is very strong.

basis, which is a stimulus and motivation. However, to be able to appreciate the smile on their faces is the essential fuel for the soul.

The feedback I receive from them is extremely gratifying and I must thank the trust that parents deposit in me, which transforms my activity as an Instructor of people with special capacities in one of the best experiences of my life, by being part of my studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress on a daily

Encouraged by the results and all the above mentioned, one of my future projects is to expand my school and to encourage more instructors to work with these children and promote more sports and recreational spaces for a better quality of life for them.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

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Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

Learn through

playing By: Sabum Nim Fabian Izquierdo Member of the Children Development Committee

Many times, when talking about playing, about using games in a TKD class, the question arises, the doubt about if it is right or wrong, whether it is serious, or it seems that we are talking about, or worst, we are teaching children, to take with little seriousness our art. But the truth is that is better to begin to unravel the matter and nothing better to start by making some clarifications.

First, we must know what the term "Playing" implies”. I speak of what it implies and not of its theoretical definition, regardless of whether playing is considered as educational per se or as an educational tool I consider that the important thing is to know the characteristics that define it.

SEVERAL AUTHORS CONSIDER THAT THE GAME IS AN ACTIVITY: • Free; since it should not assume any obligation and can be abandoned at any time. However, playing for learning supposes the existence of rules, but within those rules, they all have to feel free to create options so it doesn't result boring and discarded. • Delimited; circumscribed to a limit of time and space; • Subjected to their own laws; paying demands an order and any deviation or transgression to that rule spoils the game. Rules can be established or improvised. • Uncertain; its development and result cannot be given beforehand; • Fictitious. • It has an end in itself. • It represents a challenge; if it is wanted to achieve something will be necessary to strive and that will serve as a motivation. • Fun; although it suppose an effort for the body and mind, thanks to the emotions it generates, the participants can retain what they have learned.

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While also may be found some other features in the extensive existing literature, I think we already have a clear idea of the kind of activity they are referring to. But apart from those, there is a big coincidence that playing help the children to cope with traumatic or difficult situations. According to numerous psychoanalysts, by playing, the child repeats pleasant situations and also elaborates the bad ones. Through play, the child expels and dominates his fears, anxieties and concerns as it acts as an escape valve. In the case of young children, playing is their world, their language, their life. Some go further and claim that every healthy child wants to play. Many professionals also argue that

playing is not a complementary activity in education. There is no difference between playing and learning because any game that presents new demands to the child should be considered as an opportunity to learn. Attention, memory and wit, according to specialists, are intensified the paying and all these learning will be transferred to non-recreational situations. Playing VVintroduces the child into the world of ideas. However, playing does not supplant other forms of teaching. As we can appreciate, playing is a serious activity for children. It would therefore result a real waste to lose such a resource when talking about learning, including the learning of Taekwon-Do.

PLAYING AND ITS DIFFICULTIES According to physical education professor Alejandro Orbelli, an expert in playing for developing motor skills and neuroscience applied to sports, "playing has no ages, but has difficultiesâ&#x20AC;?. Obviously that the age serves as an element of reference, but what this professional refers to, is that in no way the date of birth must sentenced whether a child, adolescent or adult can or cannot play. The acquired skills are what will allow enjoying the recreational process and learn through it, or not. It is a fact, continuing with that reasoning, that a same game can be used by children, adolescents, adults and older adults, only by making adjustments or adaptations to their rules. What they should never miss are some of the characteristics that we mentioned before. For the reasons expressed above, is fundamental when is time to plan the children class, to know in which stage of psychophysical development each student is. An instructor must know that in a class it is possible to teach everything to everyone, but this implies that it is not possible to expect the same result from everybody. It is clear, then, that when talking about

playing in a children's class we do not refer to "free time", but to the use of an indispensable tool for the natural development of life skills, social skills, of coordination, of the mind and of those indispensable in TKD. On the other hand, many sociologists and analysts agree that we live in a society that sells "challenges without effort" and that is immersed in a dynamic of "fierce competition" of one against another. Faced with this situation, our answer is to sustain that the boys and girls should have a good time. They must have fun. And due to the fun that the child experiences during the dynamics of the playing, a "positive emotional excitement" is generated which facilitates the learning. But all the boys and girls in the class should have fun, not just a few. And a TKD class should not be the exception, for that reason, every time I dictate a Workshop or a Course of the Children Development Program from the ITF TKD, I allow myself to share the reflection of Sahyun Nim Gato Gato, from Puerto Rico: "Life is full of serious moments that we can adorn with humor. What children learn by smiling, they remember with a smileâ&#x20AC;?.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

After so much theoretical explanation, it just remains to emphasize that the use of games in a class of infantile TKD is not only a possibility, but should be the rule. To do this, I propose to perform the following exercise. Take a general class plan and replace all those activities that are considered "serious" regarding to the learning, for others that involve "playing".

A GOOD RESOURCE IS TO ELABORATE A TABLE LIKE THE FOLLOWING: • Educational objective; Answer the question: what do I want to teach? Or, what is the same: what do I want them to learn? And I explain which the accomplishments we pursue are. • Activity; Answer the question: How could I get them to learn? Doing what? And I explain the mechanics. • Requirements, necessary materials and accessories; Answer the question: with what do I teach? Or, what do I need to do the activity? Also in this column, we can include the answer to: where do I teach? That mean, the characteristics of the necessary place. • Ages; Let recall that more than the date of birth, we refer to the skills achieved. • Regulation. • Time After performing each activity, it is convenient to take note of the results obtained; this will allow us to make adjustments for the planning of future classes in order to optimize the teaching - learning process. Let's get started.

SOURCES CONSULTED: • Curso de Juegos Motores in charge of Professor of Fhysical Education and expert in Neuroscience applied to sports, Alejandro Orbelli. Argentina. • Jugar y divertirse sin excluir. Rosa Guitart Aced. Editorial GRAÓ, de Serveis Pedagógics. Barcelona. 1st edition. • Educar Jugando. Mavilo Calero Pérez. Editorial San Marcos, Lima, Perú. 1998. • Educar en valores y aprender jugando. Aurora Muñoz Sandoval. Editorial MAD SL. Alcalá de Guadaira, Sevilla, España. 1st edition. • Jugar, aprender y enseñar. Noemí Aizencang. Ediciones Manantial SRL, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2005.

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HARM By Gaston Casero

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MONY

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harmony The physical capabilities

By: Gaston Casero Chief of the Harmony Committee

What do we know about them? Undoubtedly we all intuit that as the years go by, there is an involution of the physical capabilities bringing with it a diminution of the functional capacity of the person. As age increases, then there is a decrease in strength, a decline in aerobic capacity and a reduction in joint mobility and flexibility, among other skills. Also, the balance and coordination are significantly affected, which increase the possibility of falling with the risks and difficulties that this entails in everyday life. It is important to know why these qualities are in a downward curve, which can be due to different factors that can vary according each person. Therefore, if we know which generates

the problem, it will be easier to find a solution according each individual. As Taekwon-Do instructors, it is necessary then to know the conditions in which each student arrives to consider and determine what we can do within our classes, what will be beneficial not only for the maintenance but even for an improvement of the capabilities of our older-adults students, and at the same time, it is also necessary to know the things we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do with those students to avoid taking unnecessary risks. To be able to live up to the circumstances and to work in a professional way and with an increasing knowledge of this age segment, we developed - and continue to update - the Harmony Program with the objective of providing a tool to help society, based on the professionalism and empathy of the Instructors as a main axis of the labor.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

GET DOWN TO WORK To implement the Program, among other things, it is important to know some aspects: How physical capabilities are affected by age, which will allow us to know the characteristics of the population with which we are going to work; Which minimum recommendations of physical exercise prescription should be made to improve or maintain quality of life related to the health of the older-adults; How to use and dosage Taekwon-Do exercises and the pauses to correctly stimulate the qualities.

Fortunately, our Founder of TaekwonDo has left us many tools to work the different capabilities in a complete and effective way, which is widely demonstrated. But specifically the Harmony Program Instructors, by working with advanced ages, are focused on stimulating the different capabilities with specific Taekwon-Do exercises (and some others adapted) guaranteeing the progressive and methodological advance of the student. To this effect, as we said before, we must always know and understand the possibilities and limitations of each individual. And when we talk about knowing the possibilities of each individual, we refer to follow a control - the more rigorous, the better - on health, pre-existing problems, etc. of the students, by making the

student-instructor relationship one of the fundamental pillars of this program. Working in this way, we are sure that we will contribute to attenuate or retard the effects of aging on the physical qualities, but for this it is necessary to train on a regular basis, which implies that if, on the contrary, the workouts are sporadic or very distant ones of others in time, the effects will not be perceived. Besides, those trainings should have the appropriate intensity, in this way will contribute to improve the overall functional capacity of the organism providing a sense of wellbeing and boosting their self-esteem significantly. Therefore, we have in our hands a possibility to incorporate a new group

of people who are eager to receive our Taekwon-Do teachings, knowing that at all times they will be cared physically and emotionally by the ITF instructors.

SOCIAL DEV

VELOPMENT

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

Mission Haiti

It must be difficult to meet with such a harsh reality ... could you describe it for us? Besides the beauty of the region, its climate and joy that characterizes us, the Caribbean count with very peculiar characteristics that for years have affected the development of Taekwon-Do in the region. Despite our similarities, there also exist great differences such as language, currency, systems of government and mainly, economic inequality that brings with it very marked cultural and social inequities.

Master Gato Gato, President of the “Asociación Nacional de TKD de Puerto Rico”. He has recently been in Haiti, but we know that is not the first country he has visited in recent times.

Haiti 2016

The case of Haiti, the last of the countries I visited, is a very special one as it has historically been affected by political instability, extreme poverty, deforestation and natural disasters such as tropical storms, hurricanes and the devastating earthquake of 2010 of which they have not yet recovered and in which 200,000 people died, including our former President, GM Tran Trieu Quan.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

However, Haiti is a nation that refuses to surrender but continue standing to fight, so if there is a country that represents perseverance and indomitable spirit, in my opinion, is this one. While you had already talked something in a previous note, which were the tasks performed during your visit to that country? Beyond the technical support, I also had the opportunity to meet with several Taekwon-Do leaders of Haiti and present them with a short-term plan. Among other issues, we managed to agree that they stated their intention to work together for the good of TKD in the country. On the other hand, it was agreed to create an alliance between existing clubs that guarantee the exchange and technical development, as well as to enable the affiliation of a new Club in Cape Haitian (process that has already started).

Finally, we agreed that a Board be chosen with representation of all groups as a way to begin with the constitution of the Haitian Association of Taekwon-Do.

What do you expect of having left in Haiti, after your visit? ÂĄHope! At least some of it.

Which were the negative points you found?

Could you explain, please, if these trips are part of a major project?

Without a doubt, mistrust. Yes, they definitely are! And this is something I can perfectly understand, as they have suffered many disenchantments and disappointments. Despite the unfavorable environment, if you had to highlight anything or some things, which would be those ones? As I said before, the perseverance of its people! It is about adult instructors, with many years of practice but who are hardly 2nd or 3rd Degrees and, despite the mentioned adversities and disappointments they continue to share with others this great passion.

It is an idea that we have been contemplating for years, mainly with Instructors Ryan Rampair from Trinidad and Tobago and Arthur Barrows from Jamaica. With them we have shared competitions and training courses for years until we decided that it was time to put our knowledge at the service of our region. With that in mind, in 2010 we had a meeting in Trinidad and Tobago with the participation of leaders from Anguilla, Barbados, Bahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and, of course, Trinidad and Tobago. And recently, we held another meeting during the development of the IIC in Puerto Rico. Can you tell us which the vision of such a project is? What is your dream? To create a working team composed of Masters, Instructors, coaches and managers of the region, in charge to help develop and organize the National Associations and Recognized Clubs from all the islands. From there, start to provide technical support to the Instructors, giving them ideas and options to complement their exam curricula and to reinforce their teaching methods.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

I dream with a united and prosperous Caribbean! I dream with a Caribbean that has its own status as a region, since our Caribbean reality is quite different from that of the countries of North America, to which today we correspond in structure. GM Paul Weiler has been developing the Takwon-Do in the African continent and, after some years, is evident today the growth that our martial art have experienced in numerous countries. GM Paul Weiler has been a great inspiration to me. His dedication, compassion and social commitment deserve the respect and admiration of the whole world. I have the great joy that he offered me his advice and he has closely followed these first steps in the Caribbean.

During the IIC held in Canada, he donated several doboks for Haitian children. Knowing the way in which you work in your own national organization, in relation to planning stages, analysis of resources, study programs development, continuous training of instructors, constant search of a teamwork, have you got in mind to replicate and share a bit of that experience for the whole region? Yes, there are already islands such as Anguilla, Dominican Republic

and Trinidad and Tobago that have begun to implement some of the programs which have resulted highly successful in Puerto Rico.

they must be organized, and have shown their interest in emulating the systems used by Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

What are the main obstacles to your project?

How do you visualize the Caribbean region in about, say 20 years?

Although it sounds incredible, one of them is how expensive is to travel within the Caribbean. Another obstacle is that we count with islands with very little population in which there is practically impossible to organize any kind of activity. Which are the positive points you have noticed in the countries you have visited or with those you have made contact? The attitude and the wishes of overcoming. They have very clear that to grow

With great leaders working at the service of humanity through Taekwon-Do. And to finish this interview, I can only add my deep gratitude to the ITF for the support with the IICs carried out in the Caribbean (Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and in the near future in Cuba), and for giving me the opportunity to collaborate with the development of Taekwon-Do in the region.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

Trinidad & Tobago 2016

Anguila

Haiti 2016

AFR

RICA

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

Continental Federation

new

African Taekwon-Do Federation = ATF established!

It is with great pleasure to inform our ITF members that the African Taekwon-Do Federation = ATF has been established successfully. It is our opinion that it was the

right time to do so because this will have a big impact on the further development on the African Continent for both: the ITF and the African Member Organisations.

THE HISTORICAL MEETING On August 5th, 2016 the 2nd African ITF Continental Meeting was held at SAREM International Hotel (Addis Ababa) as a Constitutive Meeting with the participation of 9 member countries of our ITF (in alphabetical order):

1. Djibouti 2. Ethiopia 3. Kenya 4. Madagascar 5. Mozambique 6. South Africa 7. Tanzania 8. Uganda 9. Zimbabwe

represented by Mr. Bahdon Omar represented by Mr. Wogayehu Behailu represented by Mr. William Wamweya represented by Mr. Tafita Rakotoarisoa represented by Mr. Alexandre Mabjaia represented by Mr. Bert Gey van Pittius represented by Mr. Said Kenedy represented by Mr. Robert Ojiambo represented by Mr. Richard Mashanje

SPECIAL GUESTS

Mr. Hailu Minretayew Mr. Kebede Ejegu GM Paul Weiler Master David McNairn Master Ernesto Santaniello Sabum Niklas Enander Sabum Jonathan Morris Boosaboom Olsson David Karanja Sabum Getachew Shiferaw Sabum Yigebawal Cheru Sabum Yosef Geleta Sabum Elias Kumel Mr. Anteneh Belay Mr. John Arnold Mr. Kharam Ramadhan Mr. Nevermindone Sherenione Mr. Joshua Nhantave

– Representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports – Secretary General of the ITF Umbrella Organisation = EITF – ITF Senior Vice – President – ITF Scotland – ITF Italy – ITF Sweden – ITF France – ITF Sweden – South Sudan – EITA Vice-President – EITA Treasurer – EITA Board Member – EITA Umpire Committee Chairman – EITA Interpreter – Tanzania – Uganda – Zimbabwe – Mozambique

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation • www.taekwondoitf.org

The atmosphere was fantastic and with every moment it was clear that the African representatives are „really brothers and sisters in TKD“.

THE DECISIONS 1. African Taekwon-Do Federation Constitution was approved 2. African Taekwon-Do Federation = ATF was established 3. African Taekwon-Do Federation Board of Directors was elected:

President: Vice-President: Secretary General: Treasurer: Member: Honorary President:

Mr. Wogayehu Behailu (Ethiopia) Mr. Robert Ojiambo (Uganda) Mr. Bert Gey van Pittius (South Africa) Mr. Tafita Rakotoarisoa (Madagascar) Mr. Bahdon Omar (Djibouti) Mr. Tamrat Feyessa (Ethiopia) The first Board of the ATF (from left to right): Mr. Tamrat Feyessa (Honorary President – Ethiopia), Mr. Tafita Rakotoarisoa (Treasurer – Madagascar), Mr. Bahdon Omar (Board Member – Djibouti), Mr. Wogayehu Behailu (President – Ethiopia), Mr. Bert Gey van Pittius (Secretary General – South Africa), Mr. Robert Ojiambo (Vice-President – Uganda).

The ATF will be registered in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and the new elected President will proceed to the Ministry of Law with the complete paperwork to apply for it.

HISTORY REPEATS

ATF WEBSITE

The number 9 was a very important number for our beloved Founder General Choi Hong-Hi. 50 years after the establishment of the ITF in 1966 with 9 founding members again 9 countries were the founding members of the ATF and for the first time in ITF history a Continental Federation has been established on the African Continent.

Sabum Niklas Enander established the ATF website with the help of his student Viktoria Olausson. Many thanks for this great achievement and support.

We are waiting for the official registration papers from the Ethiopian Government.

www.itfafrica.com www.tkdafrica.com

All participants of the African Taekwon-Do Federation Constitutive Meeting on August 5th, 2016 at SAREM International Hotel Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

ITF CON

NGRESS

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

itf

congress

The ITF XXIV Congress was held in Budapest (Hungary) on October 16, 2016 and started at 3:00 p.m. The Congress took place in the conference hall of the Hotel Arena in Budapest, with the presence of the President of the ITF, GM. Pablo Trajtenberg Kavlin, and the Secretary General, Master Juan Ferrando Savall. A total of 48 countries attended the Congress, of which 42 were associations with voting rights. The event began with the welcome speech of ITF President, GM Pablo Trajtenberg.

During the Congress, current issues of the ITF were discussed; reports from all Committees were presented, the candidate countries hosting the next World Cup 2020 made their presentations to all attendees. The upcoming World Championship to be held in Dublin (Ireland) in October 2017 was confirmed. There was also talk about of the future of the International Taekwon-do Federation and the steps to continue to grow. The Congress finished at 7:00 p.m.

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;¢ www.taekwondoitf.org

WORLD CHA IRLANDA

AMPIONSHIP - DUBLIN

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Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;˘ www.taekwondoitf.org

REGISTERING FOR THE EVENT All competitors, coaches, VIPs, Officials and supporters must register for the event through the Promis registration site. The team manager/responsible person must first apply for a log-in. Registration site link: http://wchamp2017.pztkd.lublin.pl/

IMPORTANT DATES

Before June 1st

Umpire applications sent to ITF Umpire Committe(itfuc13@gmail.com)

Before June 30th

VISA Application from sent to VISA officer (mark.smith@tusla.ie)

Before July 30th

50% Deposit on hotel paid and rooming list supplied to accommodation officer (lyran@taekwondo.ie)

Before August 31st

Transport Booking Form sent to Transport officer (lyran@taekwondo.ie)

Before August 31 st

100% of hotel paid and rooming list confirmed with accommodation officer (lyran@taekwondo.ie) Note - Reservation is only confirmed when 100% paid to Hotel

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ARENA V<VZZ

VISA The organising committee has notified the Irish Visa Entry Department and the Minister of the upcoming World Championship. If you require a visa you must turn to the appropriate Irish Embassy or consulate in your country. In case any issues arise turn to the organising committee. To easily check which counstries require a visa for Ireland, please visit the Ministry of Internal Affairs web site, where you will finde all the necessary

information about visas: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Countries whose nationals are visa required. It is your responsability to request visas in time, the earlier you do it the more probability of success. June 30th is the cut off date for visa applications for the championships in Ireland, we do hace support of the minister, but applications must be done in time, to be successful.

IMPORTANT LINKS

DOSSIER LINK: FACEBOOK: WEB:

Https://indd.adobe.com/view/7568385c-4559-43a6-8a67-986d3b727388 https://www.facebook.com/ITFWC2017 www.itfwc2017.com

Intenational Taekwon-Do Federation â&#x20AC;¢ www.taekwondoitf.org