120th IIC Report

120th International Instructors Course, 7th-9th July in Manchester 

& Master Robin Blair 7th Degree Promotion

 

IIC DAY 1

The 120th International Instructors Course hosted by TaeKwon-Do UK on behalf of ITF England welcomed 202 participants from 14 countries to the very sunny city of Manchester. The following ITF member countries were in attendance; Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Switzerland & Wales.

27 TaeKwon-Do practioners travelled south from a somewhat cooler Scotland to Manchester, the vast majority being members of ITF Scotland. The 3-day course took place at the Armitage Centre, which is the University of Manchester’s main sports facility. The campus had on site accommodation within a few minutes walk of the training hall that was ideal for those not wishing to book a hotel away from the site and have to travel.

Course registration took place on Friday morning, with everyone receiving a free Mightyfist goody bag, fridge magnet, pen, course t-shirt and a much-needed bottle of water. The course was brought forward by half an hour and commenced promptly at 2pm with speeches and introductions to the ITF Technical Committee consisting of Grand Master Hector Marano, Grand Master Ung Kim Lan & Master Pierre Laquerre. Each of the Masters taking part on the course were given a commemorative glass plaque.

Master Laquerre kicked off the proceedings with an hour long warm up concentrating on the legs and core muscles before handing over to the Grand Masters who spent the remainder of the day covering colour belt patterns with some brave volunteers being picked apart during the Q&A sessions. The day ended at 6pm with everyone in need of refreshment and a bite to eat.

 

 

 

 

IIC Day 2

Saturday morning saw everyone line up at 8.45 to allow the Technical Committee to enter the hall, our second day of training starting shortly after 9pm with a brief warm up before a morning of 1st Degree patterns. The 1st degrees were taken to a different hall for some self defence whilst the remainder of the group proceeded with 2nd Degree patterns the session overran by 30 minutes cutting into the allotted time for lunch break allowing more time for training.

The afternoon saw the group divided further with 1st & 2nd Degrees taken to the second training hall thus allowing for 3rd Degrees and above to go over 3rd Degree patterns. The pattern sessions were interspersed with some 3 step, 2 step and 1 step sparring throughout the day. The final split of the day reunited the 1st & 2nd Degrees with the main group for some self-defence. 5th Degrees and above were then taken away to go over Tong Il. The group were brought back together and dismissed for the day shortly after 4 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Master’s Grading

As nearly 200 TaeKwon-Do students were leaving the training hall looking forward to a relaxing summers evening and quite possibly a cold drink, 4 candidates were readying themselves to sit a Master’s Grading under Grand Masters Marano, Lan and Ellis. One of those candidates was our very own Mr Robin Blair 6th Degree. Master’s Gradings are a strictly private affair within the ITF, this was no exception with less than a dozen fellow Master’s in the hall to watch the proceedings. I am pleased to say that although I was not permitted to sit in the hall I found myself in a position to watch the entire grading.

Mr Blair and his fellow candidates were put through their paces in a grading that consisted of a handful of blackbelt patterns, 3,2 & 1 step sparring, free sparring, self defence & board breaking. There was also a display of self-defence from a seated chair and a kneeling position on the floor, culminating with questions at the table from the Grand Master’s. As a viewer I would say that all candidates were exemplary, the energy, effort and skill shown throughout would embarrass a much younger man.

Needless to say after a short discussion at the grading table, promotions were awarded to all concerned with Master Robin Blair being the 3rd name to be called. Special mention to Master Jamie Campins who was among the first to congratulate Scotland’s newest Master, Master Campins had travelled to Manchester solely to support Master Blair and left for the long journey home shortly after doing so.

Due to pressing commitments elsewhere Master David McNairn was not able to attend the IIC but on hearing of Master Blair’s promotion sent the following message.

“Congratulations Master Blair, it was a pleasure to work with you on the run up to your grading, sorry I had to change my plans at the last minute and I was not there to see you grade, but word on the street is that you passed with flying colours, as expected. We will celebrate when I get back, the way only we know how ! David”.

Master’s earning promotion :

Master John Archer 7th Degree

Master Ian Ridley 7TH Degree

Master Robin Blair 7th Degree

Master Kim Anderson 8th Degree

 

 

After a quick shower and bite to eat, Master Blair was dragged out for what he thought would be a quiet night. That was not the case as he was joined by members from Pro-Edge, Howden, GMAC, Forth Valley TKD & DMBBA for a celebratory drink. Mr Lupton surprised Master Blair by presenting him with a new Master’s dobok and embroidered belt on behalf of the STA members. Needles to say everyone was tucked up in bed early in preparation for the last day of the IIC.

 

Banquet

The IIC Banquet was held in the Great Hall of the University of Manchester with 120 people sitting down for dinner with the ITF Technical Committee. A raffle was held during the night’s proceedings, which raised a staggering £1100 for the victims of the Grenfell Tower Fire in London. Further contributions were made after the closing of the IIC to bolster this sum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IIC Day 3

After the formalities of lining up in front of the Technical Committee it was straight down to business, a warm up with Master Laquerre before the group was split yet again. This time 1st to 3rd degrees moved to the smaller hall for some self defence, to allow 4th Degrees and above to go thru 4th Degree patterns under the direction of GM Marano & Lan.

The groups were brought back together for some sparring drills with GM Lan before moving on to some stretching with Master Laquerre, which brought the sessions to an end. Closing speeches were made by all members of the ITF Technical Committee and the organisers Master John Archer and Mr Jeff Brider 4th Degree who gave Grand Masters Marano, Lan and Master Laquerre some gifts as souvenirs of their visit.

After the customary handing out of course certificates, everyone had the opportunity for photos with the course instructors before departure.

Many Thanks to Master John Archer & Mr James Miley 6th Degree for organising and inviting us to the 120th IIC, special thanks must go to Mr Jeff Brider 4th Degree for the fantastic job he did with the administration of what was a fantastic weekend of Taekwon-Do.

 

Report by: Mr Ronnie Dewhurst 4th Degree

Pictures: Various sources

ITF Scotland Members at the 120th IIC ;

Master Robin Blair 7th Degree

Mr Garry Shaw 6th Degree

Mr John McIlvaney 6th Degree

Mr David Lupton 5th Degree

Mr Ronnie Dewhurst 4th Degree

Mr John Munro 4th Degree

Mr Brian Penman 4th Degree

Mr Jason Munro 3rd Degree

Mr Ross Penman 3rd Degree

Mr Christopher Dickson 3rd Degree

Mrs Kerris Dickson 3rd Degree

Miss Lauren McMillan 3rd Degree

Mr Michael Carver 2nd Degree

Mr Craig McDonald 2nd Degree

Mr John Ricci 2nd Degree

Mr Stewart Mellon 2nd Degree

Mrs Catriona Steele 1st Degree

Mrs Brenda Bow 1st Degree

 

Some further pictures can be found in the gallery below.

 

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Report WLO 2017

This years edition of the West Lothian Open was held in Armadale Academy on Sunday 25th June.  This year the event attracted 377 competitors from 24 schools across Scotland and England.  Over the course of the day, more than 200 divisions were contested over 8 rings. With NTA – Boydell TKD being crowned overall school champions with 23 Gold medals.

 

Schools Attending

Aberdeenshire Blackbelt Clubs

Broxburn Black Belt Academy

Chimera Taekwon-Do

Club Lee

Glasgow East Taekwon-Do

GMAC Martial Arts

GMAC Tollcross

Howden School of Taekwon-Do

I-Kick Martial Arts

Inverness TKD

Lochgelly TKD

Monaghan Taekwon-Do

NTA-Boydell TKD

NTA-MWBA

Pro-Edge TKD

Robertsons Martial Arts

Scottish Martial Arts Centre

Shawmartialarts

T.A.E. Reflex Academy

T.A.E. – Jon Churchward Schools of Taekwon-Do

Taekwon-Do Association of England

Taekwon-Do UK

UTF Scotland

WMA

 

Congratulations to all medal winners, results can be found below.

 

WLO 2017 Overall School Results

WLO 2017_All Division Results

Master Blair 7th Degree

On behalf of ITF Scotland Board of Directors we would like take the opportunity to congratulate Master Robin Blair on his promotion to 7th Degree at the 120th International Instructor’s Course in Manchester, England on 8th July.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A full report from the IIC and Master’s grading to follow.

National Team Selection

Students from across the country representing the National and Allied associations met up today to compete for a coveted place on the Scotland Team, and for the chance to wear their National dobok at the upcoming World Championships in October this year.

Everyone displayed an excellent balance between competitive and team spirit doing themselves and their clubs proud and competing in the very essence of Taekwon-Do.

 

The coaches results and feedback will be communicated in due course by the team manager. In the meantime I would like to congratulate everyone for their dedication and hard work in preparation for today.

 

National Team Training Dates

ITF Scotland National Team Training will be held on the following dates during May 2017.

Sunday 21st May 11am – 2pm 

Sunday 28th May 11am – 2pm

Both sessions will be held at GMAC Martial Arts, Livingston.  Cost £10.  

 

Session’s are open to all students 12 years & over, all members are encouraged to attend.

WC2017 National Team Application

Dear Grand Masters, Masters and Instructors,

 
Further to the communication previously regarding the selection for the ITF World Championships, please find attached the selection application form.  Applications should be signed and returned via instructors by the closing date of 4th June to Mr. John McIlvaney on nationalteam@itfscotland.com 
 
Regards
 
 
Mrs. Gillian McIlvaney
Secretary General – ITF Scotland 
 

WC2017 National Team Selection Date

Dear Grand Master, Masters and Instructors,

 
Please find below notification of the Scottish National Team Selections for the 2017 ITF World Championships.  
 
To be held as follows:
 
Date:  Sunday 11th June 2017
Venue:  GMAC Martial Arts, Craigshill Road, Livingston, EH54 5DT
Time:  09:00hrs – 15:00hrs
 
Full application and further information will follow in due course.  In the meantime please kindly forward details to your interested competitors.
 
Regards
 
Mrs. Gillian McIlvaney

Secretary General – ITF Scotland
 
 

West Lothian Open Invite

Dear Grand Masters, Masters and Instructors,

 
It is with great pleasure that you and your students are invited to the 2017 West Lothian Open on Sunday 25th June, at Armadale Academy, Armadale, West Lothian.
 
Please find attached the invitation, along with an individual entry form which can be distributed to students.  The registration is online only, and can be completed at www.handlesport.com on or before 15th June 2017 (22:59hrs).  To register your student, first please register for an instructors account, this will take approximately 24 hours to activate if you do not already have one.
 
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
I look forward to your seeing you and your students on 25th June.
 
Yours in Taekwon-Do,
 
 
Mrs. Gillian McIlvaney
On behalf of WLO Organising Committee
 

DOWNLOADS

 

Success in Bulgaria

The ITF Scotland National team have just returned from the 32nd Senior & 23rd Junior European Taekwon-Do Championships 2017, held on the 20–23 April 2017 in “Arena Armeec Sofia“ Multifunctional Sports Hall, Sofia city, Bulgaria

The competition was conducted in compliance with the AETF competition rules and the participants competed in the individual and team disciplines of Pattern, Sparring, Special Techniques & Power Test.
The competition was open to Black Belt holders for competitors aged 14 years and above.

The team travelled with 35 competitors, 12 coaches, 3 umpires and 19 supporters. Arriving at their hotel for a successful weigh in on the Wednesday morning they then went on to some light pre competition training.

With an opening ceremony on the Thursday morning, the competitors and spectators were treated to some contemporary and traditional dance and music, taking them through the Bulgarian culture, followed by the commencement of the event and the patterns category.

The National team all performed well, scooping up ten medals in total; (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 6 Bronze). This is testimony to the hard work of the coaches and team, improving on last years’ performance, moving up from 11th in the over-all rankings to 8th.

Following the event, the team had a day to relax before returning home, and took in some of the sights the city of Sofia had to offer.

 

Full Results:
GOLD

Junior Female Team Pattern (Elle Trinder, Dannielle. Gallagher, Alex Marshall, Catriona McRoberts & Erin Logan)

Michael McRoberts:  Senior Male 1st Degree Pattern

Gilles Brown:  Senior Male -85kg Sparring

 

SILVER

Katrina Carr:  Senior Female -50kg Sparring

 

BRONZE

Senior Female Team Power (Stephanie Willis, Katrina Carr, Sarah Curtis, Megan Brown)

Senior Male Team Pattern (Jason Munro, Iain O’Hare, Stewart Mellon, Michael McRoberts, Kieran Cain)

Catriona McRoberts:  Junior Female 1st Degree Pattern

Emma Fraser:  Junior Female Power

Michael McRoberts:  Senior Male -63kg Sparring

Iain O’Hare:  Senior Male -70kg Sparring

 

 

All Scottish Draws/Results can be found here.

Photo’s courtesy of Mr. Craik.  Link can be found here to all his pictures.

 

Europe Bound!

The National Team head off on Tuesday to compete in the 2017 AETF European Championships, being held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from the 20th – 23rd April. 

Since selection’s were made at the end of last year, the team have been busy preparing at weekly sessions, to compete for the coveted Title “European Champion 2017”.
We wish them the very best in their endeavours.

 

2017 European Championships Team Members:

 

Senior Female:

Sarah Angus, Megan Brown, Katrina Carr, Sarah Curtis, Catriona Steele, Stephanie Willis

 

Senior Male:

Gilles Brown, Kieran Cain, Alexander Gray, David Gray, Michael McRoberts, Stewart Mellon, Rhys Muirhead, Jason Munro, Iain O’Hare, Lewis Walker

 

Junior Female:

Emma Fraser, Dannielle Gallacher, Erin Logan, Alex Marshall, Kloe McKay, Lauren McKay, Catriona McRoberts, Chiara Mullen, Jemma Swinburne, Lara Torrance, Elle Trinder

 

Junior Male:

Rico Campins, James Craik, Owen Glennie, Jay Jervis, Prentis MacLean, Hayden McAvoy, Marcus Muniz, Gregor Towers.

 

 

The DRAWS are now available online.  Click Link here 

You can also follow the team throughout the competition via the ITF Scotland Facebook Page,