Unified ITF in Australia

It's been an eventful few months on the International scene. With the World Championships well behind us, we've settled back into routine soundly and got on with things.  I'm currently working on a schedule for 2014 which contains a minimum of Four Gup Gradings and Two Dan Testings throughout.  This will be squared away over the next month or so to ensure a running start for 2014.  I'll also be putting forward plans to host our first Seminar with Grand Master Hwang or nominated Senior in his stead, providing we can get the support for it here.

Having kept in touch with the Unified ITF since the Worlds, a series of circumstances beyond my control have occurred and I've been offered the opportunity to represent their interests in the Australian region in lieu of a possible permanent  Representative Entity being stood up.  This is obviously a huge role and responsibility to take on, given I know Grand Master Hwang and his family on a personal level, I'll endeavour to represent in the best capacity I can in the interim.  Currently, Unified ITF in Australia is a small and close-knit family.  Although I remain reserved about the circumstances that led to this point, we're happy to have found our collective home and I'm looking forward to the rewards and challenges this role will inevitably provide.

I naturally had concerns taking up such a monumental role and I had ample time to consider it.  Through my experience with the UITF these last few years and more recently over the last couple of months, I'm happy to say the UITF are a forward thinking organisation with process and procedures that protect the interests and principles of the Art over wholesale membership and as a fledgeling International Community I'm proud to be given an opportunity to be engaged, providing input in it's direction and policy, a change from simply being a passive member of my club forwarding my beliefs and opinions to my Senior.  The UITF have also provided a number of supporting offers, as quoted by the Secretary General of the Unified ITF, Ms Jade Hwang on behalf of Grand Master Hwang;

With five Dojangs across three schools in Sydney and Canberra, we have a modest start and all things considered, Unified ITF in Australia is doing well.  Our own aligned Club, Tong-Il Taekwon-Do, has built up to around 40 Training Members and with the new Northside Dojang set to open next year, our own future is off to a resounding start as well.  From time to time, a new era dawns with a major change in life-circumstances.  As quoted from a Master lending his advice to me recently; "Just continue to be you, your integrity will shine through and things will just fall into place.".  I like to believe this is one of those very events and I really do look forward to seeing where our future takes us now.  If you too are an Individual, Club or Organisation wanting to be part of an Internationally resourced and recognised group of practitioners teaching and learning True Taekwon-Do, I encourage you to Contact Us or Find out more...

Yours in Taekwon-Do!

Sabum Scott Bower
6th Degree International Instructor and Examiner
Tong-Il Taekwon-Do Australia
Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation - Interim Australian Representative

Moving Forward...

...one step at a time. 

As you can see, a new site and new logos and shortly a number of other differences will gradually roll through as I work on settling everything into a comfortable fit together.  I'm pragmatic about recent events, I've accomplished what I set out to achieve at the World Championships just passed and I did this in the company of Great Friends, I'll cherish these experiences and intend to relive them in two years' time come Italy World Championships if not sooner!  In the mean time though, there's plenty to keep us occupied, we have several Seminars we could attend including 9th Degree Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha Good Will Seminar this month (20th through 22nd) and an upcoming Seminar with 8th Degrees Senior Master Don Dalton from Ireland and Senior Master Moore from Worldwide Taekwon-Do Australia in beautiful New Zealand come March 22nd through 24th next year. 

We also have some Competitions available to us, Elite Taekwon-Do in Sydney will be hosting their AMAG Tournament on November 17th, 2013 - see Elite Taekwon-Do Website for more information. There's also the potential to travel to South Korea around August next year for the Unification Games (KoreanKick Festival) to be held on the Jeju Islands, all this to occur before the World Championships head around again in Italy, 2015.

In the mean time, keep in touch with us here - You'll also be able to find us now on Facebook and Google+ too.

Yours in Taekwon-Do,

Sabum Scott Bower

GM Hwang Seminar Weekend

Another Busy Weekend was had as the Canberra Contingent travelled to Maroochydore for the Grand Master Hwang Kwang Sung Seminar and UITF Open Invitation Nationals.  With Mr Rabbett testing for 4th Degree, we held high hopes for an Awesome Weekend and that's exactly what we had!  Congratulations to Mr Rabbett on his successful promotion and with our International Instructor ranks increasing, I hold high hopes for our future.

We travelled to Brisbane and Maroochydore for the first time proudly sporting our Team Colours and as expected, we caught up with all the usual faces from around Australia.  We all got to training with the Australian Squad on arriving from Canberra and this set the scene for a great weekend.  Grand Master Hwang K. S. oversaw the Championships on the Saturday and then backed up the event with his own Two Day Seminar.  Grand Master Kwang imparted yet another enormous quantity of First Hand Knowledge in Taekwon-Do and his own personal and invaluable experience with the History of Taekwon-Do and General Choi.  His sharp wit and gentle personality made for an Excellent Seminar and for that, we thank him for our own invaluable experiences!

Taekwon!

Sabum Scott.