We wish you all a warm and happy festive season, to be shared and enjoyed with your loved ones.
Eat, drink and be merry, for there is always training to come back to and burn it off.
Be sure to spread the cheer among your Taekwon-Do colleagues and friends, who may be spending the time alone, or grieving recent losses, so that they know they are being thought of too.
For those travelling near and far during this time, we hope you stay safe and have a great break.
The holiday season is a time, not just to catch up with family and friends, but also gives instructors and schools a chance to take a well earned break.
Be sure to take the opportunity to relax, enjoy the weather and come back with your energies and motivations recharged.
Look back with pride at all the great things you achieved in 2022, and think about some goals you wish to set for yourself in 2023.
We have lots of activities and events planned already for 2023, so we are excited about the year to come.
Once again, wishing a very Merry Christmas to you all.
Eureka, its Gold and Bronze for the Green and Gold. Congratulations to all who were part of the small but successful Australian team who competed in the recent ITF World Championships in the Netherlands.
After a year delay due to the infamous lockdowns, the ITF finally got a chance to stage the ITF World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Without domestic tournaments for more than 2 years, preparation for this year’s National Team was not as organized as normal.
Due to restrictions, financial hardship and travel reluctance, the team was a lot smaller than past Aussie Teams, and also one of the least experienced, with 5 of the 7 participants attending their first ITF World Championships.
But, oh boy, what an outcome we got, with Charlise Grossel of Canberra, stunning us all on Day 1, winning the Female Power Breaking late in the afternoon. It was a truly amazing result for the World Champs debutant.
We had high hopes that we may be able to snag a medal or two in the Men’s sparring, with the very experienced Zdybel’s getting on the mat. It wasn’t to be, and although both acquitted themselves well, unfortunately they did not make it through to the medal rounds.
So Day 2 ended, with everyone still on a high from that awesome Gold medal on the opening day. The general feeling in the camp was that we probably wouldn’t get any more medals.
Day 3 proved us wrong, the Men’s Power Breaking Team stepped up and became Bronzed Aussies with literally a smashing performance, coming in Third Place. To be honest, as great a result as it was, they were really only a whisker away from cleaning up the Gold again.
So all in all, a fantastic result at a very enjoyable and well organized and run event.
Congratulations to the squad who represented Australia. Phil Zdybel combined his competing in Sparring, Patterns, Power and Teams, with coaching other team members. Joshua Zdybel also competed in the same events. Jordan Steele and Kirby Ellis took part in both Power events, while Grace Ellis competed in Patterns. Then of course there was Australia’s new Golden Girl, Charlise Grossel competing in Patterns and winning gold in the Power ……. Eureka !!!
Katrina Cubit worked very hard Umpiring for 3 days, whilst INO President Master Michael Muleta was part of the 4-person Tournament Committee coordinating the overall event.
So Australia, and more specifically United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia (INO#23) as the National Organization, was well represented and people knew Australia was there….. oi oi oi.
Congratulations to all the new black belts who were tested and successfully promoted over the past 2 weeks in both Newcastle and Rockhampton.
Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree, travelled to Newcastle, NSW early June to conduct some Black Belt Examinations and an ITF Masterclass at the Titan Martial Arts school. Some black belts had also been promoted the week before, by Sabum Michael Omay.
Those promoted included:
Michael Omay 6th Degree
Scott Gannon, 5th Degree
Sam Wilson, 5th Degree
Alex Sorensen, 4th Degree
Simon Aliendi, 3rd Degree
James Magill, 3rd Degree
Chris Streets, 3rd Degree
Archer Woller, 2nd degree
Tim Kerkhoff, 2nd Degree
Maclean Davis, 1st Degree
Travis Charlton, 1st Degree
Sapphire Tabas, 1st Degree
Tiarne Sattler, 1st Degree
Kalleah Sattler, 1st Degree
Amy Burke, 1st Degree
Jerrome Teasdale, 1st Degree
The following week, Master Muleta travelled to Rockhampton for more Masterclasses and a Black Belt grading. The successful new Black belt promotion was:
Nikki Olzard, 3rd Degree
The next round of Black Belt exams and Masterclasses with Master Muleta will be held in Canberra, ACT over the weekend on 8-10th, July 2022.
Violence against women is a serious and widespread issue in Australia, as well as throughout the world. And while the long term goal is education to stop violence against women, there are actionable strategies women can employ, right now. Here are 7 very simple reasons you should consider taking a women’s self defense class.
1 – Don’t Become a Statistic
Frankly, the statistics in Australia alone are frightening. At least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner. One in three women have experienced physical violence. 300,000 women a year experience physical or sexual violence from a stranger.
Violence against women contributes to more death, disability and illness to women between 15 and 44 than any other preventable risk factor. Learning self-defense gives you the power to avoid becoming one of these statistics, now.
2 – Prevention and Awareness
As teens and adults we become increasingly fixated on the front and our devices, often being unaware of what’s around us. You work with an experienced instructor to develop strategies that work best for you against a variety of opponents, attacks and situations. Above all, women’s self defense teaches us awareness and prevention.
3 – Take Control for Yourself and Other Women
Women’s self defense is about taking safety into our own hands. Taking a Self defense class is our chance to take action in our own lives, to take control of our own present and future. The fact is, crimes against women happen and will continue to happen.
Women’s self defense classes can help prevent us becoming victims. Knowing how to defend ourselves gives us a better chance of stopping attacks and even lessening attacks against women in the future.
4 – Great Exercise!
Self defense classes, at the end of the day, can also be a great source of exercise, working a range of vital parts of your body. It not only exercises your body physically, it also exercises your mind, reactions and reflexes. It is also an incredible way of exercising your own power and confidence.
You do not have to be physically strong to be successful at self-defense. If you can learn to successfully escape or prevent a dangerous situation, then you are exercising good self-defense.
5 – Be Accountable
As women, we are constantly encouraged to be accountable for ourselves. We are told to be accountable for our finances. We are told to account for our stress and encouraged to be accountable for our health, weight and diet, along with our workouts and fitness.
It stands to reason that we should be accountable for our self defense. Is it really so hard to add a self defense class to our routine as we would add the latest yoga, pilates or work out fad? However, unlike a fad, this is something that will actually make a monumental, positive change to our lives.
6 – Be Feminine
There is a terrible misconception – unfortunately perpetuated by mass media – that self defense is unfeminine and unattractive. These dangerous articles claim that women who pursue self defense are masculine, “jacked up” and have a distasteful love for violence. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, many models, actresses and even pageant winners are devotees of women’s self defense. Women’s self defense is incredibly feminine because it is empowering. Encouraging women to take self defense is a beautiful, inspiring thing. So, ignore the dangerous misconceptions of mainstream media and enjoy learning self defense.
7 – Do Something Now
Of course we need better education to end violence against women and men. Violence of all kinds is unacceptable. Unfortunately, though, education is long term and may not be able to help you today, tomorrow or even next year. That is why women’s self defense education is important. This is something that can happen now. Women’s self defense provides functional strategies, techniques and training methods to stop an attacker intent on hurting you.
It gives you the security and confidence, right now, that you can protect yourself should the need arise. Unfortunately, no matter how well intended, ideologies can’t do that. So until education catches up with reality, keep yourselves safe. Invest in women’s self defense today.
We’ve released the first couple of videos here, and will be releasing more over the next couple of weeks.
If you want to get your first, directly to your inbox, please support by subscribing to our video channel, and leave us a like if you found the video useful.
With much of the country still in lockdown, and interstate borders closed, our executive committee have taken the decision to make our annual Australian Championships the2021 ITF Online Nationals.
The event is open to all ITF practitioners, regardless off age, rank or affiliation.
We ask all instructors to do their best to support this event with as many enthusiastic students as possible.
As it is now an online nationals, and after the wonderful support of our previous online events, we also welcome international participants to take part.
Eureka, its Gold and Bronze for the Green and Gold. Congratulations to all who were part of the small but successful Australian team who competed in the recent 
defense class is our chance to take action in our own lives, to take control of our own present and future. The fact is, crimes against women happen and will continue to happen.
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