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Flexibility – Why it’s important and how to develop it

Flexibility – Why it’s important and how to develop it.

flexibility

Flexibility offers numerous benefits, including:

  1. Improved range of motion: Flexibility training can increase the motion of your joints, allowing you to move more freely and perform daily activities with greater ease.
  2. Reduced risk of injury: Flexible muscles and joints are less prone to injury as they can better withstand sudden movements and unexpected stress.
  3. Improved posture: Poor posture can lead to pain and other musculoskeletal injuries. Flexibility training can improve posture by stretching and lengthening the muscles surrounding the spine and other joints.
  4. Decreased muscle tension: Flexibility training can help to reduce muscle tension and ease muscle soreness, allowing you to recover faster after exercise.
  5. Enhanced athletic performance: Greater flexibility can improve athletic performance by allowing you to move faster, lunge further, and jump higher.
  6. Improved balance and coordination: Better flexibility can increase bodily awareness and control, improving your balance and coordination.
  7. Reduced stress: Stretching and flexibility exercises can help to relax your body and mind, reducing stress levels and promoting overall well-being.

Overall, flexibility training is an essential component of any fitness routine and offers numerous physical and mental health benefits.

flexibility 2

There are various ways to improve flexibility, including:

  1. Stretching: Stretching exercises, such as dynamic stretching and static stretching, can elongate your muscles and help to increase your range of motion.
  2. Yoga: Practicing yoga is an effective way to improve flexibility as it incorporates stretching and can help to increase stability and balance.
  3. Foam Rolling: Foam rolling is a method of self-myofascial release that can help to release muscle tension and increase flexibility.
  4. Pilates: Pilates exercises focus on building core strength and stabilization, which can help to improve flexibility in the spine and other areas of the body.
  5. Warm-up exercises: Doing a warm-up exercise before starting any physical activity can prepare your muscles and joints for the upcoming workout and can prevent injury.
  6. Regular exercise: Engage in regular physical activity, such as light jogging, cycling, or swimming. These exercises encourage blood flow, loosening up the joints and muscles.

It’s worth noting that it’s important to listen to your body and not push too hard as overstretching can cause injury. Gradual and consistent progress is crucial to achieve long-term gains in flexibility.

flexibility 3

 

global fitness institute

Personal Training Courses & Fitness Courses

As our name suggests, Global Fitness Institute specializes in Personal Training courses and Fitness Instructor courses .

For those people looking to save over $1000, you might consider signing up for our Personal Training Course Combo , which includes both the SIS30321 Certificate III in Fitness & SIS40221 Certificate IV in Fitness.

Our largely online fitness courses offer a flexible approach to learning, including reading material, instructional and informational videos, interactive practical tasks which are all accessible online, allowing you to study from home, at your own pace.

Sports Courses

Global Fitness Institute offers a number of Sports courses from Certificate to Diploma levels.

Double Diploma of Sport (Coaching & Development) is the best option if you want to achieve the most efficient outcome for your time and to get more bang for your buck, SAVING YOU OVER $1000.

ITF New Zealand Black Belt grading

New Zealand ITF Black Belt Grading

New Zealand ITF Black Belt Grading

New Zealand ITF gradings

A successful weekend of New Zealand ITF Black Belt gradings and training was conducted by Master Michael Muleta, 8th Degree Under Secretary of the International Taekwon-Do Federation and President/Technical Director of United ITF Taekwon-Do.

The training and testing events were held in Queenstown, New Zealand and hosted by Kman’s Martial Arts, which is operated by multiple ITF World Champion, Kerry (K’man) McEvoy.

Students were put through a vigorous series of exercises and drills, over the course of 2 days, leading up to the final showcase on Saturday 4th March, at Kman’s Martial Arts centre.

The day consisted of lots of sparring, breaking, patterns, step sparring and demonstrations of skill sets. All performed with much spirit and skill to successful complete the testing process.

The testing panel consisted of Master Michael Muleta, Sabum Kerry McEvoy and special guest Sensei Barry Potter.

Congratulations to our newest New Zealand ITF Black Belts :

  • Diego Hernández, 3rd Degree
  • Marcin Kukialka, 1st Degree
  • Josh Bleakley, 1st Degree

 

New Zealand ITF 2 New Zealand ITF 3

 

Back on the Mat

Back on the Mat

back on the mat

We are pleased to announced that we are Back on the Mat after the most disruptive couple of years to our tournament circuit, and boy are we back in style.

The 3rd Global Open Championships is being held over the weekend of Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd, April 2023 at the Caroline Springs Leisure Center, Victoria.

It promises to be one of the biggest and most inclusive week of Taekwon-Do activities held in Australia’s 50+ year history. It all happens in Melbourne, Australia

We already have registrations from across Australia, New Zealand, India and Nepal, with messages of intent from some other countries.

 The event is open for all ages, all ranks and all Taekwon-D0 practitioners.

The Global Open Taekwondo Championships will feature both ITF and WT events

  • Team and Individual Sparring
  • Team and Individual Patterns/Forms
  • Self -Defense demo events.

REGISTER HERE

Official Arnold Classic World Championships replacement event

arnold classic tkd

The 3rd Global Open Taekwondo Championships will be the only official replacement event for the previously COVID postponed 1st Arnold Classic Taekwon-Do World Championships

All participants who remained ‘in-credit’ from the Arnolds, will enter this event FREE OF CHARGE.. You do not need to fill in a form, simply send us your updated personal details via email (admin@globalfitness.edu.au)……… so let’s all brush off our doboks and get back on the mat for a great weekend of Taekwon-Do action.

We will even be presenting all the trophies and medals we purchased for that event at the Global Open Champs.

REGISTER HERE

global open competition rules

VIEW COMPETITION RULES

global open ITFHoF

5th ITF Hall of Fame

On the first evening of the Global Open Taekwondo Championships, we will also be holding our 5th ITF Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

Nominate your instructors, outstanding students, peers or anybody you feel warrants nomination to the Australasian ITF Hall Of Fame.

We encourage you to not only attend, but to nominate those you feel have much a great contribution to ITF in this region. (more info: itfhalloffame.com)

Places are limited due to venue size, so be sure to book early.

Register for ITF Hall Of Fame Banquet Here

(early bird prices end Feb 28th)

back on the mat

Award Nominations Are Now Open

Nomination Categories include:

  • Lifetime Contribution Award
  • International Ambassador Award
  • Outstanding Athlete award
  • Indomitable Spirit Award
  • ITF World Championship Representative Award

Depending on the nominations received, the organizing committee will reserve the right to elevate outstanding nominees to the ‘Legend of Taekwon-Do’ category.

Gold medal

Eureka Australia Strikes Gold

Eureka Australia Strikes Gold

Aussie team Eureka

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.

Gold medal

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.

Bronzed Aussies

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.

 

SEE FULL RESULTS HERE

 

AUSTRALIAN RESULTS

Charlise Grossel – Gold, Junior Female Power

Phil Zdybel, Josh Zdybel, Jordan Steele, Kirby Ellis – Bronze, Adult Male Power

taekwondo resources

New Black Belts

New Black Belts – Congratulations

new black belts

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

new black belts rockhampton

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.

Those interested in attending can REGISTER HERE

 

To book your ITF Black Belt testing or ITF Masterclass with Master Michael Muleta for your school CONTACT US

Womens Self Defense – Why it is important

Womens Self Defense – Why it is important

Here’s 7 Simple Reasons for Women’s Self Defense

womens self defense 2

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

womens self defense

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 Selfwomens self defense 3 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.

Contact Us to find out more about our women’s self defense classes and courses. We can also provide personal training or group sessions / courses for you and and friends or work colleagues.

Written by Stephanie Schauer for ITFTaekwondo.com

self defense manual

Self Defense Manual  BUY NOW

 

ITF Sparring zoom

ITF Sparring Videos

ITF Sparring Videos

ITF Sparring Michael Muleta

We are pleased to feature a series of videos from our recent ITF Sparring Seminar on zoom, with Master Michael Muleta and Sabum Justin Chin.

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR VIDEO CHANNEL

The seminar was aimed at those new to ITF Sparring, but also has many valuable tips and explanations for those who have been in the ring a few times.

Instructors may also find it helpful, with ideas of how to explain various concepts.

Videos include warm ups, rules, strategies and techniques.

To see the rest, subscribe to our video channel

 

To organize a seminar for your school or organization, either in person (when possible) or via zoom, be sure to contact us.

Seminar topics may range from:

  • Fundamentals and Technical Training
  • ITF Patterns
  • ITF Sparring
  • Self Defense
  • Philosophy, Ethics
  • Tips for running a school or organization
  • Public Speaking, topic of your choice
  • Health and Fitness related (training, nutrition, motivation etc)

Check out some of our other recent Zoom workshops

winners United ITF Online Nationals

ITF Online Nationals 2021

Online Nationals 2021

united itf online

 

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 the 2021 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.

Events will include:

  • Individual Patterns
  • Team Patterns (3 people – mixed gender is ok)
  • Self Defense (against 2 attackers, any age)
  • Multi Breaking

REGISTER HERE

Medals will be posted out to head instructors of all winners after the final results have been announced.

United ITF Online Nationals

Deadline:

All registrations must be made by Midnight Sunday 31st October, 2021

All videos must be submitted prior to midnight Saturday 6th November, 2021

Results will be announced November 14th

Be sure to read through the event rules

Check out all the action from our 2020 United ITF Online Nationals, with 14 countries taking part, it was an amazing success.