The first Instructor & Technical Course of Irish National Taekwon-Do Association in 2019 took place on 13th & 14th April at Master Gerry Martins dojang, Beaumont Taekwon-do Centre. 100 members from 25 INTA School took part in two days intensive and detailed instruction from the INTA technical committee.
On Saturday morning Grandmaster O'Toole opened the ITC and welcomed everyone who came to take part, and then introduced the INTA technical team, comprised of Grandmaster Brendan O'Toole - 9th Degree, Master Val Douglas - 8th Degree, Master Gerry Martin - 8th Degree & Master Terry Donnelly - 7th Degree.
Grandmaster O'Toole gave a detailed explanation about the theory of power and how to apply these principles in practice.
Master Donnelly then took the group though the morning warm up session working through our full range of movement and detailed co-ordination exercises ensuring that both the body and the brain were ready for the day ahead. Then Mr Gareth Curran presented the INTA Instructors course with 1st to 4th degree members in a separate group.
Grandmaster O'Toole led the group through Sajo jirugi up to Yul Gok before lunch, practicing fundamental movements for each pattern, for every member to understand the application of each technique.
After lunch Master Franks took the group through their warm up and had everyone ready to continue practice throughout the day.
Grandmaster OToole continued patterns practice from Joong Gun to Eui Am in the afternoon session. Master Martin & Master Donnelly Took members as they passed patterns of their grade working on developing power in fundamental movement.
GM O'Toole opened the second day of the ITC presenting Master Nicolae Mesina with the ITF certificate for 7th degree & Masters certificate, then continued the seminar with Master Stobie taking the warm up. GM O'Toole continued from the previous days work, starting with colour belt patterns reinforcing the practice from the day before up to Choong Moo.
Master Martin & Master Donnelly took members in a separate group as each grade passed patterns relevant to their grade, instructing the members in detail about Step sparring, take down & throwing techniques, sparring drills and how to apply fundamental movements in patterns with real opponents.
After lunch Master Douglas 8th Degree took to the warm up and took everybody through a series of hip loosening and strengthening routines. Patterns practice continued throughout the day up to Tong Il with detailed explanations of all techniques from Grandmaster O'Toole & Master Douglas.
This ITC was a huge success greatly due to the extensive knowledge and dedication of the INTA Technical Committee. On behalf of all our Schools, Instructors and students I thank Grandmaster O'Toole and the Technical Committee for yet another Informative, insightful and thoroughly enjoyable weekend of Taekwon-do!
Yours in Taekwon-Do,
Stuart O'Reilly.
INTA HQ