2005 News

December	Mrs. Dalton Receives Achievement Award from WKA Germany
December	Mr. McCarthy Conducts Workshop in Japan
December	IUTF Dublin Goes From Strength To Strength
December	Leinster Championships
November	Irish Championships and "Captial City of Culture" Cup
November	IUTF Host Master Maidana
November	Master Jose Maidana Comes To London
October	IUTF Annual Referee Course
October	IUTF Dublin Grading
October	ITF Europe Unlucky In Buenos Aires
October	Bill “Superfoot” Wallace seminar
September	Mr. Fitzgibbon Is Promoted to 5th Dan
September	IUTF Members at Master Choi Master Class
August	Mr. & Mrs. Dalton conduct Training Course in Hong Kong
August	Mr. Dalton Appointed to TKD Power Advisory Board
August	2005 Chon ji Cup
July	Five Medals at Open Worlds
July	Two medals for Mr. Fitzgibbon in the UKITF Championships
June	Mr. Dalton is Selected as Europe Coach
July	Chon Ji Cup is Held in Tralee
June	Ms. Foley Wins Gold in Germany
May	Mr. Dalton Conducts Seminar and Black Belt Grading in the UK
May	Friendship Tournament is held in Kanturk
May	Mr. Dalton and Mrs. Dalton Travel to ITF Nigeria
May	Master Choi Comes To Ireland
May	IUTF Win at GST Championships
May	IUTF Dublin excel at Dublin TKD Tournament
April	Connacht Championships
April	Black Belt Grading
April	IUTF Technical Advisor becomes Master
April	IUTF Instructors attend International Instructor Course
March	Mr. Fitzgibbon in Tight decision in Germany
March	The IUTF host Mr. Bhup Sahota
March	Mrs. Dalton is inducted into Iniscarra Hall of Fame
February	IUTF Trip To Holland
February	Mrs. Dalton Wins the Kostel-Corkman Sports Star Award
January	Munster Championships
January	Intervarsities Are Held in UCD

Mrs. Dalton Receives Achievement Award from WKA Germany

Mrs. Dalton received a Special Achievement Award from WKA Germany for her outstanding achievements in 2004. The award was presented by WKA World Vice President Mr. Nonnemacher. It was in recognition of the gold medal wins in the WKA World Championships, WKA World Cup (two gold) and International German Championships (three gold). In the world championships Mrs. Dalton was the only adult German competitor to win in the continuous section.

Mr. McCarthy Conducts Workshop in Japan

Mr. McCarthy of IUTF England travelled to Japan in December where he conducted a seminar for the Saporo ITF Taekwon Do Club. The workshop encompased all areas of Ho Sin Sul and the Japanese members had the oppertunity to learn the techniques in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. McCarthy is hoping to return again in the near future. He would like to thank his Japanese friends for the warm and welcoming reception.

IUTF Dublin Goes From Strength To Strength

The IUTF Dublin Taekwon-Do clubs under Mr Jon Mackey will be entering into there 3rd year in existence this year. Founded in April 2004 the clubs based in Cabra and Inchicore have gone from strength to strength. The students have picked up numerous awards at various different tournaments along the way, including the provincial IUTF championships and the salubrious Open Irish Championships!
Since joining the IUTF/ITF IRELAND in November 2004 the clubs have improved technically on various fronts. In particular the students have done exceptionally well in pattern sections in all tournaments entered and in gradings also. This has been down to the seminars and Tul workshops hosted by both the IUTF and the ITF itself.We also had the priviledge of hosting one of the ITF's finest Masters. Master Jose Maidana of ITF Argentina visited us in October and conducted a fantastic sparring seminar which left the students asking "when will he be coming back?!"

To end off a very succesful year the icing was put on the cake when Maxine Hand was selected to fight on the Junior Girls Irish team at the Open Irish Championships. Well done to her!
2006 holds alot for the IUTF in Dublin. There will be particular emphasis put on building the two existing clubs and also opening a third IUTF club in the coming months. IUTF Dublin is also going on line! Thanks to Ms Noreen Spillane the IUTF Dublin web site will be going live in a matter of weeks. The site like all the other IUTF sites will aim to provide useful material to all students of Taekwon-Do while also providing a comprehesive list of events happening throughout the Martial arts world. The site will be maitained regularly with current news and photographs for all to enjoy.

Following in tradition, since opening, awards have been given for the best student at the end of each year - this year I am pleased to announce that Rachel Murphy (Inchicore TKD), Lauren Bradshaw (Cabra tkd - Junior) and Neidin Coulahan (Cabra TKD Senior) were all awarded this years student of the year awards. Well done to them!

A special mention should also go to Mr John Quinn, Martin and Gloria Hand who as parents have supported the clubs and have helped out no end with travelling to and from seminars and tournaments. Your enthusiasm and help is apprecited!

On a final note I would like to thank Mr Dalton, my instructor, for helping me make the gains I have made throughout the year and for helping me understand more about the martial art we know as Taekwon-Do - Thank You Jon Mackey

Leinster Championships

This year's Leinster Championships was hosted for the first time by South-East IUTF (chief instructor, Mr Mick Flaherty) in New Ross, Co. Wexford. The tournament went without a hitch and the high standard of the competitors was commented on by IUTF chairperson, Mr Dalton. The hospitality of the Wexford competitors was tremendous and the visiting exponents had a very enjoyable day. The results were as follows:

Male Adult Black Belt Patterns:
1st: Mr Shane Fitzgibbon (Galway)n
2nd: Mr Mark Philpott (Milstreet
3rd: Mr Jon Mackey (IUTF Dublin)

Female Adult Black Belt Patterns:
1st: Ms Lisa Connolly (Galway)
2nd: Ms Julieanne McAuliffe (N.C.W.)
3rd: Ms Norma Carroll (Tramore)

Female Adult Red/Black Belt Sparring -65Kg:
1st: Ms.Labhaoise Keane (Listowel)
2nd: Ms. Kathy Finn (Focus MA)
3rd: Maxine Hand (I.U.T.F. Dublin)

Female Adult Red/Black Belt Sparring +65Kg:
1st: Ms Emer Curran.
2nd: Ms Zoe Zinkant (Mallow)
3rd: Ms Julieanne McAuliffe (N.C.W.)

Male Adult Red/Black Belt Sparring -71Kg
1st: John Spence. (N.C.W.)
2nd: Mr.Rob Halligan. (Focus MA).
3rd: Mr.Luke Deasy. (Mallow).

Male Adult Red/Black Belt Sparring -80Kg
1st: Mr. Mark Philpott. (Kanturk).
2nd: Mr. Leon Brydon. (Athlone).
3rd: Mr.Joe Savage. (Focus MA).

Male Adult Red/Black Belt Sparring +80Kg

1st: Mr. Jon Mackey. (I.U.T.F. Dublin).
2nd: Mr. Dan Lynch. (U.C.D.)
3rd: Seamus Toal. (Athlone.)

Colour Patterns winners were: Mairead Laffen (SE IUTF), Patricia Horgan (Coachford), Craig Brophy (SW TKd Tralee), Paul O' Sullivan, John O' Connor (SE IUTF), Laura Keogh (Galway), Gabbie Naughton (NCW), Simon Duggan (SE IUTF), Adam Quinn

Colour Belt Female Sparring winners were: Jessica Naughton (NCW), Patricia Horgan (Coachford), Katlyn O' Brien (SW TKD Tralee), Eimear O' Leary (UCD), Mairead Laffen (SW TKD Tralee), Catherine Moriarty (UCD), Gabbie Naughton (NCW). Rachel O' Toole (SE IUTF Ferns), Taylor Maher

Colour Belt Male Sparring winners were: Jordan Dalton (SW TKD Tralee), Wayne Devereaux, Adam Quinn, Neil Hickey (SE IUTF), James Owen (SE IUTF), Shane Roache (SW TKD Tralee), Chris O' Brien (SW TKD Tralee), John O' Connor (SE IUTF), Derek Williams (UCD), Hans Fredericks (UCD), Eoin O' Muimhneachain (UCD), Brian O' Hanlon (UCD), Dave Malone, Jordan Dalton (SW TKD Tralee),

The Open Irish Championships and The European Capital of Culture Team Cup

The 2005 Open Irish Championships was a special event by any stretch of the mind. Eight countries came together for a special event which demonstrated all the positive qualities of Taekwon Do competition. During the two day event over 700 competitors descended on Cork City which is the current European Capital of Culture. There were 173 foreign competitors from England, Poland, Belgium, Scotland, Holland, Germany, and Italy and of course Ireland. Europe’s largest ITF competition was organised by Mr. Don Dalton and Ms Patricia Dalton of the Irish United Taekwon Do Federation. The competition was honoured by both the male and female Overall Best Competitors from the ITF World Championships from South Korea (Gianluca Muscas of Italy and Stacey Weatherer of PUMA England).Over 50 competitors came from PUMA and a large contingent came from Poland for the first time. Some of the foreign associations represented included, PUMA Scotland, the National Association of Germany (NAG), ITF Italy, IUTF England/Panthers TKD, GTI (UK), TKD Power, PUMA England, ITF Belgium and a number of various groups from Poland and Holland.

All senior black belt sparring and patterns as well as the “European Capital of Culture Team Cup” were held on Saturday. The juniors and colour belts followed on Sunday. As always the competition finished on time on both days thanks to the tireless work of the referees and judges from the different groups on show. It has to be said that there was not one complaint, judging or otherwise during the entire competition. This is greatly due to the wonderful refereeing of such people as Mr. Riordan, Fitzgibbon, Braemer, Churchward, and others throughout the tournament. Special awards of appreciation were given to the following people due to their continued support of the event over the years: Master Lecca of Italy, Master Harrison of GTI (UK), Mr. Ogbourne of PUMA England, Mr. McCarthy of IUTF England, Mr. Martella of NAG Germany, Mr. Black of PUMA Scotland, Mr. Bernt of Poland, Mr. Panteli of TKD Power England (“best referee” from the Pan American Championships), Ms. Siraut of ITF Belgium.

The standard of sparring and patterns was truly exceptional on the Saturday. Many of the black belt weight sections had over 20 competitors. There were some exceptional bouts which will be remembered for years to come. In the men’s -80kg section the first round match between the eventual winner Tim Kool of Holland and Dave Pixton of PUMA England was close, hard fought and technically beautiful to watch. In the -64kg men’s sparring section Adam Gall of Poland had an exciting bout against John O’ Connor of the IUTF, with O’ Connor winning by close decision in extra time. The final of the men’s hyper weight division was between ITF Heavyweight world champion Padraig O’ Connor (IUTF) and Sean Keane (IUTF). It was non stop action between the two Irish men, who both demonstrated true sportsmanship throughout the tough match. PUMA England had some fantastic ladies at the tournament. This fact was demonstrated clearly when both their senior ladies and junior ladies teams won their section of the European Capital of Culture Team Cup. They will be a real danger for opposing teams in the upcoming European and World Championships. A special mention should go to Silvia Farigu of Italy who was the only person to win a gold medal in both black belt patterns and black belt sparring. This was a wonderful achievement which demonstrated how difficult the Open Irish Championships has become.

The men’s section of the European Capital of Culture Team Cup was especially big with 12 teams entered. The final was won by a strong IUTF team in front of almost 1500 spectators. The IUTF men’s team only dropped one bout on the road to victory over NAG Germany, ITF Italy, KT Taekwon Do and PUMA Scotland. It was left to team captain Mark Philpott to win the final bout in front of a rapturous crowd. This event has now become one of the world’s leading competitions where fantastic competitors come together in true friendship and sportsmanship: “Not one complaint from over 700 competitors!!” Where else can you experience such a statement?

2005 Open Irish Champs results:

Female Matsogi: (-52kg):
1.Silvia Farigu (ITF Italy)
2. Labhaoise Keane (IUTF)
3. Jennifer Kelly (IUTF)

Female Matsogi: (-58kg):
1. Norma Carroll (IUTF)
2. Valesca Den Boer (ITF Belgium)
3. Alex Page (Puma England)

Female Matsogi: (-64kg):
1. Stacey Weatherer (Puma, England)
2. Claire O’ Sullivan (IUTF)
3. Aoife Foley (IUTF)

Female Matsogi (+64kg):
1. Kathy Dunne (IUTF)
2. Moira McElligott (IUTF)
3. Emma Deakin (Puma England)

Male Matsogi: (-54kg)
1. Iwan Bujanow (ITF Germany)
2. Valentino Ateni (ITF Italy)
3. Steffan Fusco (East Coast, Ireland)

Male Matsogi (-63kg):
1. Paul Manning (TKDI, Ireland)
2. John O’ Connor (IUTF)
3. Adam Gall (Poland)

Male Matsogi (-71kg):
1. James Murveta (Puma England)
2. Stephen Edwards (IUTF)
3. Josh Atiya Alla (Puma England)

Male Matsogi (-80kg):
1. Tim Kool (Holland)
2. Arckur Zasepa (Poland)
3. Chaistioan Hardt (ITF Germany)

Male Matsogi (+80kg)
1. Padraig O’ Connor (IUTF)
2. Sean Keane (IUTF)
3. Vincenzo Santagati (ITF Italy)

Male Tul: (1st Dan):
1. William Thierkettle (TKD Power, England)
2. Matteo Lecca (ITF Italy)
3. Marcel Fesser (ITF Germany)

Male Tul: (2nd Dan):
1. Gianluca Muscat (ITF Italy)
2. Josh Atiya-Alla (Puma England)
3. Mathew Brungu (TKD Power, England)

Male Tul: (3rd/4th and 5th Dan):
1. Dave Pixton (Puma, England)
2. Valentino Atzeni, (ITF Italy)
3. Mark Philpott (IUTF)/ Shane Fitzgibbon (IUTF)

Female Tul (1st and 2nd Dan):
1. Romina Kolesnik (ITF Germany)
2. Veronica Plaeido (ITF Italy)
3. Jennirer Hutchinson (TKD Power, England)

Female Tul: (3rd/4th Dan):
1. Silvia Farigu (ITF Italy)
2. Barbara Siraut (ITF Belgium)
3. Triona Daly (IUTF)

Hyong (non ITF):

1st and 2nd Dan:
1. Lea Fendt (GTI England)
2. Scott Turner (GTI England)
3. Tim Chow (GTI England)

3rd, 4th and 5th Dan:
1. Darragh Bolton (Focus MA, Ireland)
2. Mark Fitzgerald (KT- TKD)
3. Noel Quinn (KT-TKD)

Celtic Cup:

Male Senior:
1. IUTF
2. KT Taekwon Do (Ireland)
3. PUMA England

Female Senior:
1. PUMA England
2. IUTF
3. IUTF

Male Junior:
1.East Coast (Ireland)
2. PUMA England
3. IUTF

Female Junior:
1. PUMA England
2. IUTF
3. IUTF

Colour Belt and Junior Tul First place Winners:
Lauren Davis, Jordan Dalton, Gabby Naughton, Mairead Laffen, Darragh Rabbitte, Kayleigh Dwyer, Kamil Daniel, Clara Hogan, Natalia Kocon,

Colour Belt and Junior Sparring and over 35s First Place Winners:
Macig Modnejewski, Cacey Walchen, Jordan Dalton, Oisin Siotru, Brian O’ Mahony, Chris Randle, Gavin Brodshaw, Mark Connelly, John Spence, Cathal Hardiman, Kimberly Bradshaw, Marie Udal, Krystof Kepacki, Yvonne Harty, Anna Klukowska, Brian O’ Hanlon, Chris Mullen, Nicole Sawani, Jennifer O’ Sullivan, Neidin Coulahan, Chris McCabe, Mark Bourke, Barbara Siraut, Colm Smith, Ryan Houges, Sean O’ Mahony, Shane Cremin, John Robert.

IUTF Host Master Maidana

The Irish United Taekwon Do Federation (ITF Ireland) had the honour of hosting Master Jose Maidana for a series of work shops throughout Ireland at the end of October.

Master Maidana has been the Argentinean national team coach for the last 12 years and is recognised as one of the world's leading instructors. Argentina were crowned over all champions at last years world championships in South Korea.

Master Maidana arrived in Cork on October 29 and conducted a total of five work shops over the next week. The sessions were located in all four corners of the country starting with Dublin, then Galway, Tralee, Kanturk and finally Cork. Each session lasted between two and a half to three hours and a total of 250 students had the opportunity to train with one of the greatest instructors in the ITF. Master Maidana covered a vast amount during the course of the week, concentrating on free sparring but also covering all patterns up to Choong Moo. He paid special attention to footwork for free sparring. Master Maidana, who was assisted by Mr. Don Dalton, VI, showed remarkable speed and co-ordination as he demonstrated different avenues of attack and counter attack. His technique left the Irish practitioners in awe and it was easy to see why Argentina has become such a force in the world of Taekwon Do. It was inspirational to hear Master Maidana talk in such glowing terms about his own instructor, Master Galarraga, who he still trains with every week!

Mr. Dalton paid tribute to Master Maidana afterwards when he said "we are honoured and privileged to have such an amazing Master and instructor coming to our country in order to further the progress of our students and instructors. Master Maidana has been a true inspiration to us all over the last week. I was lucky to have the opportunity to spend a full week with Master Maidana. Of course many of us already knew how technically fantastic he is but this time has also given me the chance to learn from a real Master about the "Do" of Taekwon Do. Master Maidana lives the "Do" 24 hours a day and this is why he has made such a major impact upon the IUTF during this trip. We are delighted that he has become our technical advisor and we look forward to fostering closer links over the coming years. Thank you, Master Maidana, for an unforgettable week."

Master Jose Maidana Comes To London

Master Jose Maidana (the National Coach for Argentina since 1993) travelled to London, England at the start of November to the club of Mr. Patrick McCarthy, VI, to conduct a sparring workshop. Master Maidana is recognised as one of the greatest coaches in Taekwon-do today. It was nice to hear one of the students on the night refer to him as the 'Mourinho' of Taekwon-do (Jose Mourinho is the hugely successful manager of Chelsea Football Club). There was a great turn out on the night, more than 45 students of all ages and grades were in attendance. This included students from IUTF England, Reyner’s Lane Taekwon Do and Taekwon Do Power schools. All the students and instructors alike were excited and eagerly awaited the entrance of one of the world’s leading Masters.

The workshop started at 7:30pm and it was to last for about 2 and half hours. The class kicked off with a light warm-up and streatch. This was followed by extensive work on the four main types of “steps” used in the Argentinian system of sparring. It was extremely impressive to see Master Maidana moving forwards and backwards with great speed while at the same time maintaining the shape of his stance and the balance of his body while demonstrating.

The second part of the workshop involved the use of kicks in sparring while placing a major emphasis on the importance of distance and timing. Master Maidana demonstrated some devastating kicking combinations using his assistant Mr. Don Dalton, VI, from Ireland. He also distinguished competition kicks from self-defence kicks or what he refers to as 'classic' kicks. This was followed by use of punches in sparring. Master Maidana expertly showed a number of different punching techniques which were in turn performed with a partner. He stressed the importance of reaction time during all partner work. The work shop concluded with the bringing togather of all three sections into one (steps, kicking combinations and hand combinations). Everybody was pushed to the limits of their concentration while striving to perform the techniques against their moving partner. The workshop concluded all to early leaving everyone wishing for more. The members were however excited to hear that Master Maidana will return again next year for another special class in London.

Afterwards one of Mr. Stuart Anslow’s students said “what I personally liked about Master Maidana's teaching was his constant smile and enthusiasm when he was demonstrating a move. He illustrates that even though Taekwon-do is a martial art; it should be fun and enjoyable. With his relaxed approach he makes the techniques look simple and easy to perform. Many of the students and I found this very motivating.”

Mr. McCarthy thanked Master Maidana and said “we are lucky to have had this opportunity to train with such an excellent technician and real Master. Master Maidana is a fine example of what we as instructors and students should aspire to be. I look foreward to the further fostering of a close relationship in the years to come.

IUTF Annual Referee Course

The Annual IUTF Referee/Umpire course was held at Mr Mark Philpott's Kanturk TKD Club. This is a prerequisite for students  who wish to test at the next dan grading. This course covers the rules used at all IUTF tournaments and aims to ensure that all IUTF black belts are competant when called upon to assist at these tournaments.  The course was instructed by IUTF Vice-Chairperson Mr John Riordan and was run over four hours. Items covered during the day were; Patterns, Point Sparring (semi-contact) and continuous sparring (light-contact). Mr Riordan spent time on each section explaining the rules, hand signals, dealing with problems that may arise etc and encouraged students to ask questions. Students were then split into groups to simulate tournament situations and put this theory into practice. All students in attendence will also be required to attend the annual instructor course under IUTF Chairperson, Mr Dalton.

IUTF Dublin Grading

47 members of the IUTF in Dublin tested under IUTF President Mr Don Dalton on the 17th October. Mr Dalton was assisted during the grading by Mrs Patricia Dalton.
The grading took place at the Do-jang of Mr Jon Mackey (Pilsung ITF TKD Academy)in Cabra. The grading commenced at 7pm. All students were put through their respective grading requirements by Mr Dalton, which comprised of ITF tul, fundemental movements, semi-free and free sparring, theory and destruction. There were also 4 members from the UCD club under Mr Barry Dixon.
At the end of the grading Mr Dalton was happy to announce that all the students had been succesfull and had promoted to their next level.
A special mention should go to Adam Quinn (green belt) and Neidine Coulahan (green stripe) who received the highest marks on the night.

ITF Europe Unlucky In Buenos Aires

Bill “Superfoot” Wallace seminar

Mr Jon Mackey of IUTF Dublin attended a training seminar and sparring work Shop with the legendary Bill “Superfoot” Wallace over the weekend of the 8th and 9th of October.

Mr Wallace who is a 6 times kick boxing and sport Karate world champion now retired undefeated was invited to Ireland by Mr Eugene McQuillan of Combat Hapkido Ireland.

The seminar kicked off on Saturday morning with some light warming up and stretching, Mr Wallace gave an in depth lecture on the principles of stretching, having written many books on the subject. His stretching routine took about 25 minutes after which your legs felt loose, warm and ready for action!

After the warm up session, we were paired off with a partner for some basic kicking drills Super Foot showed us some very impressive kicking drills to build up strength and speed for kicking, two very important ingredients for Taekwon-Do sparring. At 62 years of age Mr Wallace wowed the eager students with his ability to hold out his leg for as long as he liked in a perfect turning kick position, this impressed me even more knowing that he has recently had major surgery on his knee and two hip replacements.

We then got down to the nitty-gritty of sparring techniques. Mr Wallace gave a talk on why his style of sparring was so effective and why his opponents could never counter it. Basically his style of sparring was very unorthodox, he used his left side only! Kicking only with his left foot! He took a side fighting stance always. With this he used his incredible speed and accuracy to deliver a kick or hand technique to his opponent and always scored his point. He based our training on the principle of deception. He said that ring tactics were very important for successful competitors He used several drills to explain his point, using a high ranking Shotokan instructor he demonstrated his efficient speed and power, he asked the Shotokan instructor to block a simple back fist during sparring…he couldn’t. This was down to the fact that Wallace was able to con his opponent into thinking that he was going to throw a different technique at different times at different speeds

After scoring numerous points on the Shotokan instructor, it was now time for this Taekwon-Do instructor to become the target! Wallace demonstrated impressive speed and control as we moved around the floor, he continuously scored points and was so fast he was near impossible to counter.

I could spend hours talking about the amount of tactics Wallace spoke about, we also got a brief lecture on ring psychology, which was basically the art of deceiving and fooling your opponent, by doing so you made him or her do whatever you wanted them to do

For the kicking techniques and drills, Mr Wallace used myself for demonstrations, we had a ball of a time and I found him very approachable and relaxed at all times, his flawless attitude towards teaching and his remarkable skill and knowledge made this a very impressive seminar indeed. He devoted time afterwards to photo’s and autographs during which we had a good conversation on the different levels of sparring and how it has evolved over the years.

I would like to thank my friend Eugene McQuillan for his hospitality over the weekend.

Mr. Fitzgibbon Is Promoted to 5th Dan

Mr. Shane Fitzgibbon of Galway successfully tested under Master Sahota in Leicester on the 25th September. Mr. Fitzgibbon was testing alongside two UK instructors. Mr. Fitzgibbon excelled throughout the grading which included extensive examination of tul, set sparring, breaking, free sparring, theory and self defense. He was delighted to hear afterwards that he had received the highest score in the test. Mr. Fitzgibbon had prepared for the examination with months of specific training tailored towards the test.

According to Mr. Dalton who has instructed Mr. Fitzgibbon for 18 years; "I am extremely proud of Mr. Fitzgibbon's performance though to tell the truth I never doubted him. He knew the syllabus through and through.I hope that he serves as an inspiration to future IUTF members who have aspiration to achieve such a high dan grade. I believe this is only one more step along the long an winding road which will lead to him becoming a true master in the ITF. He understands the real meaning of Taekwon Do. He understands that Taekwon Do is much more than just physical exercise and that the real core of the art lies in the deep rooted philosophy which is personified by the tenets. I personally have huge respect for Mr. Fitzgibbon not only as a martial artist but as an honorable man and true friend. Taekwon, Sir."

Mr Fitzgibbon had this to say, " I want to thank my instructor Mr Dalton for his guidance and friendship over the last 18 years. Thanks to my, my IUTF friends for your support in the lead-up and on the day. To my wife, Lisa, (aka Ms Connolly) you are my rock. Thanks for all your support."

IUTF Members at Master Choi Master Class

10 IUTF members headed to Leicester, UK to train with ITF President Master Choi Jung Hwa. The seminar was hosted by Master Sahota, President of GB ITF and had over 300 participants. Many of the members also trained under Mr. Trained Sahota on the previous night at his local school. Master Choi was assisted by Mr. Parm Rai of Canada during the master Class on the following day. As always the participants were over joyed to train with the son of General Choi who truly inspired the IUTF instructors in attendance. Patterns were covered up to Yul Gok, as well as moral culture and kick drill instructed by Mr. Rai. IUTF Vice Chairman Mr. Riordan said afterwards that "this is only a small glimpse of what the IUTF members will experience for the three day International Instructors Course which will be held in early March in Cork. Master Choi is a true inspiration for every Taekwon Do practitioner and one is always left on a complete high after training in one of his courses."

The IUTF members also had the opportunity to attend the special GBITF Banquet in honor of President Choi. Mr. McCarthy also traveled to the seminar from London and had the chance to attend a special meal (along with Mr. and Mrs. Dalton) on the previous night with Master Choi. The IUTF would like to offer a special thanks to the GB ITF for its wonderful hospitality.

Mr. and Mrs. Dalton conduct Training Course in Hong Kong

Mr. Dalton traveled to Hong Kong to conduct a special training course fro the ITF in that city. Mr. Dalton, aided by Ms. Patricia Dalton covers tul and sparring for the participants. He was particularly thankful to his host Mr. Cheah:

"I would like to thank Mr. Nelsun Cheah for the unforgettable hospitality that he showed towards my wife and I during our visit to Hong Kong. Mr. Cheah is doing great work to promote the ITF in Hong Kong and Asia. It was a great honour to meet and train with such excellent international instructors. With people like these the future of the ITF in Hong Kong looks very bright indeed."

Mr. Dalton Appointed to TKD Power Advisory Board.

Quatation from TKD Power.Com: "We are proud to announce the creation of the TKD Power™ International Advisory Board and the appointment of two internationally acclaimed and respected board members on 24th September 2005"

1. Master Bhupinder Sahota VII (ITF Master Instructor + President of GBITF +Chief Instructor for UKGT)
2. Mr. Don Dalton VI (President & Chief Instructor of the IUTF + Team Coach for ITF Europe + International Coach to 14 World Champions)

The board has been created to provide technical advice, counsel and direction to the Members of TKD Power™ and will ensure that not only that our high standards are maintained, but also to demonstrate that TKD Power™ remains an outward looking organisation dedicated to providing the most up to date technical knowledge, best practices, and support to its members.

The new honorary members of TKD Power™ have graciously volunteered their tremendous expertise and knowledge to us, in the true spirit of Taekwon-do, and in the best interests of all Taekwon-do students. It is hoped that each board member will provide TKD Power™ members with, at least, one seminar or workshop per year, and that their combined, tremendous, pool of knowledge and experience, now at our disposal, will serve to help us improve our practice and understanding of the genuine Taekwon-do of our late founder, General Choi Hong Hi.

On behalf of all TKD Power™ members, we welcome our new honorary members and International Advisory Board to TKD Power™ and thank them, in advance, for the time and efforts that they will surely expend on our behalf.

2005 Chon ji Cup

The 2005 Chon ji Cup was held in the South West TKD Centre in Tralee. The event which was open for juniors only was a perfect example of how Taekwon Do competitions can be friendly, fun and sportsman like. The best competitor award was won by Katie Togher (pictured above) of Millstreet Taekwon Do. Katie finished up with three gold medals.

Five Medals at Open Worlds

(More Photos at end of report)

The IUTF had great success at the Open World Championships which were held in the fabulous Cardiff Indoor Arena at the end of July. The Galway students of Mr. Fitzgibbon did particularly well with Eoghan Doyle (junior bronze), Roisin Dalton (junior bronze) and Ms. Sandra Doyle (executive silver) all winning medals. John Spence of Listowel won five bouts and ended up with a junior silver medal. However everyone felt that he had deserved to win gold against his Welsh opponent. Ms. Patricia Dalton won another world championship gold (this time in the executive section) to add to her WKA (twice) and IAKSA world titles. This was a fine achievement for the Mallow instructor who has been unable to spar and indeed train properly since October due to a number of injuries.

There were numerous other individuals who reached quarter final level (and some who lost out to some dubious decisions) who will no doubt get their just rewards in the years to come. This event turned out to be one of the highest standard, with each section containing a huge amount of world class competitors. There is a strong possibility that the next Open Worlds will be held in Ireland!!!

Parents' Testimonials

The recent trip to Wales proved an enriching tip for all. All the competitors in our group gave their all in the competition; the juniors supported and cheered one another throughout, displaying a keen sense of sportsmanship. They congratulated and commiserated one another with a true sense of friendship and their respect for each other was always evident. The juniors also enjoyed the opportunity to support the adults and watched their performance with great intensity. Whiles the focus was primarily on the competition, much fun was had along the way especially on the last day spent at Oakwood Theme Park. Many new friendships continue to flourish across the countries and all involved await the next trip with bated breath.
Mrs Marie Rabbitte (student herself and mother of two students)

Memories of Cardiff – a very impressive venue with great views from every angle; cheering the Irish team during the opening ceremony; seat-hopping as we tried to follow all the events our lads were taking part in; the joy and pride when my daughter won a bronze; sharing in the happiness as well as the disappointments…the atmosphere was brilliant. Aside from the competitions, there was great organisational work on the part of the coaches, who had the difficult task of trying to please all of the people all of the time, and make sure that we still had everybody with us whenever we got back on the bus. With just the right amount of control, we were (almost) let loose in Cardiff, tried some good restaurants and watched the kids (young and not so young) spend all our money! The reward for everybody’s hard work was a fabulous day out at Oakwood Theme Park, a never to be forgotten experience. Why some people want to hurtle through the air at 100 mph is beyond me, but it was great fun to watch! The trip home was long and tiring but nothing that a good sleep didn’t put right. A big thank you to the instructors for keeping it all together, and to all the members of the Irish team who were so supportive of each other.
Mrs Alison Dalton (parent)

As we left Galway in the early hours of the morning on the first leg of our journey to Cardiff, my son, Cathal, was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. I must admit, I was finding it difficult to share his sense of enthusiasm at what I expected to be a weekend of “hanging around” in a cold and grotty hall. Thankfully, my expectations were totally unfounded. Every minute of the trip was organised to perfection. The accommodation was comfortable and convenient. The venue was truly spectacular and no doubt it added to the overwhelming sense of excitement which I felt at being present at the opening ceremony. The standard of competition was amazing if not daunting for some, but I felt all participants were winners. The team spirit among the Irish coaches, competitors and supporters was truly genuine and wonderful.
On our final day we went to Oakwood Theme Park and this turned out to be a great finish to an amazing weekend. Stomachs churned and screams of terror were to be heard but everyone had a brilliant time.
The experience for me as a parent was every bit as fulfilling and enjoyable as it was for the competitors. Full marks and well done to everyone involved in organising the trip.
Mr Dennis Kilbane (parent)

Two medals for Mr. Fitzgibbon in the UKITF Championships

Mr Fitzgibbon recently travelled to the UKITF championships which were held in Reading, England. The competition had over five hundred competitors and the overall standard was very high. After performing his 4th dan chosen pattern and the designated “always popular” Juche, Mr Fitzgibbon was defeated in the semi-final on a split decision to take bronze. The -80Kg sparring division was the largest of the black belt sections. Mr Fitzgibbon won his first three fights with relative ease, all victories on unanimous decision, to get to the semi-finals. There he matched up against the UK team member, Dave Pixton, in a hotly contested bout which went Pixton's’s way on a split decision. Mr Fitzgibbon would like to thank all of the UK hosts, organisers and competitors for making him feel so welcome. “It was wonderful meeting old friends again and making a few new ones. I look forward to meeting up again at Master Choi’s masterclass in September, in Leicester which is run by the GBITF. I am especially grateful to Mr Pat McCarthy, VI for coaching me at the event and taking such good care of me the whole weekend.” The trip was funded by the IUTF.

Mr. Dalton is Selected as Europe Coach

Mr. Dalton will act as Europe Coach for the ITF Intercontinental Cup which will be held in Argentina in October. He will be working with Mr. Fabio Caiazzo for this prestigious event against the Americas. The competition will be broadcast across the America and Master Choi will also be present. Competitors wishing to be selected for Team Europe should send in their CVs ASAP.

Chon Ji Cup is Held in Tralee

This year's Chon Ji Cup was hosted by South West Taekwon Do in Tralee. The event was exclusive to children only from Cork and Kerry. The top club award went to the South West TKD club with Coachford TKD in close second position. The top competitor award went to Katie Togher of Millstreet TKD. The Team pattern competition was won by Millstreet TKD.

Mr. Dalton Conducts Seminar and Black Belt Grading in the UK

Mr. Dalton travelled to Manchester to conduct a Black Belt grading for Mr. Iqbal’s AMA Taekwon Do students. As usual the standard was excellent with all the students demonstrating very high technical knowledge. Mr. Dalton also conducted a colour belt test and preliminary black belt test. The event was finished with a special seminar for black belts only. Mr. Dalton would like to thank Mr. Iqbal for the wonderful hospitality which he received for the four days.

Ms. Foley Wins Gold in Germany

Ms. Aoife Foley of Millstreet TKD won Gold in the black belt sparring in the ITF German Open held in Wetslar. She was part of a 13 person IUTF team that travelled to the event in early June. Ms. Foley has been a stalwart for the IUTF over the last few years with her biggest achievement being a bronze medal in the WKA World Championships in Italy. The 13 member team included some members funded through their universities with the remainder being funded by the IUTF. Mr. Eoin Murphy won two bronze medals while representing CIT. Mr. Murphy hails from Caherciveen TKD and has previously won a silver medal in the WKA Junior World Championships and a bronze medal in the ITF Junior World Championships. Six year old Jordan Dalton won the Under 12s pattern section beating opponents from Venezuela, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Ireland (USITF). The team was coached by Mrs. Dalton, who also attended an ITF Europe meeting headed by Master, Nicholls, Master Galarraga and ITF Vice President Mr. Tibolla. Afterwards Master Galarraga stated that he will travel to Ireland in November to attend the Open Irish Championships. The IUTF would like to thank Mr. Martella for the wonderful hospitality showed to the Irish contingent.

Friendship Tournament is held in Kanturk

The annual Friendship Tournament was held in Kanturk, County Cork in May. The competition had strong participation from all the local clubs including Kanturk, South West TKD, Millstreet, Cullen, Coachford, Mallow and Ballyvourney. The team pattern event was won by Coachford TKD. The tournament was open to under 16s only and the top club was awarded to Coachford TKD. The Best Overall Competitor Awards were won by Jordan Dalton (South West and Coachford) for under 9s with four gold medals and Shannon Murphy (Coachford) with two golds and two silver medals for age 10 and over.

Mr. Dalton and Mrs. Dalton Travel to ITF Nigeria

Mr. Don Dalton VI, and Ms. Patricia Dalton IV, of the Irish United Taekwon Do Federation travelled to Nigeria in May for one week in order to conduct the first ITF Training Camp for that country. The Training Camp which was held in the University of Lagos was attended by over 100 participants from across West Africa and it also marked the 30 anniversary of Taekwon Do in Nigeria. Throughout the week the guest instructors were treated to the famous African hospitality thanks to ITF Nigeria President Mr. George Ashiru VI and his assistant Mr. Mykel Eneduwa. Mr. Ashiru is a pioneer in Taekwon Do in Nigeria and is also a member of the Nigerian Olympic Committee. He began his training in 1976 and was promoted to 6th Dan by the WTF in 1997. According to Mr. Ashiru “Mr. Dalton and I have held a long friendship since meeting in Holland some years ago. Following the election of Master Choi to the ITF Presidency Mr. Dalton contacted me with a view to joining the ITF. I was told about the new, democratic and vibrant organisation that the ITF had become under Master Choi and that the new ITF President was particularly interested in developing the ITF in Africa. Many did not believe that Mr. Dalton would travel to our country when it was announced and this will be only the first step to create a new world force in the ITF.”

The training camp was held for a period of three days with each day lasting approximately seven hours. Many hours were spent on learning ITF fundamental movements, including correct use of sine wave. The first four patterns were taught in great detail as well as ITF free sparring and special technique breaking. The event also covered philosophy and moral culture. There were a total of 65 black belts training and afterwards there was a huge enthusiasm for the new techniques learned. According to Mr. Ashiru “We have now set out a plan to spread the ITF throughout Africa. The participants of this camp will be the future leaders of the ITF in Nigeria. We would like to thank Mr. Dalton and Mrs. Dalton for the expert instruction and enthusiasm which they brought. Mr. Dalton has trained many world champions and his wife is one of the most accomplished competitors ever to come out of Ireland. It was hugely significant to have such friends come to Nigeria. We have made a special bond which will last the test of time.” Overall, the visit received overwhelming support from Taekwon Do players and Government officials who visited the course.

A special meeting for West Africa was also held during the week. This meeting was attended by representatives from Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Ghana and Burkina Faso. A strategy for the further growth of the ITF was discussed which would culminate in the holding of an International Instructor’s Course under the auspices of President Choi early next year. The ITF has announced that this course would be free to African participants. The meeting also set out new inter country ITF tournaments with the first being held in Ghana. Ireland agreed to bring a team to Lagos for a new biannual event known as the Unity Cup. Olympic Silver Medallist Mr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, a student of Mr Ashiru and leader of Delta State Taekwondo Association elected to register his Dojang with the ITF Nigeria. Mr Ikpemee is also a pioneer generation instructor in Nigeria and is regarded as on of the countries greatest sporting achievers. His organisation (the NTF'75) has more than 2000 members and 300 black belts. After the meeting Mr. Ikpeme presented Mr. Dalton and Mrs Dalton with a special poem which he wrote to commemorate the visit. The issue of Dan certification were also discussed as well as support with training equipment and uniforms. Mr George Ashiru requested that the European ITF members to send old doboks and equipment to his ITF Nigeria where it would be distributed throughout the region. The week also included a number of radio and newspaper interviews and a tournament was held which featured competition in sparring, patterns and special technique breaking.

Mr. Ashiru presented the guest instructors with plaques to commemorate their visit and a “Special Lifetime Achievement Award” was accepted by Mr. Dalton on behalf of President Choi. Afterwards Mr. Dalton paid tribute to his hosts “This has been a wonderful experience for us. We have learned a great deal from our friends here. I have always felt that Africa could be a significant power in the ITF. Nigeria and West Africa as a whole is not wealthy in monetary terms. However it is rich in Taekwon Do talent, it is rich in the desire of its people to excel in the art, and it is rich with quality instructors who wish to progress even further. Nigerians train harder than most Westerners and this is one critical reason why they will be a world force within a short time. I believe that leaders such as Mr. Ashiru will bring a new era to the ITF. I would like to thank ITF Nigeria for the amazing week we have had and I expect that this will be the start of a special friendship between our two great countries.”

Master Choi Comes To Ireland

The President of the ITF, Master Choi Jung Hwa will travel to Ireland to conduct an International Instructor's Course on the 3, 4, 5 of March, 2006. This will be the first time that he will conduct an IIC in Ireland. This historic event will be run by the IUTF and will be open to all Taekwon Do groups regardless of affiliation. It will be a once in a life time opportunity to train with the world's leading authority on Taekwon Do. More news to follow shortly.

IUTF Win at GST Championships

IUTF members traveled to Little Island Cork for the GST National Championships. The event was run by Mr. Brian Buckley and the judging was very fair. A number of IUTF members won gold medals in both sparring and patterns. These were Karol Deasy (Mallow), Daniel Henderson (Kanturk), and Jordan Dalton (South West TKD). Jessica Nessica Naughton (Newcastle West) took two golds. The IUTF would like to thank Mr. Buckley and GST for the invitation.

IUTF Dublin excel at Dublin Juniors TKD Tournament

IUTF Dublin under Mr Jon Mackey attended a tournament hosted by the AITA/ITA on Sunday the 22nd May.The tournament was open to all ITF clubs in Dublin, it was an under 14's event.

The IUTF got off to a good start within the patterns section, with most students progressing through to the next round. As the rounds got tighter, some of the decisions raised an eye brow or two. Shane Bowers was pipped for first place after a spotless performance of Do-San, his opponent getting the decision, one which which left even the organisers scratching their head. Adam Quinn also just lost out on 1st place after his opponent got the decision even though he stopped 3 times.
The standard set by the IUTF students was very good, and drew comment from many of the other instructors present.

In sparring all the IUTF students from the older class won their respective sections. In the 14 and under catagorie, Martin Moylan and Michael Doyle, came both 1st and 2nd respectively, Martin Moylan beating off stiff competition to meet Michael Doyle in the final, Doyle fought with indomitable spirit as his toe nails got ripped off from an earlier boute.

In the girls section, 14 and under, white to green belt, Neidin Coulihan won her section against a much bigger and stronger opponent. She used her blitz punches effectively and wore her opponent down to gain a fight in the final which she won after a hard fight against one of the ITA's junior girls.
Nathan Cogley came 3rd in his sparring catagorie of 10 and under white to green stripe. Nathan beat his opponent in what must be an Irish record of one punch! After feeling a thumping to his chest, Nathan's opponent decided not to continue. Nathan, was narrowly beaten in the semi finals and had to settle for 3rd.
Wayne Devereaux won his section comfortably also, in the 12 and under boys white to green belt, Wayne showed true IUTF style as he kicked and punched continuosly making his way into the final where he wore his opponent down with a combination of kicks and blitz punching.
Stephen Devereaux also performed gallently in the boys 9 and under, white to green belt. Winning a 3rd place after 3 hard battles in which he stopped one his opponents.

All in all the IUTF students performed exellently, it was a good experience as many of the juniors competed for the first time. Well done to all.
preparations will start for the IUTF leinster championships very soon.

Connacht Championships

The 2005 Connacht Championships was held in Galway on April 17th. The attendance was phenomenal with the standard reflecting how much the students have been training in recent months. This year, tournament host, Mr. Fitzgibbon, was delighted to welcome, for the first time, students of Mr. Jon Mackey's IUTF Dublin and Mr. Mick Flaherty's IUTF Wexford. The students did their instructors proud in both their attitude and performance."