GTUK British Championships 2009
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009GTUK British Individual Championships 2009
Now normally waking up on a Saturday morning and remembering that there is a Taekwon-do event to head off to is easy, there’s a dead giveaway; the weather outside is fantastic. It’s sunny, it’s warm, there’s not a cloud in the sky. But waking up on Saturday 25th April 2009 it wasn’t that easy. It was dull, grey, overcast and generally pretty miserable. I checked the calendar again and sure enough there it was in bright red biro – ‘Individual Championships’. Luckily the dobok was ironed along with the shirt and trousers so the initial delay and confusion wasn’t so bad as my brain eventually cottoned on to the fact that yes indeed there was a tournament on today.
As with all GTUK tournaments there is a great deal to arrange and organise long before the event itself and Mr. Archer’s ‘Central Taekwon-do’ team had done a fantastic job as they always do. On arriving at the Leisure Centre at half eight (and being confused for the second time that day already – this time that there was no ’10 hour’ option on the car park charge anymore and 24 hours was now £20!) and then running inside in an attempt to limit how much I got rained on, the hall was already set up, squares organised and chairs lined up. (By the way does anyone else have the same success with running to avoid the rain as I do-i.e. none at all – and possibly resulting in you getting wetter!?). Many thanks have to be extended towards Mr. Archer and his team for the preparation work they put in.
As the hall filled up with competitors and parents the familiar feelings of nerves and excitement were beginning to become palpable. But at the same time there was the good natured and friendly atmosphere that comes with seeing fellow competitors, black belts and instructors again – many of whom you haven’t seen since the last major event. One of the things that the GTUK can always be proud of is how friendly and welcoming we are to anyone and everyone. It’s an association that is motivated by teaching the values of Taekwon-Do to anyone who wants to learn them, because the seniors and all instructors value them highly and know the positive impact Taekwon-Do can have on people’s lives, we strive to abide by the tenets of Taekwon-Do; Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control & Indomitable spirit. Our tournaments are a fine example of these tenets, with everyone involved actively displaying them, officials and competitors alike.
The tournament kicked off with Master Oldham and Mr. Archer welcoming everyone and wishing them luck for the day and also with a surprise announcement that got everyone reaching for their hair brushes – BBC3 were present and filming for a documentary about a family from Cambridge Taekwon-Do club – exciting times for GTUK Cambridge and the family involved!
It always amazes me how high the standards of our young competitors are, from the youngest pee wees to the oldest juniors, the passion and enthusiasm they demonstrate during patterns and free sparring is infectious. We have to remember sometimes how nerve racking it must be for some of them – I imagine that I’m not alone in saying that the nerves still grip me at a competition and those boys and girls are a lot younger! I firmly believe that nerves are healthy feelings to have in a competition. It is how you respond to those nerves that proves your mettle.
“Character is who you are under pressure, not who you are when everything is going fine.”
Another section that is often overlooked is the veterans categories. From hearing back from the officials on some of the veteran’s squares the standards they witnessed were very high – it was commented on by more than one official how controlled the free sparring was – a demonstration of the high standards of instructors being met by the students.
There were many hard fought battles in the colour belt categories resulting in jubilation and disappointment in equal abundance. However those famous words from Master Oldham at the beginning of tournament about how to deal with defeat and about learning through defeat rang loudly in everybody’s ears.
The back belt adult sections began during the afternoon and it was encouraging to see the sizes of the categories. It’s true to say that any medal won was hard fought and truly earned, and I think that it’s safe to say anyone involved would agree.
The standards of patterns across all divisions, male and female, was very high indeed, making the judges tasks even harder. This is again something to be immensely proud of throughout the association. The black belts of today are keen, enthusiastic and hungry for knowledge. All of this along with dedication results in some very high standards in competitions but also in clubs around the country which filters down to the colour belt students in those clubs – either directly through instruction, or indirectly through the creation of role models to aspire to. GTUK black belts are true black belts. They have earned their belt through hard work and dedication and they conduct themselves with the true spirit of Taekwon-Do at all times.
With thrills and spills the black belt divisions drew to a close, as did the tournament. Another successful day for all involved and with
Many thanks again to Mr. Archer’s team who also hosted what sounded like a highly successful after party!
Visit www.dephoto.co.uk and register to view/order photos from the championships.
Remember that tournament training runs again on May 10th for England (11am start) and that Scotland’s squad training is being held on Saturday May 2nd, 12pm start – see the Tournament Training section on the homepage for full details of both. Get yourself down there!!
Phil Miller
GTUK Press Officer