ISSUE 1 MARCH 2017 VOLUME 11

A word from the

CHIEF INSTRUCTOR

Breaking striving for perfection

moderntkd.com

upcoming events

21st - 23rd April All Rank Camp @ Currimundi

6th May Tournament Rnd 1

@ Banyo

20th May All Rank Training

@ Murrumba Downs

3rd June Grading

@ Kallangur

can achieve it with regular and consistent training. We have the year all mapped out for you in our calendar. I want to start by mentioning our upcom-ing All Rank Training Camp. This year sees a return to the Sunshine Coast, at the Currimundi Recreation Camp right on the beach next to Lake Currimundi. The dates are the 21st, 22nd and 23rd of April—when the weather is traditionally beauti-ful. These camps are a highlight of the training calendar. There will be about 12 hours of training covering many different areas of IMT’s curricu-lum, and sessions that will push you to try new things and revisit some things you may have for-gotten, including jumping kicks, self-defence and boxercise. You get almost a month’s worth of training compressed into the course of one week-end, not to mention early morning stretching ses-sions, cardio workouts and beach training. This weekend is not to be missed. The camp is fully catered except for the Friday night, so ensure you eat before you arrive on Friday afternoon and/or have something ready to eat after the training ses-sion that night. The rest of the meals will be sup-plied for you till the close on Sunday. It is cabin style accommodation, so you’ll need to bring your own bedding and pillows. The cabins are aircondi-tioned for your comfort. Also bring along sun-screen, a hat, water bottles, towels, swimmers, toiletries and of course your uniforms and some clothes for after class (keeping in mind it will be a lot cooler than now). The cost for the camp has increased slightly (as always, we make great efforts to keep the cost to you as low as possible) and will be $130 each student, or $120 per student if there is two or more in a family. If you are new to the club please make sure you come along. All members that have never been to a camp—this is also your chance to come along. You will all benefit greatly from the camp. I attended my first camp as a yel-low belt and it reinforced my love for training so much more than any other thing I had done in my training till that point. I still look forward to these events as eagerly as my first camp 40 years ago. In early May we will start our three round Tourna-ment series with the first round being hosted by our Banyo class. The date is the 6th of May and it is always a very exciting day for the club, with gener-ally close to 80 competitors and their family and friends cheering them on. The day is broken into

Welcome to 2017! The summer newsletter seems late coming as summer has now officially closed and autumn has well and truly started. I can feel the change in the air already, which means the nicest temperatures for training are right now. As much as I love summer, I prefer warming up by getting sweaty because I’m training hard in class rather than putting my uniform on and sweating because of the heat and humidity. Bring on winter I say! Welcome to all our new members who have recent-ly joined us at the Institute of Modern Tae Kwon Do! We trust you are enjoying your training and wish you all the best with your new martial arts journey. A black belt can seem a long, long way away but in reality it is not—each move up through the ranks is a chapter in your progression, and you

divisions for patterns, sparring, and a team demon-stration section. We will be discussing the rules at our Currimundi camp, and at training sessions leading up the competition. Again, I urge you all to get involved because these tournaments genuinely help you in your regular training. I see the students who get involved perform much better at gradings than those that do not. It is about bettering yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. Your in-structor will discuss this more in class, but I want to see everyone there. If you’re not competing, then at least be there cheering on your fellow class members as they try their best. We use a point system over the three round series to determine a Grand Champion for each division and also award a Club Trophy of the class with the most points over the series. Past winners include Kallangur, Redcliffe and Banyo, but this year I expect Brack-en Ridge and Ormeau classes to be a force to be reckoned with. Good luck everyone and start pre-paring now. The Australian Martial Arts Championships also kicked off for the year at Morayfield on the 12th of March. We were well represented with 10 competi-tors taking part and doing us proud with many 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places earned. I counted over 30 trophies and medallions from this group. There is a full review in this newsletter with all the results so have a look and congratulate those members from the club on their results. The next round will be held on the Gold Coast on the 21st of May, so if you are interested in competing have a talk to your instructor for more information and give it a go.

By Peter Cameron

6th Degree Black Belt

Chief Instructor

Founder of IMT in Australia

amac ....................... 2

kallangur news ..... 2

redcliffe review .... 3

Murrumba maniacs . 3

lee’s lair ................ 4

mastering the art .. 4

self defence tips ... 5

deception bay buzz 5

banyo breakers ..... 6

ormeau report ....... 6

Kallangur By Brett Parker

4th Degree Black Belt

DANIEL LEE I’ve been practicing Tae Kwon Do with the IMT for 5 years. I started when I was 8 years old at the Kallan-gur class. In 2015, at the age of 11 I achieved my black belt. To me this experience was one the most physical and mental challenges in my life time, but the most rewarding. There is no black belt grading for juniors but one

curriculum for all ages, this is why I found it so hard for me as an 11 year old at the time. At multiple points leading up to my black belt, I felt like I

could not get through it. With the support of my instruc-

tor and my family, I was able to push through and gain

the rank of black belt. What I believe it takes to achieve

this rank is lots of self-confidence and a right mind set.

Anyone can achieve as long as you are willing to put the

effort in. Right now I am enjoying helping others im-

prove and mastering the art.

We have started the All Rank training sessions for the year, with the first being held up at Bribie Is-land right on the water, and it was very well attend-ed with all clubs present. We also had the first session hosted by the Ipswich club at the Bundam-ba Pool and Gym Centre, where I work out every weekday morning. The training was a lot of fun with us all finishing in the water sparring and gen-erally having a great time. However, I was disap-pointed by the attendance, with less than 40 stu-dents and instructors present. I travel to the North side over 25 times per year for training sessions, black belt sessions, gradings, tournaments and other events, and I was expecting all classes would make the effort to support my new class. I know not everyone can get to these additional sessions

but I genuinely felt let down by the smaller attend-ance. Nonetheless, I would like to thank those students, families and instructors that did show me their willingness to return the favour and travel the 50 minutes to attend. We took some great photos including some awesome flying-side kicks, where we were seeing how close we could get without hitting one another (I think I won with the kick on this front page). The next all rank session will be hosted at Murrumba Downs on the 20th of May so make the effort and get along to this event. Speaking of the Ipswich class, we are still only small but the standard is very high with those members getting lots of personalised training from myself and my assistant instructor Lisa Smith. We are all looking forward to having the cooler weath-er come and help make the training more pleasant. Our white belt Michael is progressing very well and I expect he will do well in his divisions in the upcoming tournament, while our yellow belts Steve

and Matt continue to perform beyond their yellow belt standard. Not to mention Malcolm who contin-ues to get stronger and impress me with every kick. Keep up the good work guys and girls. In closing, I would like to wish all the students undertaking a grading the best of luck. Go along confident that you will perform at your best, as your instructor would not let you grade unless he/she thought you were ready to progress to the next level. I look forward to seeing you all on the floor and at the upcoming camp. Remember to train hard, kick high and keep striving for perfection.

A word from the CHIEF INSTRUCTOR

The first round of the AMAC tournament series kicked off last weekend. It was a good day for IMT with a total of 9 students entering. This group was a good combination of ―Veterans‖ and first timers. Special mention to Jayda, Gabby, Marco and Mariah for their first of hopefully many AMAC tournaments and during their first tournament all students came away with either a medallion or a trophy. Below are the results. Joseph – 2nd Forms, 1st Freestyle, 1st Points Contact, Max – 3rd Points and Freestyle, 2nd points contact, Michael – 4th Forms, 2nd points and freestyle, 3rd points contact, Jayda – 2nd forms, 3rd points and freestyle, 3rd sumo, Marco – 3rd Forms, 4th Points, 2nd Freestyle, Gabby – 3rd forms, Mariah – 2nd freestyle, Chris – 3rd forms, 2nd points and freestyle, 1st points contact, 2nd full contact, Talea – 1st forms, 1st points, 2nd freestyle, 4th freestyle (Up division) 3rd points contact (up division) Tara – 3rd forms, 2nd points, 1st freestyle, 3rd sumo. Sadly the day ended in a bit of tears as Gabby had her nose broken in her freestyle sparring meaning she was unable to continue for the rest of her events, we hope you have a speedy recovery so you can get back into training.

The next round for AMAC is marked on your calendar in green and

is on the 21st of May at the Gold Coast. It would be good to see IMT

dominate the AMAC series. If you are interested in entering talk to

your instructor about joining up. On a side note thank you to Brett

and Joe for taking time out of their schedule to put on a special

AMAC class at Kallangur it was beneficial for all who came along.

AMAC ROUND 1

of black belt, so they too can continue with their journey and help others. Getting to this point is not easy, but it is certainly rewarding. Hopefully many of the students reading this will put in the effort to get to the point of learning to instruct, as it is a chance that should not be wasted. I’d like to take this opportunity to say that it is also excit-

ing for us black belts to be here, helping students learn

and practice and seeing you moving up through the ranks.

I’d also like to thank all of our instructors and assistant

instructors for helping me reach this level. Remember, all of us, from the first-degree black belts, all the way

through to the chief instructor, have been where you have

been at some point. We also know that everything you’re

doing and all the training you put in will be worth it when you reach black belt. Don’t give up. You only get out

what you put in, so train hard and you’ll soon reach your

goal. But once you get to this point, remember, Black belt

isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just the beginning of a new one.

news I would like to put the spotlight on 2 of my Junior Black Belts at the Kallangur class. They have been working hard on their instructing skills, and I would like to give them an opportunity to express how they are finding it.

MATTHEW BAKER. Black belt is not the end of your Tae Kwon Do journey. Since my black belt grading in June 2015, I have realised that there is so much more to learn. Instructing, for one point, is not as easy as our senior instructors have always made it look, but it is a great opportunity to develop a great-er understanding for the art of Tae

Kwon Do, along with helping others progress to the level

By Jason Parker

4th Degree Black Belt

Hello all new and returning members to

another big year of training.

Kallangur and Banyo have had big bursts of

students preparing for Black Belt gradings

in the past couple of years, but this is Red-

cliff’s year!

I will have 4 students eligible for Black

Belt and one for 2nd Degree Black Belt.

There will also be another student/instructor

preparing for 3rd Degree Black Belt. What

a big year it will be!

There will be Martin and Igor Husak (the

first father/son Black Belts for a few years),

Andrew Ward will be looking to go in De-

cember along with a returning Sam Mowatt

AFTA under Ron Classens. She enrolled

her son Heath, but with a bit of gentler per-

suasion, has decided to get back on the

floor.

I have had an interrupted start to the year,

as I had a melanoma on my back removed.

I have been given the all clear, but still a bit

swollen and sore which is limiting my

movement. Thanks Anthony for picking up

the slack while I recover.

I hope everyone makes the most of the

training opportunities afforded to you with

the Saturday training sessions, Camps and

Tournaments throughout the year. They are

very beneficial to your development and I

hope to see you at all events. Because I

will be there… looking for you!

Train Hard.

after a year off. Anthony Sgualdino has

been doing the hard yards already to pre-

pare for his 2nd Dan grading in July. It will

be his toughest challenge yet (even harder

than teaching) but his growing maturity is

proving to be of benefit to juggle training

and study.

Although he has been busy at work, Jason

Pascoe has tried to fit in some classes to

prepare for his 3rd Dan grading. With so

many people training hard, the senior class

has been very high energy of late. I don’t

have to do as much teaching as I do refining

and motivating.

There has been some growth at the other

end of the spectrum too. Welcome to class

Heath, Jai and Seth and welcome back to

class Skye! Skye used to train in NSW

many years ago and got her Black Belt with

Redcliffe review

Hello and welcome to another year at Murrumba club. The start of the year has been booming for our class, we now have over 20 regular students. If all students enter the tournament we might be able to challenge some of the other big clubs. With all the new students and different groups it can be hard to cope with just Max and I. But Matthew and Daniel have been coming regularly which has been a huge help. Also, it helps them develop their skills as assistant instruc-tors and black belts. It can be quite hard

Some students have been sick recently or had other commitments so missing out on classes as well as crucial grading prep. If it is decided that you are not ready to grade don’t be upset about it, most times it is a good thing meaning that you can further refine your skills in your current grade, there is only 3 months between gradings and the time goes very quickly. All the best to those grading today re-member to trust in the skills you have learnt in class and just relax.

to instruct when you are young and es-pecially when you’re new at it. Over the holidays it is clear that prac-tice was lacking with some students being a bit rusty however we are all back into the swing of it. As it was said to the higher grades last week it is im-portant to practice all your patterns not just your most recent one. If you forget your previous patterns you will find it very hard when you reach blue belt, at blue belt you don’t do basics anymore you do all your patterns all the way from white belt to blue belt. You don’t really know it until you’ve done it 1 million times!

By John Barron

2nd Degree Black Belt

Maniacs Murrumba

By Lee Griffith

2nd Degree Black Belt

KNEES UP MOTHER BROWN!!! Last November, I was the 'lucky' recipient of two very new and VERY expensive titanium knees. Whilst I've been training for over 20 years now, it was a hereditary disease of the joint, not wear and tear from TKD that led me to having them replaced. The operation and subsequent healing has been a very painful process and it would have been the ideal juncture (and reasonable excuse) to bid farewell to my days of Taekwondo. Despite the fact that any excuse to retire would be declined outright by our chief instructor and fellow instructors, Taekwondo is in my veins and I, turning 60 this year, will continue on albeit having to modify my training to what my knees will allow. So....if you're 35 and feeling old and physically challenged to continue your martial arts, I challenge you to keep going. There are people in wheelchairs, people with diseases such as cancer, people in their 80s doing martial arts, so no excuses. Stay on the floor! Work around any physical limitations! If I can't retire, neither can you!!!!

Belt up!!! Many a martial artist will happily go about their training and growth in their martial arts without knowing, let alone understanding the history and traditions behind it. For instance, our belt colours carry with them an important symbolism and whilst it's wonderful to receive your new coloured or even black belt, take a quiet moment to acknowledge its special significance.

The Belt: The wearing of the belt and the tying of the knot should never be taken lightly and should represent that you are ready to commence your Taekwondo training or indeed, grading, with a focused mind and body. The Taekwondo belt is tied in a very precise manner where it loops around the body two times and then is tied in front in a triangle shaped knot. This knot represents oneness of purpose yet the positioning of it has great symbolism in itself. In your navel region there is your body's center of gravity, where the Ki (Tanjun, in Korean) is located and it is indeed a very sacred location on the body deserving of the greatest respect. You will often see me (and my fellow instructors) checking that your belt is tied correctly. If you can't seem to get it right, ask your instructor to show you or you can even resort to an instructional video on You Tube. Younger students should not have their belts tied up for them as this prevents them from learning to do it themselves. Parents assisting their child, should stand behind them and guide the child's hands to tie up their belt. Practice will see this knot being tied correctly and, in time, automatically.

Stages of growth through the belt colours: Moving up the ranks and receiving that brand new belt is not a race. It is important that, through your gradings, you demonstrate your readiness for the next phase of learning and skill development. Take the time to reflect on what each belt means as you receive your new rank.

White Belt:

The lack of colour signifies purity and innocence. The novice is assumed to have no knowledge of Taekwondo.

Yellow Belt (and Green Tip): This colour represents the rising sun. Seeds in the ground begin to germinate and grow (Green tip). Basic TKD techniques are learned and perfected.

Green Belt: Green is the colour of growing things that all can see. Power begins to develop in kicks, strikes and blocks.

Blue Belt: This denotes the colour of the sky which growing things reach for. Physical and mental power starts to stabilize.

Brown Belt: Brown symbolised the colour of the ground where growing things are rooted firmly. Stability of physical and mental power is/should be apparent. Maturity, honour and respect are exhibited as the character begins to perfect.

Black Belt: Black is the combination of all colour and the final stage where technique is mastered within the humble and serene beauty of the plant. Humility and honour are important qualities that anyone wearing a black belt is expected to demonstrate. Whilst many perceive that reaching black belt is the 'end of the road' for training, nothing could be further from the truth. Attaining black belt means that you have completed your basic training and are embarking on a new and exciting journey of advanced skills and knowledge. No person in our organisation EVER discards their black belt because it's becoming frayed and showing white areas from years of tying it up. No one EVER forgets receiving their black belt, nor the journey undertaken to reach that pinnacle of martial arts train-ing. The white frayed parts actually symbolise that the wearer is open to new growth....just as a beginning white belt practitioner is. Jason Parker's belt is one prime example. Like him, we all have a spare belt to wear. So, there you go. I trust that the information provided above prompts you to stop and reflect on the importance of such a simple strip of coloured material....the belt.

Welcome back everyone to what will be another exciting year of Tae Kwon Do. 2017 is shaping up to be another busy year packed full of exciting training sessions and action packed tournaments. Tournaments are a great addition to your training. While they are a lot of fun and give you the chance to win a trophy, they are also a great opportunity to test your abilities against people you have never sparred before. We have three tournament rounds throughout the year with a Grand Champion trophy for the most consistent competitor in each division. For those looking to test themselves against other styles there is also the Australian Martial Arts Championships (AMAC). We have just has a num-ber of students compete in their first AMAC event

Use double kicks to catch your opponent off guard. Everyone gets complacent counter attacking the first technique and end up walk-ing into the second. Once they work out you are doing double kicks, add an extra technique and make it a triple kick.

Use high scoring techniques. Spin kicks and jump kicks to the head score you three points. While they may be a bit harder to execute, they are also harder to defend against. For every one that you score with your opponent needs to score with four tech-niques to the body to get the lead back.

Remember to keep your hands up and de-fend. For every point they score you need to get two points back.

with some great results so ask your instructor how to enter if you are interested. Below are a few tour-nament sparring tips.

Combinations are more effective than one off techniques to beat a person’s guard. Use the first and second techniques to setup your op-ponent allowing your third, fourth and fifth techniques to score. You can also vary the height of each technique in your combination to make it more effective.

Always follow up with hands. When you finish a combination you are generally within hand range so make sure you use them. A simple jab is an easy technique to score an extra point at the end of your combination while also making it more difficult for your opponent to counter attack.

Do not charge forward in a straight line and clash with your opponent. Step to the side and use angles to get around your opponent's guard and attack the gaps.

By Joseph Sandona

3rd Degree Black Belt

Mastering the art

Lee’s Lair

self-defence tips for women 1. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

Too many women enrol in a self-defence class after they’ve been assaulted. When they recount the incident, they often say the same thing: ―I had this bad feeling, but I told myself not to be paranoid,‖ or ―I knew I shouldn’t have gone, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.‖

If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t safe — that’s the bottom line. Many women have been conditioned to ignore the little voice that tells them trouble is coming. Your instinct is the best detector of danger. The next time you hear that little voice, listen to what it’s saying.

2. PRACTICE TARGET DENIAL Don’t make yourself an accessible target. The outcome of a battle is often determined before the first blow is struck. When you have the opportunity to escape from a situation before it turns bad, take it. If an approaching person gives you the creeps, walk to the other side of the street. If an elevator door opens and the guy standing inside makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, wait for the next

elevator. Those actions aren’t cowardly; rather, they’re a smart way to eliminate danger.

3. PRESENT YOURSELF WITH CONFIDENCE Be aware of the message your body sends to those around you. Like animals, human predators target those they consider the weakest or most vulnerable. Attackers search for women who appear frightened,

confused or distracted. They look for women who walk with their head down and their hands stuffed in their pockets, or perhaps one who’s overburdened with packages or distracted by children. Remember that attackers do not want to bait a fight; they want an easy mark. By walking with confidence and awareness — looking around and keeping your head up and shoulders back — you’ll dramati-

cally reduce the likelihood of becoming a target in the first place.

4. SET STRONG VERBAL BOUNDARIES Good verbal skills are an effective self-defence tool, one you’re likely to use more frequently and successfully than any physical technique. When a predator engages you in conversation, he’s actually

―interviewing‖ you to see if you’ll make a good victim. An experienced attacker is practiced at using his words to freeze you with fear, thus reducing the chance that you’ll try to defend yourself. Although an aggressive verbal confrontation can be terrifying, you have to be strong enough to show the attacker he’s picked the wrong victim. If you stand tall, remain calm and respond confidently and

assertively, you’ll probably ―fail‖ his interview. The power of your voice alone can cause him to seek an easier target.

5. MAINTAIN A NON-CONFRONTATIONAL STANCE In a self-defence situation, one of your secret weapons is the element of surprise. Most predators feel confident that you won’t defend yourself, and you should capitalize on that misconception. If you

assume a martial arts stance, it immediately tells the attacker that you know how to fight. In response, he’s likely to be more aggressive. Instead, use a confident, relaxed stance in which your hips and shoulders are forward, your arms are bent, and your hands are up and open. This conciliatory posture may mislead the attacker into thinking

you’re willing to comply. If it becomes necessary for you to strike, he probably won’t be prepared for it.

6. KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE Everyone has a comfort zone or personal space. When an aggressor enters that zone, you’re uncomfortable because you know you’d need that space if you had to fight back. When you’re in an adrenalized

state, you need a quarter of a second to react to an assault. This ―reactionary gap‖ should be anticipated when you think about your comfort zone. You should try to maintain approximately one to one-and-a-half arm lengths between yourself and the aggressor. If he starts closing in, you need to use verbal boundaries. If he still doesn’t back off, it’s time

to get physical.

7. USE THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE Most predators assume you cannot defend yourself. Therefore, you should take advantage of the element of surprise. If you’re engaged in a conversation, you have the opportunity to use verbal skills and a

non-confrontational stance to entice the aggressor into dropping his guard. If you’re grabbed from behind, you must respond immediately. In either case, putting up a fight can surprise him and increase your chance of landing the first blow.

8. KEEP YOUR TECHNIQUES SIMPLE One of the main effects of an adrenaline release is the loss of fine motor skills. That means simple gestures such as unlacing your fingers or pulling your hands out of your pockets can become much more

challenging. And the odds of your executing a beautiful joint lock or high kick rapidly dwindle. No matter which martial art you practice, learn techniques that are basic and stick with them in a self-defence scenario. I recommend the following:

• Heel-palm strike. Hitting with an open hand reduces the chance that you’ll injure your hand and enables you to more easily attack from a non-confrontational stance in which you’re holding your hands up and open while you set verbal boundaries. Then, if your attacker steps into your comfort zone — bang! — he gets it right in the face.

• Eye strike. The eye strike can be used in a standing or prone position. Often, simply driving your fingers toward your assailant’s eyes will cause him to recoil. Even if you don’t make contact, it creates space to set up a more devastating blow.

• Knee strike. This technique is recommended over any type of standing kick because it is easy to use and can be delivered while you stay centred and close to the ground — which is crucial when you’re adrenalized. A knee to the groin can end a fight immediately.

9. DON’T PANIC IF YOU’RE KNOCKED DOWN More often than not, women end up on the ground when they’re assaulted. The good news is that most assailants are not skilled ground fighters; they’re bullies who are used to knocking women down and

forcing them to comply. Remember that the heel-palm strike and eye strike work well on the ground. It’s a good idea to have a few kicks that work there, as well. In particular, the side thrust kick functions in a variety of scenarios. If you’re on the ground and your assailant is standing, it gives you an advantage because your legs are longer than his arms. That means

he’ll have to expose his body to your kick if he wants to reach you. Knee strikes also function effectively on the ground. While you struggle with your attacker, he probably won’t protect his groin. Once you see an opening, get close enough to strike upward into his crotch.

10. FOLLOW THROUGH The fight isn’t over until the threat no longer exists. Therefore, you must be 110-percent committed to the battle. If you fight back and then pause, you give up the initial advantage you gained from using the

element of surprise. Once your opponent knows you can fight, it becomes more difficult for you to prevail. To survive, you must continue your barrage until it’s safe to stop striking and escape.

By Jason Pascoe

2nd Degree Black Belt

Hello from the Deception Bay class, and welcome to 2017! I hope everyone is back into training and setting their goals for the rest of the year. Training nights have changed at Decep-tion Bay this year, they are now Mon-day and Thursday 5.00pm to 6.30pm

Juniors and Seniors combined. There are a lot of training opportunities for all students throughout the year, make sure you make the effort to attend every session to get the most out of your training year. See you at the grading.

Deception Bay buzz

Ormeau By Troy Johnson

2nd Degree Black Belt report per week. As martial artists it is important to take some personally responsibility for your progression in both your technique and your fitness. The Ormeau team were issued a challenge last year that they need to take some ownership of this and every student at every level & instructors alike are tasked with a bare minimum of 30 push ups per class, 30 sit ups and 1 min of star jumps. While this may not seem like a lot it is a great starting point and those students who used to struggle are now able to do this easily. To wrap this up, I would like to say good luck to all who are grading today, you have more than earned the privilege to be here today. Keep your hands up, enjoy the jour-ney and keep striving for perfection.

explorer. In the past month I have travelled to, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin, Newcastle, Sydney, Mac-kay… just to name a few. And I am not quite done yet! I also wanted to mention the AMAC Na-tionals Competition that both Leana and I attended at the end of last year in Sydney. This was Leana’s first year competing and she managed to take out 3rd place in contin-uous sparring and 4th place in points and the invitation to go to Japan this year. Overall it was a good weekend, and we walked away feeling satisfied with the results, and we only hope this can continue with our stu-dent Callum as he embarks on his first year of competing in the AMAC series. Good luck Callum, we will be there to cheer you on. To be able to succeed in these competitions requires more than just 2 x 1 hour classes

Welcome to the first newsletter from the Ormeau crew for 2017. It’s hard to believe that we can finally say that it is 2017. This article will be kept short and sweet as there is not much to report from down our way. We have been training hard in preparation for today and we know our students will perform to the best of their standards and put in maximum effort. Unfortunately I have not had much time at class over the past month, and I have left the class in the capable hands of both Leana and Aaron. I sincerely thank them for their efforts and willingness to step up and help out while I have been playing Australian

By Tony Robinson

3rd Degree Black Belt

Hopefully everyone had a great Christmas break and is now back into some hard train-ing. Here at Banyo we are lucky to have few new students start this year. A big welcome to the IMT family to Megha, John, Isabella, Alessandro, Felix, Joseph, Ren and Isiah. These warmer days are great for training as it doesn’t take so long to warm up and get the blood flowing and our muscles stretched and ready for a work out. Stretching is a really important part of what we do as martial artists and it is a good idea to try and get to class 10-15 minutes early to stretch and warm up as this can take up a lot of our learning time. It is also the best time of year to be stretching when you get home after class as we don’t cool down as quickly as we do in the winter months. If you can manage 15 minutes before and the

same again when you get home, you will be kicking to the head in no time. We also sweat more, which is good as we get rid of a lot of nasties out of our system. But that also means we need to make our water intake higher, so make sure you al-ways have a big bottle of room temperature water and an old towel at class. Hope to catch up with you all on grading day

Banyo breakers