Monday 21st November 2005 The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has officially granted interim governorship of Olympic and WTF Taekwondo in New Zealand to Taekwondo New Zealand Incorporated (TNZ). In a letter to the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Oceania Taekwondo Union on the 18th November, the WTF Secretary General Mr Dong Hoo Moon said that […]
The following article is part of the material used in my studies at the Beijing Sports University Wushu Department. It is the result of research done in the 1990’s by the Chinese Wushu Research Institute and approved by China’s Sports Commission and the Chinese Wushu Association. It was published by the International Wushu Federation. I […]
Photos courtesy of Colin O'Brien. Once again the Annual T.N.M. (Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough) Invitational Taekwondo Tournament kept the terrific crowd of players and supporters at fever pitch with nail-biting hair-raising action. Hosted by Master Hamish Wybrows Richmond Taekwondo Club on saturday November 11th the well over 55 fights and pattern rounds meant the entertainment just kept coming. (blue) Adam Davidson, Renwick […]
In February 2005, the world’s greatest Grandmaster of Wing Chun Kung Fu visited New Zealand for the first time. Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin needs no introduction to students of Wing Chun. For those unfamiliar with Wing Chun Lineage, Grandmaster Chu was a student of Yip Man (the legendary instructor of Bruce Lee). Many years ago […]
On the third of November (cultural day in Japan) I was lucky enough to be invited by my new jujitsu club to an annual gathering for the display of traditional martial arts in Tokyo. This event is held at the Mejijingu shrine in Harajuku. This shrine was built for the worshipping Meiji Emperor, great grandfather of […]
In 1937 I was born in the City Road Hospital, London, and within the sound of the Bow Bells, this made me what is known as a true cockney. My Mother was born in Ireland, and my Father was born in the midlands of England, a place known as Bolton in Lancashire. Dad was not […]
How many martial artists in the history of karate had ever enjoyed the opportunity to study directly under such formidable masters as Bushi Matsumura, Tokumini Pechin, Itosu Ankoh, Matsumora Kosaku, Motobu Choyu and Satkuma Usumei? To the best of my knowledge there was only one, Motobu Choki. With instructors of that caliber, the experience that […]
Recently I had the honor of working on a video shoot for a good friend and “Reality-Based” martial arts hero of mine, Demetrius Barbito, owner of the Center for Self Preservation Training (C.S.P.T.) in California, USA. Demi has produced numerous high quality Martial Arts videos that I have had the privilege of assisting with, so when […]
The WORLD ASSOCIATION of KICKBOXING ORGANISATIONS end of year Fight Night was a great spectacle to end a fantastic year for WAKO. In 2005 WAKO (NZ) have organised five Full Contact tournaments in the Waikato , two Semi-Contact Tournaments and developed the first ever New Zealand WAKO team to enter the WAKO World Championships. WAKO […]
In 1957, I was studying Judo and Karate at the Abbe School of Budo at the "Hut" in Hillingdon, Middlesex, a suburb of London. My teacher was Ken Williams Sensei, and we were all students of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei (8th dan in Judo, 6th dan in Aikido, and 5th dan in Karate and Kendo). At […]