A weekend to test the body and mind
The tradition of pain weekend lived up to its reputation
with prospective black belt students pushed to their limits
in the mountains of Alexandra. The weekend is a great test
of mind, body and spirit for the students go on to test for
the black belts in late November. Good luck to Eddie, Justin,
Johno, Nigel, Dianne, and Phil.
Learn more about the tradition of
Pain Weekend...
Click
here to see the PAIN Weekend movie...
Medals for South Island Oceana Competitors
Dunedin students travelling to the Oceana champioships took
home medals. Kris Herbison received two medals with a great
performance winning him a second in the highly contested mens
dan power test. Natalie Walker got a bronze in sparring and
patterns. Campbell Gold got a Gold in individual sparring
and a silver in team sparring. Hayden Breese rocked the tournament
on the microphone.
Good Results at South Island Gradings
 Master
Paul McPhail completed the Mid year grading round recently.
The new Burnam club had an excellent turnout with good student
numbers at the Christchurch grading. Master McPhail was very
impressed by the standard of the Dunedin grading, complimenting
the students and their instructors.
As a special treat Master McPhail was transported to the
Dunedin grading in a limo as a gesture of congratulations
on his massive achievement of 7th Degree Black Belt.
Focus on Support for ITFNZ Taekwon-Do Media
Many people will tell you how they love to receive the TKD
Talk magazine three times a year. While there is a small fee
to help pay for the magazine there are a large number of volunteers
to work tirelessly to produce and deliver the magazine to
the entire organisation of clubs nationwide. These people
work without pay to produce a magazine of very high quality.
If you get a chance spare a thought for these people and
the work that goes into producing the magazine. You can help
by contributing even a small article to the editor.
Please take the time to write something, it doesn't take
much time and goes along way to supporting a great publication.
Remember without submissions from you guys there would be
no magazine.
NZ Junior Black Belts leave for Italy
 On
thursday two South Island students left with the Junior Taekwon-Do
team to represent New Zealand in Italy. Campbell Gold and
Nick Eley both train with the Dunedin Taekwon- Do club.
Award Nominees Announced
We now have to sit back and eagerly wait for the 2004 Awards
ceremony, which is held after the National Championships day
one this Saturday. After the winners are announed we will
be profiling our South Island successfuls.
The South Island has nominated the following people and clubs
for the 2004 National Awards:
Gup Student of the Year:
Dianne Hinson - Dunedin Club
Dan Student of the Year:
Russell Stuart - Otago Uni Club
Junior Student of the Year:
Campbell Gold - Dunedin Club
Instructor of the Year:
Neil Kettings - Dunedin Club
Club of the Year:
Dunedin Club
Presidents Award for contribution to ITFNZ:
Kris Herbison - Otago University
Good luck to all those who have been nominated.
South Island Team Announced
 Team
Coach, Kirs Herbison announced the South Island team to compete
at the 2004 National Championships in Auckland. The South
Island has performed strongly in the team sparring competition
in the past and another strong team has been announced. View
the team
Growth Pains
The difficulties in growing ITFNZ South Island
The latest annual report was just released by ITFNZ and it
shows some pretty impressive results for 2003. Increases in
grading numbers and new clubs have continued to excel the
organisation forward.
Isolated South Island club instructors can be commended for
continuing to further the art in their area. But as the largest
geographic region in the organisation, ITFNZ in the South
Island has struggled to grow new clubs in areas other than
Dunedin.
The South Island holds some relative inhibitors to growth
which may require extra intervention to be rectified such
as isolation and urbanization. ITFNZ already provides grading
support to isolated ITFNZ clubs but perhaps more will be required
to sustain the strength and growth of the region in the future.
For example, the “brain drain” is an avid description
for the many young instructors who move to other regions for
work. Dunedin fares well in this area partly due to the large
proportion of black belts who currently study at the University
of Otago.
So what can ITFNZ South Island do to continue to grow as
a region. Here are some possibilities: Promote the Dan development
of its members so that they can provide the training support
for a growing educational infrastructure. Set up a club and
instructor mentoring system so that new instructors have the
support they need to start clubs. Leverage existing club management
assets to benchmark and accelerate the learning process of
club administration and management and finally establish a
regional development officer who works full time in a paid
position to grow the region.
Mr Andrew Salton Seminar
Many would know Mr Andrew Salton, V Degree, as the two time
coach of the New Zealand Taekwon-Do team. Dunedin Taekwon-Do
students would get a rare inside glimpse of this true Taekwon-Do
legend in the Stripes on Tour Seminar held in the city.
While many instructors of Mr Salton’s caliber could
boast of equal technical knowledge, very few could deliver
a class so inspiring and exciting. Students erupted with applause
and praise at the completion of exercises.
Mr Salton leads by example, his many years of coaching experience
echoes through every instruction, as tactically sound as his
sparring strategies and exercises.
Students experienced an exceptional display of Taekwon-Do,
from arguably New Zealand’s top coach. Mr Salton is
an impressive Taekwon-Do exponent who walks his talk inside
and outside the Do Jang. Congratulations Central Districts,
you are lucky to have one of the best!
Otago University Students Attend Elite Camp
Members of the Otago University Branch attended the
2nd ITFNZ Development Camp in the weekend. Carrolyn Faithfull
(Otago University) 2nd Gup and Russell Stuart (Otago University)
2nd Dan were selected to represent the South Island
Mr Jake Pearson Seminar
Ex-Dunedin instructor, Mr Jake Pearson is returning to Dunedin
to graduate with a medical degree. He conducted a Seminar
on Sunday for Dunedin Taekwon-Do Students which covered patterns,
sparring and breaking techniques. Mr Jake Pearson (left) and
Mr Grant Evans (Right) sparr in the surf.
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Long
time student of the Dunedin Teakwon-Do Club, Nick Eley, was
farewelled in a special training to mark the departure of
Dunedin club Taekwon-Do students to the World Champs. The
training was extra special for Nick as he will be moving to
Wellington on his return to New Zealand. 
Jarrad
Ramsay has establised a new club at Burnam Military Camp near
Christchurch. This is a welcome breakthrough in growth for
the Christchurch area. Jarrod is a former New Zealand team
member and prominent personality and coach in the South Island.
The
Dunedin TKD Club is changing venues and times. From the 25th
of March they will be training at the Dunedin South Presbyterian
Church Hall on King Edward Street, Dunedin. This is right
next to Bayview Road. 
Dunedin
continues to grow as a Taekwon-Do city with the opening of
Threshold Taekwon-Do. The new school is being started by dunedin
3rd Degree instructor, Hayden Breese and will train on Monday
and Wednesday nights at Balmecewan Intermediate. The School
opened on Monday the 8th of March. Opening night participants
are pictured above. See 
University
of Otago Assistant Instructor, Mr Glen Goldsmith, has been
awarded a prestigous Rhodes Scholorship to attend Oxford University
in England. 
Grant
Evans, a former south island regional director and mosgiel
instructor, has proposed to partner Nicola McCarthy. Mr Evans
is an inspiring character in the South Island, and can be
credited with producing a large amount of the growth and success
of Taekwon-Do in the region. Congratulations on behalf of
the entire South Island to Grant and Nikki. 
On
Saturday the 2nd of October Mr Banicevich (4th Degree) held
a special seminar to mark the opening of the new Threshold
Taekwon-Do Training Facility. The seminar was attended by
students from all Dunedin clubs. Mark took an excellent seminar
focusing on self defence. The instruction used basic principles
to good effect with all students leaving with more confidence.