Unified ITF in Australia

It's been an eventful few months on the International scene. With the World Championships well behind us, we've settled back into routine soundly and got on with things. I'm currently working on a schedule for 2014 which contains a minimum of Four Gup Gradings and Two Dan Testings throughout. This will be squared away over the next month or so to ensure a running start for 2014. I'll also be putting forward plans to host our first Seminar with Grand Master Hwang or nominated Senior in his stead, providing we can get the support for it here.

Having kept in touch with the Unified ITF since the Worlds, a series of circumstances beyond my control have occurred and I've been offered the opportunity to represent their interests in the Australian region in lieu of a possible permanent Representative Entity being stood up. This is obviously a huge role and responsibility to take on, given I know Grand Master Hwang and his family on a personal level, I'll endeavour to represent in the best capacity I can in the interim. Currently, Unified ITF in Australia is a small and close-knit family. Although I remain reserved about the circumstances that led to this point, we're happy to have found our collective home and I'm looking forward to the rewards and challenges this role will inevitably provide.

I naturally had concerns taking up such a monumental role and I had ample time to consider it. Through my experience with the UITF these last few years and more recently over the last couple of months, I'm happy to say the UITF are a forward thinking organisation with process and procedures that protect the interests and principles of the Art over wholesale membership and as a fledgeling International Community I'm proud to be given an opportunity to be engaged, providing input in it's direction and policy, a change from simply being a passive member of my club forwarding my beliefs and opinions to my Senior. The UITF have also provided a number of supporting offers, as quoted by the Secretary General of the Unified ITF, Ms Jade Hwang on behalf of Grand Master Hwang;

"It is essential that all members of all dans receive legitimate, internationally recognized certificates as well as have access to the education and resources to continue their training. We will make all possible accommodations to this end. The Unified ITF has many quality instructors and Masters worldwide that are available for seminars, promotional testing and Taekwon-Do courses."

With five Dojangs across three schools in Sydney and Canberra, we have a modest start and all things considered, Unified ITF in Australia is doing well. Our own aligned Club, Tong-Il Taekwon-Do, has built up to around 40 Training Members and with the new Northside Dojang set to open next year, our own future is off to a resounding start as well. From time to time, a new era dawns with a major change in life-circumstances. As quoted from a Master lending his advice to me recently; "Just continue to be you, your integrity will shine through and things will just fall into place.". I like to believe this is one of those very events and I really do look forward to seeing where our future takes us now. If you too are an Individual, Club or Organisation wanting to be part of an Internationally resourced and recognised group of practitioners teaching and learning True Taekwon-Do, I encourage you to Contact Us or Find out more...

Yours in Taekwon-Do!

Sabum Scott Bower
6th Degree International Instructor and Examiner
Tong-Il Taekwon-Do Australia
Unified International Taekwon-Do Federation - Interim Australian Representative