TAGB Closed Scottish 2015

Sorry for the late posting of this one. A few things didnt quite happen that were supposed to but we all pickup and struggle on :)

We seem to have been blessed with beautiful weather for the last few Scottish competitions and this one was no different. The sun was blazing away but not quite shorts and T-shirt weather yet as there'd been a small flurry or two of snow on the way up to this years venue, the Wishaw Sports Center.

As always its great to catch up with instructors and students from other clubs who I tend to only see at competitions and gradings. Well done to Ainslie Park club who had a blinder of a day and won the shield.

So how did Prestwick & Ayr get on? Well  a total of 23 medals isnt a bad wee haul. The medal winners were:

Connor Mulgrew - Gold Individual sparring & Gold tag team
Karina Chahal - Gold patterns, Bronze Individual Sparring & Bronze Tag team
Karah Chahal - Gold Patterns & Bronze Tag team
Dylan Nutt - Gold Parent & child patterns, Gold Tag team & Bronze Patterns
Craig Nutt - Gold Parent & child patterns, Bronze Patterns
Maureen Brown -Silver Patterns, Silver Tag team & Gold Individual Sparring
Ryan Brown - Gold Tag team
Amy Milne - Bronze Individual sparring, Bronze Patterns & Gold Tag team
Darrin McDowall - Silver Individual Sparring & Gold Tag team
Kiran Chahal - Silver Parent & child patterns
Mr Chahal - Silver Parent & child patterns
GOLD = 11
SILVER= 5
BRONZE= 7

It should be noted that Mr Chahal "sacrificed" his gold medal chance during the parent and child patterns in order to allow his esteemed students the chance of extra burpees for beating him.... that is what happened isnt it Sir?? :)

During one of my wanderings round the floor taking photos and chatting to people, I was roped into doing some timekeeping on Area 5 as they were a person short. I was treated to some cracking continuious fights, mostly from the girls I might add. Special mention to Chiara McIntyre who blazed through her fight to win the gold. Cracking performance Chiara!

English Championships are up this weekend. For those going down, good luck and safe trip!

Looking Back Over The Past 3 Years

As I approach what could be my final colour belt grading I starting thinking back to when I joined Prestwick & Ayr TaeKwonDo 3 years ago. As some of you will know, I came from a karate background, first with shukokai back when I was 10 years old and then shotokai for a couple of years in 2008. My move to taekwondo was for a couple of reasons, first Teagan had started, Ieuan was ready to start and Karen was restarting after a short break so thought that we might as well train as a family. Secondly I saw you all having so much fun training that I wanted to join in. Must say a big thanks to Karen Harley, Mark Sawyer, Michael McRobert and of course Kuli Chahal, who persuaded me to give it a go.... "it'll be easy" they said! "Ouch!" is all I can say... but in a good way :)

I'd stopped the karate a year previously as it had been clashing with my working hours so my fitness levels weren't what they once were but that didn't stop me nearly killing myself on the first night. I'm sure Kiran and Mark will remember this as they were taking the class at the time. I persevered though and Kuli had me ready for my first grading in no time. One thing I still get a ribbing for is rising block, when I did shotokai they didn't have (and didn't seem to believe) in a rising block. Closest they had was a high section outer forearm block. The reason, I was told, was if someone was going to wack you on the top of the head then the best thing would be to step back and not block. Anyway I was so used to this my rising block was just a tad low.... took me a wee while to break that bad habit! And some say I haven't quite broken the habit yet.... Mark Sawyer! :)

Like everyone at some point in their training I sustain the odd injury now and again. The worst being a torn calf muscle and then tearing the other calf about 4 weeks after I'd recovered from the previous one. I've also had various shoulder, ankle and back problems. The latter being a long term issue which needs the occasional manipulation. Luckily for me I've been to some of the best Ayrshire based physiotherapists, they know who they are and they have my thanks..... and continued thanks for keeping the "old motor" ticking over.

Another thing I've done was to enter competitions. Now those that have sparred with me will attest to how bad my technique is. I can see where others are leaving openings when watching from them from the side but I'll be damned if I can spot it when I'm getting stuck in there. This left me with really either doing patterns only at competitions or giving the sparring a go and maybe having to spend time off recuperating and then more time at physio. Some comments in certain quarters, outside of the TaeKwonDo circle, were made about my previous injuries (saying no more on this) so I elected to do patterns only. First TAGB competition was the 2013 Welsh Open. I only entered as the kids and Karen were competing and I never really expected to get past the first round. Well I did, and the 2nd round and to my surprise I won a bronze. It wasn't just the winning though it was the atmosphere in that huge arena and how everyone was so friendly. I got bitten by the competition bug that day and even though I haven't won at every competition I've entered I still enjoy being there. I'd love to mention everyone I know and have met but I'd be here all night! You know who you are and I feel privileged to know each and every one of you.

My first few gradings were a pretty nerve wracking experience. I'd been along when Teagan and Karen had been grading, before I joined Prestwick & Ayr TaeKwonDo, so I knew what the format was and how it was conducted. Still doesn't set you up for when you're actually there and showing your technique in front of Master Donnelly. But after a few slaggings off from Mr Chahal and being told to relax more times than I can remember, I did finally relax.... at least prior to the grading, I still get those butterflies when my name is called out to go stand on the designated mark. Have to have a big shout out to some of the other instructors who helped me along the way, Hazel Bracken, Allan Lusk, James Reed, Michael McRobert and of course Scott McMillan. Along with Kuli Chahal, these people make up some of the best instuctors in the TAGB. Their time, patience and understanding has also produced some of the best students in the TAGB and I'm sure some of these young stars of today will be the champions of tomorrow. Lady and gentlemen, thank you.

Have I rabbited on enough for you? I think maybe I have. I hope the grading went great for the Glasgow students who were being tested today. Tomorrow is grading day for the Ayrshire clubs. Some will be grading for the first time, others for possibly the last time, in this format at least. Going to get philosophical here for moment... hey... its my post so I'll philo if I want to!.... For those who are starting your journey in TaeKwonDo, welcome and keep going.. its fun, its exciting and it will give you a boost that nothing else will. For me getting for 1st kup won't seem like an end to me more like the first step on a new journey, a path that leads to black belt. I hope Scott McMillan wont mind me pinching this from him, hes posted this on Facebook a few times, a black belt is just a white belt that didn't quit... A good truism if I've ever heard one. I didn't quit 3 years ago, even after injury so I'm not quitting now... I want to see what the next 3 years or 6 years or 10 years brings and I want to see some of the white belts of today becoming the black belts of tomorrow.

First Ayrshire Grading of 2015

Sunday 8th March will see the first grading of 2015 so if you're grading and have a form, be sure to get this back to your instructor as soon as possible if you haven’t already done so. The grading will start at 9am sharp at St Joseph's Academy, Grassyards Road, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire KA3 7SL, for those that need the full address for their satnavs.

I know I'm repeating myself here (again... and again...) but please get to the grading venue in good time for it starting, in other words... get there early! And remember its white suits only, no club suits allowed please.

Make sure that you get to training as much as possible this week and if you have any problems or questions, then please bring it to your instructor's attention.

Keep up the practice outside of training as well and good luck! Will see you all on the day...

Phoenix Taekwondo February 2015

Second month of the year gone already, but that doesn't mean everyone hasn't been working hard to prepare for upcoming gradings & competitions. Firstly though, well done to all those that took part in the Closed Scottish Competition earlier in the month, it's a great experience and a great way to test out your skills in Taekwondo!

I have been asked to talk briefly about 'going for' your black belt grading, when the time comes. I recently had my black belt grading late last year, and I can say right now with complete confidence that it was one of the best feelings of my life when I found out I had passed.
Make no mistake though, in the last two months running up to my grading, I was at training five times a week, jumping from the weekly classes to personal tuition sessions with Mr McMillan, and every single one helped massively.
My biggest problem was my side kick, it was horrible.I could not go up in front of a panel of Masters with a side kick like that, so I practiced it pretty much every day, and now it's only kinda rubbish.... I prefer to use my hands anyway.....
Seriously though, if you want that Black Belt, you gotta practice, no two ways about it, and not just what you are good at, what you are bad at as well, because all of it has to come together to make you pass that grading. It's a good thing we all have some of the best instructors in Britain (earning a few brownie points there...)

Lots coming up over the next month. The last two Pre-Black Belt sessions with Master Donnelly are in the next week, with one being on the 7th March and the other being tomorrow! Those looking for their black-belt in April (you know who you are), make sure your there! The session tomorrow is at Hamilton University from 11.30am-01.30pm, and the third session is at the Matt Busby Sports Centre in Bellshill, 2-4pm.
Also, 7/8th March we have the first of our four colour belt gradings that are spread across the year, so make sure you keep practicing those patterns, not long now.
Finally, the awards night is tomorrow at the Bellfield Community Centre. There is gonna be food, drink, face painting, demonstrations and of course, awards so no doubt a great night. I can't attend unfortunately due to work, but I'll think of you as I am shoveling popcorn at the Odeon. So go out and have a good time, and see you in class!

More Introductions....

This writing lark can be great fun but it can also be a lot of work trying to cover as many of the clubs as possible. Recently I've had Julie Roxburgh and Martin Miller volunteer to help out for Auchinleck and Kilmarnock clubs and now from West End club, Heather Andrews and Ian McGarry have stepped up to the plate to give it a go. Welcome and thank you both for taking this on.

Hoping to have other students to represent their clubs on the blog. If you're interested, please let your instructor know and contact me so I can get you setup and started.

Introducing.....

As with my last post welcoming Martin, I have the pleasure of welcoming another writer to help with the workload. Many thanks for taking up the pen (or keyboard) to Julie Roxburgh who will be reporting on news and updates from the Auchinleck Club (McRobert's TaeKwonDo).

I'm still looking for help from some of the other clubs so please get in touch with me if you're interested. Remember its not a full time vocation, only need to update when you have something to report.

Phoenix Taekwondo January 2015

                First ever blog post for TAGB, so apologise if it's not great. Thanks to Iain & Scott for keeping me on track. Quite a quiet month for TAGB Kilmarnock, but I can confidentially say that everyone at the club has settled back into the swing of things after Christmas dinner and New Years drinks. Don't know about everybody else, but I think the workout sessions are pushing us a bit harder cause I'm coming out of class sweating more than usual! Think I'm still burning off those extra few Christmas leftovers.....

                I honestly had no idea what I was going to say in this blog, but a post I saw further down on this Phoenix page earlier in the month gave me some inspiration so I'm going to reiterate it here. Around this time a lot of people have set a few resolutions  for themselves to try and achieve this year, like improving fitness or getting the next grade. However, now it's the end of the month, and people might not be seeing as big a change that they had hoped for. This is just down to the mindset that results will come instantly, and the truth is, they won't. People want to achieve their goals with the least amount of effort in the quickest time. If you want results, then you're going to have to work for them, there are no shortcuts.

                That goal might seem really far away just now, but by setting little aims along the way, it won't seem so bad. Aims like getting your sidekick just a bit higher, learning the next ten moves in your pattern off by heart, or even if it's just pushing yourself to last thirty more seconds in 'plank'. Give yourself these little achievements along the way, and that next belt might not seem so far away, but just remember, if you want something you gotta get out there and work for it because it isn't coming to you!

                Anyway, February should prove to be a busy one, with Master Donnelly's Pre-Black Belt sessions on the 8th & 28th (better be there if your looking for your Black Belt in April!) and the Closed Scottish Competition on the 21st which I think is at the Wishaw Sports Centre, but if you are unsure check with your instructor. Also on the 28th is the Annual Award Night at the Grand Hall! Food, Drinks and Face Painting, sorted. Doors open at 7pm.

                Think I'm going to call this post done, and again, go easy on me, first time and all that. Hopefully my next one will be a little better. No doubt I will see you in class.

Thanks

Martyn