News - Valley Taekwondo

TM TAEKWONDO POOMSAE COMPETITION	Gold medal success for S. at this quality event held in the Loughmoss Leisure Centre, Carryduff, 2nd March 2008
CHILD PROTECTION AND COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE WORKSHOPS	Senior kup grades and black belts attended the above workshops organised by the Taekwondo Association of Northern Ireland as partof their TANI Coaching Qualification. Unfortunately in this day and age it is sad to say that TANI needs to have all of its people who come into contact with children to be trained on good practice and child protection. A course was held on Saturday 1st March 2008, in the Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn to cover this aspect of the TANI Club Instructor Qualification. The excellent tutor from Coaching NI, Mr. Patrick Power, spent three hours explaining how coaches can p rotect themselves and the young people (under 18 years) they are coaching by understanding and following good coaching practice. The course included learning about child abuse and how to handle situations if they had concerns.
ELITE TRAINING WITH SCOTTISH COACH	Spread out over two days (15th/16th Feb) it was a fact packed experience. On the Saturday Nikos gave presentations on Nutrition and Strength & Conditioning. This was followed up by practical exercises in Olympic weight lifting, core training and agility training. The Sunday some of the best kyorugi bouts ever seen in NI with Scottish, Irish and N. Irish squaring off. An excellent weekend which all the Valley memebers will benefit from. Nikos, orginally from Greece, is pictured 2nd left beside Bertie Nicholson and with kyorugi players: Barry Hamilton, Mark Gallager, Douglas Burke and our most experienced and youngest player on the front row.
FIRST SHOWING OF NEW DVD	The new promotional DVD produced by club member Paul McCartney, got its first public airing at a health fair held in the Valley Leisure Centre on Tuesday 5th Feb. It was a great opportunity and a first opportunity taken by the club to have a promotional stand. It was a successful event to get the name of Taekowndo projected on an overhead screen. We were nor the best stand their bur definitely the 2nd best stand in th hall. We also got the opportunity to meet with other sports an agree future collaboration. A good event!
MEDAL SUCCESS AT MEATH OPEN	It was another successful first for the Valley with 3 players from the children's/cadets's club bringing home medals from their first korugi/poomsae open competition! It was an early start for all on Sunday 3rd February when our 3 brave and competent players headed off for Dunshauglin in Co. Meath, outside Dublin. It was the usual case of getting their in good time just to wait around until its your time. The kids performed brilliantly in this their first kyorugi competition. Our hats are raised to all there.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING	The AGM of the Valley Taekwondo Club was held on Thursday 24th January. A big thank-you for the outgoing officals and a big welcome for new faces on the General Committee. The positions are: Chairman - Derek Jamision Hon Secretary - Phil Gordon Treasurer - Julie McKenna Marketing - George Sampson Chief Instructor - Berie Nicholson Sub-Committees: Kyorugi - Mark Gallagher, Douglas Burke Poomsae - Barry Hamilton Child Protection Officer - John Stronge
BARRY IS No 1 FOR 2012 POTENTIALS	It was with immense pride that Barry Hamilton, from the Valley, got elected as NI Children & Cadet Kyorugi Team Coach. He was elected by representatives of the four WTF Associations within Northern Ireland who showed great faith in Barry to deliver. Barry was a great choice for not only does he have international competition experience he also has trained with both GB and Irish squads, not forgetting the invaluable experience as assistant coach in the Valley Children’s Club. Kyorugi is the full contact, sporting side to Taekwondo. The aim, like boxing say, is to score points to win. Because of its world wide popularity it is now a firm favourite as an Olympic sport and is recognized by the Commonwealth Games Federation. The future Olympic and Commonwealth championships may well come from Northern Ireland and indeed the Valley. To discover our talent, squad classes for children (8-10 years) and cadets (11-13 years) are organised and conducted by Barry. So as the saying goes, if you’re not in you can’t win!
NEW DAN GRADES FOR THE VALLEY!	It was a brilliant Dan grading for the Valley with 3 new 1st Dans: Douglas Burke (left), Colin Dobbin, Sandra Murtagh, and 1st Kup Julie McKenna which was conducted by Grandmaster TW Shin (8th Dan) held on Sat 8th September 2007 in Belfast.
NI Schools Technical Championships	It was great news from the NI Schools Technical Championships held on Sat 9th June in Belfast when Valley kids brought home: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze and 4 runner-up medals. With over 100 competitors from loads of different clubs it was a great test for the kids to show their mastery of techniques. The boys and girls can all be justifiably proud of firstly competing, and secondly coming up triumphs in the medal stakes!
Newtownabbey 2007 Sport Awards	Club Instructor, Bertie Nicholson, and Commonwealth Championships bronze medal winner, Mark Gallager, attended the Newtownabbey Borough Council's 2007 Sports Awards in March after being short listed for Best Adult Competitor and Best Senior Coach. It was a great night with free wine with a three-course meal. Guest compere was the highly respected sports commentator Bill Nealy. Unfortunately cricket took all the honours following their great success in the West Indies which is a shame because N'abbey doesn’t have to many international athletes of the calibre of Mark. Better luck next year!
Bertie and Mark - prize winners at UT(NI) Awards Dinner	Valley did well to come away with two prizes at the Association's formal dinner and prize night! It was a great night's crack! (Saturday 24th March 07)
New TKD Posters	Valley Taekwondo will never be satisfied until the walls are bursting with new members discovering the pleasure (and pain!) of training in Taekwondo. So new posters are being put up in local corner shops to promote Taekwondo and attract hordes of people. The sparring picture is quite macho and uses the prestige of being an Olympic sport to attract spotty teenage boys. The lady black belt does suggest that ladies have a 'fighting chance' by training in our Korean martial art of self defence.
Formal & Awards Night	Coaching course hosted by the Valley Club Pippa Campbell from Coaching NI came along on behalf of TANI to give a workshop on goal setting and planning. If you fail to plan you plan to fail. (Wednesday 28th February)
Grading and Poomsae Training	Open to 7th Kup+ at the Queens PEC, 1pm - 4pm on Sunday 28th Jan 07 Master Culbert will go over the latest WTF Poomsae and Grading syllabus. Students should find the session helpful as it will give Master Culbert the chance to point out and correct their mistakes from the grading. It will also be good preparation for the next Dan Grading. Hope all can attend.
2006 British Nationals : Saturday 18th/Sunday 19th December	Mark Gallagher - went out with injury first round Douglas Burke - beaten first round but was carrying a previous foot injury. Not the best way to finish of the competition year but we are still very proud of our Valley fighters.
Ulimate Open: Sunday 29th October	Mark Gallagher - Gold Barry Hamilton - Bronze Douglas Burke - Bronze Colin Dobbin - lost 4-2 first round
5th Irish Open - November 2006	Douglas had a tough fight in the Quarter final, where it was all even at the end of the third round, taking it to Golden point. Douglas illustrated his growing improvement, ability and skill taking a very good point, winning him the match, and taking him through to the next round. Unfortunately for Douglas , he suffered an injury to his foot in the Quarter final victory. After some treatment and strapping he went into the semi final. He was performing very well against an excellent opponent and things here looking good with some brilliant countering. Disappointingly for him, he began to struggle with his injury and had to withdraw. Leaving him with a well deserved Bronze medal position. Ultimate Open - October 2006 Douglas had two hard fights which brought him into the semi finals. Douglas fought well but unfortunately was put out on points. Nevertheless he picked up a well deserved Bronze medal position
Sports Council celebrating Commonwealth success - Oct 2006	Mark Gallagher (2nd from left) after meeting with Professor Eric Saunders, Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the rest of the medal winners from the NI Team.
CTC Bronze! - Oct 2006	The Valley is extremely proud of Mark Gallagher and Barry Hamilton who competed for Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Taekwono Championships on 14th/15th October 2006 held in Brisbane, Australia. In the sparring the hope that the guys would meet smaller nations from some distant Pacific Island in the opening rounds didn't happen and the guys were thrown in against A class players from Australia, etc. from the word go. Mark got through his first round against a top Australian player and was really unfortunate not to get into the finals, only getting beat by 3 points with some concerning scoring from the officals.....definitely not outclassed! Barry was more unlucky to meet a guy who looked twice his size and did'nt make it through the first round. Both guys were unfortunate not to figure in the technical competition. This, for both gus this has been the biggest competition they have been to let alone compete in so Mark's success is quite remarkable and even more the enjoyable! We have 'benchmarked' ourselves and now know we can compete both in sparring and technical.... roll on Canada 2008!
Irish and Scottish Squad Training - Sep 2006	In preparation for the Commonwealths the NI Team players attended squad sessions in Dublin with the /irish Squad and in Scotland with the Scottish Squad. Mark Ga llagher, Barry Hamilton, and Douglas Burke pictured here with the Scottish Squad.
Commonwealth Taekwono Championships - Oct 2006	Mark Gallagher (R) and Barry Hamilton, pictured here with Master Shin (8th Dan), will be on the Northern Ireland Team heading off to the Commonwealth Taekwono Championships on the 9th October 2006 which are being held in Brisbane, Australia. We know the boys will do us proud!
Poomsae Judging Course May 2006	Bertie Nicholson and Barry Hamilton attended a poomsae juding course with Master Shin on Sunday 14th May in Carryduff. The latest rules and proper movements were taught. A very timely and worthwhile class.