Master Robert Wheatley’s Down Under Seminar and 6th Degree Grading on behalf of Authentic Taekwon-Do Australia.

On Saturday 31st May & Sunday the 1st June 2008, 61 participants who include Master Jamie Moore & Master Michael Kordanovski participated in the specialty Seminar held by Master Wheatley at the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Of the remaining students there were 9 International Instructors, 29 Black Belts and the rest were gup students ranking from 9th Gup to 1st Gup. These participants traveled from far and wide with a contingent of 6 under Sabum Neill Livingstone who came all the way from Taranaki, New Zealand.  

Master Wheatley ran a very comprehensive seminar covering all aspects of Taekwon-Do.  The first day kick of with a demonstration by Master Jamie Moore performing Tong-Ill  Master Wheatley gave mention to the group that not many people around the world know the tul due to the senior level required in Taekwon-do and not many students get the opportunity to see it performed, shortly after the demonstration the morning covered such things as, Line up procedure, Composition and Cycle of Taekwon-Do, Body actions towards Power, Secret of Taekwon-Do Power, Fundamental Exercise, Stances Pattern, Purpose of Movements Introduction to Sparring, Introduction to lines and sections, Introduction to Targets, Names, Maps.

On completion of first day master class, Master Wheatley, ITF chairman of Promotions, conducted a Senior International Dan grading.  The two candidates Mr. Peter Sullivan & Mr. Neville Burn were testing for their 6th Degree. As part of the grading this duo were required to perform their two patterns So-San & Se-Jong along with three gup Patterns. They performed the gup Patterns firstly the same pattern together the second together but facing different directions and finally different patterns at the same time. Once this was done they both performed So-San, with the aid of other students, in a way that it demonstrated applications of techniques within the pattern.  While this was being done by one of them the other used the same technique to break a board.  The rest of the grading covered Self Defense, Sparring and Board Breaking using both hand and foot techniques with the left & right side.  The final part of the grading covered the Theory and both Master Moore and Master Kordanovski were asked to conduct that part of the testing. Master Wheatley was pleased to announce that both Mr. Sullivan & Mr. Burn were successful in attaining the rank of 6th Degree.

The second day covered, Free Sparring, Power Breaking Development, Hand and Foot Conditioning, Self Defense (Ho-Sin Sul) – Releasing, Dodging, Elbow Strikes & Thrusts, Rules, Tenets, Moral Culture Flying & Mid-air Jumping Instructor/Student Relationship,.

For anyone who has the opportunity to attend a Seminar conducted by Master Wheatley, I highly recommend it.

On behalf of those in attendance I would like to thank Master Wheatley for passing on some of his wealth of knowledge to us, and to Master Moore for inviting Master Wheatley to Australia.