We have returned from Korea exhausted and tired from a long jurney (around 12.000km), but alive and well, and with wonderful impressions and memories for a lifetime.I assume that everyone of us who has ever dealt with taekwon-do skills at least once wanted to see the homeland of taekwon-do and meet the culture, history and present of these distant lands and peoples. 

Dream I have dreamt together with my family and four of my students, but also friends, was just as beautiful as in dreams before coming to Korea, and perhaps even better. Courtesy and kindness of people, their sense of responsibility and honor, and dedication to this art entirely impressed me. I would like that this dream once more could happen. Unfortunately I could not share this dream with some nice people, my students that I wanted to be next to me and a lot of times I thought of them there.They all deserve to be with me there and be a part of everything up there these 10 days occurred. It was a privilege to share a gym and the arena, and thus compete with the best individuals and the best teams in the world. Even a defeat from such could not create a feeling of anger because you can not disrespect such opponents when you see their skill and that effort. Friendships that were created or restored from before are the invaluable gift and a privilege for those who were there .Common happy and sad moments from the competition, the joy of night life, sadness at parting on the last day, to change shirts in between have a wealth of memories that they will all remember for the whole life. 

To receive first gold as a coach and climbing of your student on the podium during the medal awarding is the valuable privilege and reward for all the effort of all those who in any way assisted in the realization of this dream and privilege. When you are on the highest pedestal, and beneath you are major countries like USA, England, Canada and Argentina, then you can not feel anything but pride and honor. The privilege of me as a coach is in the fact that I led a team of wonderful people who worthily  presented themself, their country and their school, and me as a coach. Every each of them gave their maximum in their current knowledge, skills and willingness to be competitive in all disciplines they competed in. Sanda Livia Maduna, world champion in sparring, ranked fifth in the special techniques after losing the battle for the bronze medal from th competitor from England and Adam Filipović,  from an Argentinian with whom he celebrated the night before and looked forward to. To all of my other competitors, I would like to thank them  for representing both them and me as a coach in a positive light  and because they left a wonderful impression on others. 

Also for me was a privilege and an honor to be a father and coach and team leader, of World Champion Sanda Livia Maduna who was elected on behalf of the ITF competitors (700), together with a WTF competitor from Australia on behalf of a total of around 3000 competitors from 60 different countries to take an oath at the opening ceremony of the 11th World Taekwon-do festival and 15 ITF Taekwon-do World Championships.

Another privilege for me was to be the participant of first historic taekwon-do Seminar with Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa IX, and many Masters such as Nestor Galaraga, Jose Maidana, Rudolf Kang, Don Dalton, Muleta, Kruk, Ligaj and others, which was held in the World Taekwondo Educational Center built and situated in Chung Cheong University. And together with all of them and many participants to visit the ancient shrine on the mountains and feel the breath of the history of taekwon-do through another dimension that you do not have the opportunity to feel and experience outside of Korea. To get to the presidential suite at 20th floor of Ramada, at the invitation of the President of ITF Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa himself and  to spend time in conversation with him and his closest associates and to receive the gifts of memory  is an unforgettable privilege for me and our world champion.

The duty of every loyal member of the ITF is, if the higher force doesn''t stop you, was to come to Korea for this event because it was not the usual World Cup, which happens every two years, but it was a historic world championship which opened the door for ITF in South Korea which is the  birth place of Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa, and a big step in rapprochement of the two federations WTF and ITF, mostly due to friendship of Mr. President Choi and Oskar Oh.

As the only representative from the Croatian INO (INO # 366). I had the honor of participating on the World Congress ITF in which they made many important decisions and conclusions. We were witnesses of the promotion of two prominent VIII DAN Masters (Master Troiano and Master Creedon) which is a rare opportunity. Therefore, it was the duty of every one of us to come, participate and contribute to greater strength and reputation of the ITF organization which we belong to. To be participant in this historic event and a to incorporate themselves into the great moment of history and future of taekwon-do were my dreames, privileges and duties that have been realized. By returning home, this dream continues to live on transformed into the realization of departure and participation at the next European Championship in Ireland 2011th and the World Championships in Ottawa 2012th, the European Championships in Barcelona 2013th or the World Championships in Sardinia 2014th.Who knows, maybe again, and at festivals in Korea.

In the end  would like to thank all participants of the World Championship on beautiful moments and to congratulate to all of medal takers.

 

 

Dominik Maduna IV. Chairman of ITF Taekwon-do Academy "Semper Fidelis" Croatia.