March 2010 - IL SHIM

Master Daher Promoted to 8th Degree

A number of our Instructors and friends have contributed their thoughts on this momentous occasion and pay tribute to Master Daher below.

We are very proud to announce to you the recent promotion of Master Michael Daher to 8th Degree Black Belt!

Those that made the trip over to Auckland, New Zealand for the International Instructors’ Course were very fortunate to witness Master Daher perform patterns, sparring, power-breaking, and self defence techniques under examination by the ITF Technical Committee. It was wonderful to see exactly why Master Daher is a leading authority on ITF technique here in Australia and we congratulate him on his achievement. In a powerful display of Indomitable Spirit, we witnessed Master Daher complete his grading despite painful injury. It was such a privilege for all present to see Master Daher in action.

“On the floor, as always, his effort and passion is strongly felt, choosing only the most difficult & beautiful techniques and patterns to prove his diligence and worth as a true master of the art. Plus his determination after hurting his hand and elbow to remain on the floor alongside his fellow contestants at all costs shows the ‘DO’ in his character.

I am proud to be a part of IL Shim / ITF Australia.”

Sally Clark

Il Shim Newcastle NSW

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“On the Saturday after the IIC training had finished, the gradings commenced. First up were a number of 4^th & 5^th degrees. When these were completed, it was Master Daher’s turn. Accompanying him on the floor were Mr Peter Barbour and Mr James Rimmer who were grading for their 7^th degree. The skill & technique displayed by Master Daher was impressive to see. All the teachings he has tried to instil in his students, me included, was shown in his patterns, along with the sparring & self defence techniques with Mr Christensen. The breaks were great, with a three board knife hand strike and a side kick.”

Bruce Fischer

Il Shim Redlands QLD

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“It was a very proud and emotional time for me to see my Master take to the floor and show everybody present just how much he deserved his promotion. I am proud to learn from this man and humbled that he would bother with me. I have a true love and respect for my Master. I felt privileged to be present. Thank you Sir for your inspiration, and for being there for all of us.”

Gail Jacobsen

Il Shim Agnes Waters QLD

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“The time had arrived; the first day of the IIC course had finished and now was the time for the grading. This was the main reason for me to travel to this IIC. The course as usual was fantastic, but I was not going to miss the opportunity to watch my master grading on the floor when this was not normally the case. 8^th Dans do not normally perform on the floor but then, Master Daher is not your normal master. Still flexible beyond the capabilities of students half his age, Master Daher showed everyone present why he is one of the premier practitioners of Taekwon-Do in the Oceanic region if not the world.”

Gerard Kelly

Il Shim Sunshine Coast QLD

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“….nothing beat seeing Master Daher on the floor, never taking a backward step. So much so that when asked to perform any pattern between Chon Ji and Moon Moo he of course chose Moon Moo. The step sparring and self defence was also very impressive with Master Daher easily reaching Mr Christensen’s head with some fantastic kicks. The breaking was also amazing with a three board knife hand strike, three board side kick.”

Paul Harper

Il Shim Melbourne VIC

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“Master Daher’s grading was both awesome and inspiring. After completing a couple of patterns as directed by the Grand Masters, Master Daher then chose to do Moon Moo. The controlled slow motion techniques and snappy fast motion techniques were executed with spirit and power, providing a brilliant demonstration of the art for all present.

Master Daher demonstrated several self-defence techniques with a fluidity and effectiveness that reaffirmed his mastery of this area of Taekwon-Do skills. Seeing Master Daher take a taller and heavier opponent to the ground with essentially one hand was just awesome!”

Nathan Tyson

Il Shim Toongabbie NSW

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17 March, 2010/0 Comments/by Shawn Sutton

2010 Kick Off Camp – Gold Coast

Past Events

2010 got off to a flying start with the 2nd annual Kick-Off Camp!

Starting the Year with a Bang!

The Year is 2010

The Event… The Brain Child of Master Michael Daher (8th Dan) This is the 2nd Annual IL Shim Taekwon Do Kick Off Camp
Where… Tallebudgera Beach
The purpose… open to all IL Shim Clubs from around Australia, the design is to share knowledge, have fun and make some new Friends.

Hosted by IL Shim Gold Coast branch, Instructors John Abdallah (3rd Dan) and Michelle Reisser (3rd Dan); the format consisted of various Senior Dan Instructors taking an hour to introduce and analyse an aspect of TKD with the participants of the camp.

A highlight of the Camp is the inclusion of a mystery guest instructor, whom only a handful of people know about… This year’s mystery Guest was NZ’s very own Master Paul Mcphail (7th Dan)

Click on Photo to see the Album

DAY 1

First Class, Master Mcphail Instructing a class on combinations and rhythm. Everything has to flow; it’s almost like a dance between 2 combatants. Getting your movements to Flow is the key to success in any sparring situation. The combination – sliding front forefist punch, sliding out on contact finishing up with a stance reversal 3 movements in a flowing motion, much like a waltz, this analogy was realised when you could hear many people saying 123…123…123 out loud while practising.

Following this was a lesson in an aspect some TKD practitioners seem to forget, especially those who don’t frequent tournament s often, the hands. To quote a line from a famous NZ film “Too much weights, not enough speed work!” If time is taken on the development of the speed and technique of your hands the myth that all Taekwon-Do practitioners have no idea how to use their hands will be dispelled.

The purpose of the camp is to have fun, Observe and React; A variation on musical chairs. The goal of this exercise every round was to not be left standing without a purple stick in your hand. There were always 2 less sticks than people participating in the round which determined who was out. Last Round… a determined Shawn Sutton beat his opponent of 1/3 his size to take the win!

Self Defence Techniques shouldn’t be taken lightly, Master Daher demonstrated swiftly and deadly; 4 situations were taken and an escape solution was explained. 1 arm grab, 1&2 arm lapel grab, and the bear hug. The end solutions were similar in the fact that u end up using your opponents arm like a joystick playing on an Xbox. So simple really….

The day continued with a game that took a spin on the game of soccer…. playing on our knees and with the hands. Hitting the ball was allowed and grabbing was not, the only exception was the goal keeper. 6 teams whittled down to 4… Down to 2, the sand was hard and the sun was hot, but to the victor went the spoils.

As the Sun went down and Day 1 drew to a close, an important aspect of mental and physical fitness was discussed, Nutrition and TKD. With the amount of distress our bodies take sometimes, especially at some Tournaments…. It is important to think about how we fuel our bodies and keep them ready for action. The camp was not all about physical tests, but also an acknowledgement of the effects of life. The body cannot live without the mind and vice versa.

DAY 2

Master Mcphail kicked off with a continuation of the previous days class, by adding a move to the 3 combination sequence, 1234… 1234… 1234… This quickly turned into a lesson in patterns… Know your pattern inside out was his motto of the hour… even backwards. Starting of easy (apparently) we broke down Chon-Ji and performed the backwards variation. Next Up Dan-Gun, which after the dust settled a blue belt named Sabastian DeViana, managed to get from start to end with little difficulty.

The Obstacle course is a staple of outdoor activities and it’s no different with this event. The group Split in Half tackled four pads at each corner of a square field and on each leg an obstacle of sorts whether it is a pad to jump over or 6 to run over. The rest were concentrating on one task… The Flying Side Piercing Kick, difficulties are set as the transition from jumping off the sand to jumping off a meter ledge. The stakes were raised with the addition of a vertical kick pad to jump over…

As the day drew to an end the last hour of the seminar was instructed by Master Daher. Prior to this hour Master Daher had said “In this session you will get wet!” Everything was done in waist deep water; Patterns, Line work, jumping techniques, push ups, and sit ups. Finally a test of Endurance, and teams were devised where we participated in relays, dragging each other through the water…

All in all the weekend went by with great success, the event was enjoyed by all and it was great seeing people from around the country. Bonds were formed Friendships made and its through things like this that the TKD family grows stronger! Countdown for 2011, the 3rd annual Kick off camp is just around the corner; with more fun and games, experience to draw off and another important mystery guest! Stay Tuned.

Michael Young – 1st Dan

IL Shim Taekwon Do Gold Coast

10 March, 2010/0 Comments/by Shawn Sutton

SAD NEWS….

Club News

We are saddened to learn of the news of the tragic death of our President, Grand Master Tran Trieu Quan, following the recent earthquake in Haiti. Our deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the Tran family.

Newcastle Seminar

Newcastle

Sparring

As always Master Daher’s energy and enthusiasm filtered right through the dojang.

Our junior ‘little ninjas’ and junior belts from the seniors class were only with us for the first hour and a half, so there was no time wasted getting straight into Master Daher’s famous sparring techniques.

Well done kids! You got those feet moving in the end!

Self Defence

Wow! This was fantastic! And something different!

There was lots of fun, lots of giggles especially from Amelia whom is very ticklish around the neck!

Remember Master Daher will be testing you on these at your next grading so practise with your mum, dad or someone bigger! And make sure they hold on tight! That way you will see how it works!

Same side hand grab – to release, at the same time step across the body (same leg as the hand to be released) twist with strong knife hand upwards next to (close to) your opponent.
Opposite side hand grab – release the same way as above but twist your knife hand above your opponents arm (this forces an unnatural twist of their wrist and hand making it very hard to hold on)
Remember – you need to use the power coming from the movement of your whole body!
Straddle & Strangle – Use your hip with your foot firmly on the ground for leverage. As you left one hip with force, grab handfuls of shirt/uniform etc.., pull down on the opposite side to force their balance over and lift up with the hand on the same side as the hip and throw them over!
Remember to remain in control! Ready to strike again if needed!