Travelling around Victoria and interstate to compete in ITF tournaments is one of the great joys of learning taekwon-do, and certainly one of the most beneficial in terms of the learning that takes place in the process. However the time, cost and travel involved mean that it is a privilege many of my students at Il Shim Stawell have not had the opportunity to undertake. For this reason I decided earlier in the year to hold a ‘mini tournament’ for the club, open only to members of Il Shim Stawell.
Events were limited to patterns and special technique, and categories to 10th – 6th Kup and 5th to 1st Kup. Mats were kindly loaned by the local gymnastics club, and the judging panel consisted of myself and two former Il Shim La Trobe students, Trent Pakarinen Stephens and Claire Jones. Being such a small event the need for stewards was virtually nonexistent, however we did have a first aid team on site, just in case.
The nervousness of students, whether competing for the first time or not, reiterated the benefit of competition experience. Even some of the more experienced students came unstuck in their patterns by watching their competitor rather than focusing on themselves. It was pleasing to see the tremendous spirit shown by all competitors, and the decision as to whom to award the ‘Spirit of Taekwon-do’ trophy required much deliberation.
The tournament achieved a 100% success rate in competitor satisfaction and enjoyment, and I’m sure the students all benefited greatly from the experience. While I still have a lot to learn in the refereeing department I would like very much one day in the future to extend the invitation to other Il Shim Clubs and expand the itinerary to cover all four events. Watch this space!
Corinne Leahy
Il Shim Stawell
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