P_Harper

PROFILE

NAME: Paul Harper, 5th Degree

LOCATION: The Basin, Melbourne

 P_Harper

 

 Brief History:  

I began training in 1985 when I was 12 years of age at a local Taekwon-Do school.  To start with the school was small, and at times I was the only student, which was great for me!

My first gradings were under Master Yun.  By the time I reached red belt Master Yun had left ITF and as my instructor was a second degree meaning he was unable to grade me to first degree.  This was when I first met Master Daher.  At the time he was a Fourth Degree and I traveled to Ballarat to do a seminar with him before traveling back three months later to grade under him.  I was 16 at the time.  I did well at my grading but Master Daher told me to put on weight and cut my hair as I had long hair at the time and was very skinny! 

I trained for another 2 years with Knox Taekwon-Do before the school closed.  Over the next 7 years I tried to find an ITF school in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne but had no luck, so I dabbled with Kickboxing and Karate a little.  When I was 25 I learned of a club at Mt Waverley and ventured over to check it out.  The instructor said that they were having a grading the coming weekend and that I should come down and watch.  I turned up at the grading and walked in the room and to my surprise the examiner was Master Daher!  He recognized me straight away.  I then began Instructing at the Mt Waverley club, and a short time later I graded for 2nd Degree under Master Daher.

In March, 2004 I graded to Third Degree and in December, 2006 I graded to 4th Degree.  Some highlights along the way have been grading trips with Master Daher, traveling to the World Championships in Germany in 2005, and Canada in 2007 as part of the National team. 

A large part of my family does TaeKwon-Do with me which is fantastic.  I love being able to train with my wife and two sons.  I can’t wait for my little kids to be old enough to train alongside all of us. 

Master Daher has had an enormous influence on my life and I thank him for his guidance, assistance, support and friendship over the last 20 years. 

 Paul Harper