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.”

 “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.”

 “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.”

 “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.”

 “….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.” 

 “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!”