Il Shim Taekwon-do  Sparring Seminar

It was a freezing morning in Melbourne but Master Daher ensured that no-one was left cold after participating in his Sparring Seminar. The key learning of the day was footwork and body movement and how to use it to your advantage. Everyone from white belt to black belt was able to grasp the concepts being taught, but as Master Daher explained, it is no good having the learning stop once they leave the session. The students had to commit to following through with their training so that the next time they attend a Master session the learning would be a continuation from where they left off, instead of having to refresh and relearn what has already been taught. 

All participants found the morning to be very beneficial. Here are some of their comments:

“I found the sparring masterclass with Master Daher was very interesting and lots of fun. I learnt that sparring is not just about getting points its about moving around and understanding your opponent.” – Edward Collins, 4th kup

“On Saturday (23/6/12), Master Daher made his way to Melbourne to facilitate a Master Class in Sparring for the students at Il Shim in Victoria. This session consisted of many aspects, the main of which were learning to relax our body and mind during sparring and the fundamentals of footwork. I found this session very useful. I found that using the correct footwork during sparring and relaxing the body did not tire me out as much, which meant that I could give 100% for longer. When I relaxed and cleared my mind I was able to anticipate the opponent’s attacks and was more prepared to respond. Learning to move with walking rather than shuffling side to side has helped me improve the speed of my attacks. Overall a fantastic day, I just wish I had the physical conditioning to make it through the whole session!” – Michelle Sliwinski, 1st Dan

“I enjoyed the the class with Master Daher! For the short time I was the there I was still able to take a lot out of it in the way to move my feet more and to be on the move at all times!” – Scott Hamill, 10th kup

“On the 23^rd of June, three of us travelled to Melbourne from Stawell to attend the Sparring Seminar to be run by Master Daher. The seminar started a little late but we overcame some transport issues and kicked the seminar off with a quick warmup. We got down to business. The focus of the seminar was footwork and continual motion when sparring. We moved through some sparring drills, some of which I had seen before but the most important aspect I learnt from the day was learning how to relax, move and maintain body momentum. A moving target is much harder to hit than a stationary one! Thanks very much Master Daher.” – Steve Harper, 2nd Dan

“Attending the sparring seminar by Master Daher is a really worthwhile experience, the concepts we learn are simple in nature and they can make a real difference. Looking forward to the next one so we can extend what all we learned.” – Mitchell Sammut, 1st Dan