Best Of The Best Seminar

On Saturday the 7th March at the Nettlebed Watlington Taekwon Do, we were extremely privileged enough to host a three-hour session on a mixture of activities lead by the highly esteemed Master Gayle, Master Ogborne and Mr Tettmar, with each showing their expertise in the Arts. Again, it was open to all belts and all ages for any Taekwon Do fanatic – in which there were plenty! It was a high adrenalin, high fuelled and high octane pact of activities for the enthusiasts.

The session begun with the ‘highly’ charged Master Ogborne giving the students a high packed session of self-defence; the students of all ages and belts and abilities were practising and performing moves under the careful eye of the instructor Master Ogborne, with Master Gayle roaming and checking their stances, feet and hand movements were correct. Not only did Master Ogborne show the importance of self-defence; but used games to illustrate the importance of high octave energy! Rabbits and rats seemed to cause a bit of concern for the poor vegetarian and vegan amongst the group. The noise level at times, raised the roof off – I am surprised we were not visited by the noise control officer! The giggles and laughter of the group seemed to entertain the spectators- with some appearing to want to have a go! The versatile range of tasks for the hour session, was exhausting and some minor injuries were had, but this did not stop the hard students. As Master Ogborne concluded self-defence is important and the importance of self-care should always precede.

After a small break, ‘the awe inspiring and fantastic’ Master Gayle, took the next session. An hour packed session of blocking and stances - incorporating a sense of formality with learning. Master Gayle demonstrated kicking combinations, at times reminding the juniors to practice and remove themselves from the modern-day technology. Parents all nodded with agreement. The importance of practice was shown when Master Gayle gave an anecdote of one of his many training practice sessions with his Master for five hours on Chon Ji! The importance of having the basics correct are the core values of any successful martial artist for both young and old.

After an even tinier break, whilst the students were getting ready we had Master Gayle provide the musical entertainment with his harmonica! Showing his versatility and commitment to a range of activities, his rendition of ‘Ode to Joy’ was joyous and the smile of the little puma who he played it for was priceless!

The technical component of Sparring by Mr Tettmar was the final aspect, he spoke with intelligence reminding the group of students that the basics are vital in becoming a proficient fighter. He demonstrated the aspects of sparring and discussing the importance of technical sparring. He began the session by explaining that sparring is not just fighting but using intelligence, the mind is just as powerful as the body. He showed that sparring is very technical and understanding that sparring is not just about the physical strength but also about the mind. He demonstrated the tasks with ease, and then got the group to practice! This is where the students found out that long hours and practice are important, it was not as easy as what Mr Tettmar had demonstrated – age clearly is only a number! I am sure after this session, the children were very tired, along with some aches and pains! But there can be no gain without pain!

We would like to thank Master Gayle, Master Ogborne and Mr Tettmar for giving up their Saturday and leading the exceptional seminar in a range of differing activities. Thank you to all those of you who travelled far and wide to join us and participated – it would not have been the same without any of you, and working with the range of mature and enthusiasts meant that time went by quickly. Thank you to the parents for driving and giving us extra time with your child. I hope you enjoyed watching and seeing what they are capable of and achieving.

Parents Contribution

Thank you, to the Nettlebed and Watlington Taekwon Do group for organising such a wonderful opportunity for my child. It was wonderful to see such a lot of differing clubs from Basingstoke to Bath all working together to help themselves. Thank you to Master Gayle, Master Ogborne and Mr Tettmar for giving up their Saturday to spend with our son and others assisting them in their journey of achieving their next belt, for us, for our son to achieve his black belt. Both my husband and I were thoroughly impressed by the range of activities provided focussing on the physical and showing them the art perseverance, our son stated; ‘It was excellent and that I learnt some invaluable tools for point sparring’. As a parent, I enjoyed listening to all instructors focussing on the importance of practice and showing them resilience.

Some quotes taken from parents and students of all ages:

‘A great day – it was great seeing so many people of differing ages and belts all working together’

‘I loved rabbits and rats – Master Ogborne is very tall!’

‘I loved how Master Gayle played the harmonica for a little Puma’

‘My daughter was inspired by the range of girls and ladies – I want to be a black belt’