Black Belt Interviews

Master Symonds has practiced Taekwon-Do since 1989 and gained 1st degree in 1993 under the instruction of Master Nardizzi. He was then selected by Master John Taylor to represent Great Britain at the 1995 European Championships and since then he has gone on to attend 13 European Championships, 2 European Cups and 2 World Championships. Master Symonds has won numerous National championships and over 20 World, European and International medals while representing and Captaining the ITF National Team from 1995 to 2010 under Master Gary Miller, Master Andrew Whitley and Master Thomas Denis.
The highlights of his competition career are:

• 1995 European 1st degree Patterns bronze medalist (Germany)
• 1996 European Cup Team Champions (Poland)
• 1998 European 2nd degree Patterns bronze medalist (Greece)
• 2000 European Team Sparring Silver medalist (Scotland)
• 2000 European Team Power silver medalist (Scotland)
• 2001 European Champion 3rd degree Patterns (Spain)
• 2004 European Team Patterns Silver medalist (Finland)
• 2005 European Team Patterns Champions (Italy)
• 2005 European 4th degree Patterns bronze medalist (Italy)
• 2005 World Team Power Champions (Germany)
• 2008 European Team Power Silver medalist (Poland)
• 2009 European Team Power Champions (Spain)

Master Symonds has been a director of ITF England since 2006 spending 4 years as technical director and currently in his third term as Tournament Director.

Russell Dennis has been training in Martial Arts for the majority of his life. He started Taekwon-do in 1986, which he continues to train in and develop his knowledge. He presently holds an 8th Dan black belt (Master level) and is still very active in the Taekwon-do community working as an International Instructor, umpire and grading examiner with the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF). Master Dennis runs the instructors courses for ‘Taekwon-do Impact’ (London and the South East), has been a member of the ITF-England Discipline and Ethics committee and the ITF-England technical director. He is an Instructing Master for ITF-England and is still the technical director for the Taekwon-do Impact group and Senior instructor for the ‘Extreme Taekwon-do’ group. From the beginning Russell Dennis was always particularly interested in the self defence and realistic fighting side of Martial arts. He is also involved in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and runs ‘Extreme Fighters’ MMA gym in Redhill. Master Dennis has had several pro MMA fights (record of 4,1) and has several students who also compete in MMA. Master Dennis runs Taekwon-do schools in the Cheam, Dorking and Epsom areas and teaches students from 4years old to over 60.

GM James has had an illustrious career in Taekwon-Do with many remarkable experiences to be heard. Below are his comments on meeting the Founder General Choi Like many Taekwon-Doins, everyone has very nice memories of our General Choi Hong Hi. It started with my 4th dan examination in Pyong Yang (N-Korea) 30-06-89, during the World Games.A unique experience as I, together with Sahyun Wijnand, we were the only ones who passed the exam before him. After that, many seminars and examinations followed, 5 degree 230593 in Groningen with the smallest IIC. * During a seminar, I had to perform ap chagi before the group while General Choi was explaining, najunde palmok makgi. Unfortunately, I had to keep my leg stretched all the time and the lactic acid buildup in my leg. * Another example, with the ap juumuk palmok jurigi I had my thumb a like bit outside. When he walked by and corrected me, he said, “karate not good”. In the next seminar he remembered me and said again when passing by: “karate no good”. * I slept on the same floor as the General and heard a regular thumping around 6 am and later, I heard that it was he who was hardening his knuckle against the hotel wall, and you could also see his knuckles.

Grand Master Douglas began his Taekwon-Do career in 1973 at Dublin’s number 2 club in Sean McDermott Street. Under Mr Robert Howard now (G.M Howard).

In his 50 years of TaeKwon-Do, Grand Master Douglas has not only limited his skills to the physical side of TaeKwon-Do. He is also the organiser of many Courses, Seminars, National and International Tournaments; Grand Master Douglas has been on various committees to promote TaeKwon-Do around Ireland. He has been a highly regarded instructor for over 46 years. From 2002-2007 he coached the ITF Ireland National squad with distinction.

From 2007 -2009 he was the Director of Coaching for the I.T.F. Ireland National squad.

1977 1st Degree Black Belt Under Grand Master Choi-Hong Hi
1977 Irish National Champion; Power 1st Place
1978 International Seminar under Grand Master Choi Hong Hi
1980 2nd Degree Black Belt under Master Rhee Ki Ha
1980 European Championships, London; Irish Team Member
1982 European Championships, Italy; Irish Team Member
1982 Irish National Champion; Special Technique.
1983 Irish National Champion; Special Technique.
1984 World Championships, Scotland Irish squad member
1985 3rd Degree Black Belt 1985 Waterford Championships, Ireland; Overall Champion
1986 Arklow Championships, Ireland; Patterns 1st Place
1986 Open TaeKwon-Do Championships, Dublin; Sparring 1st Place
1987 Open TaeKwon-Do Championships, Dublin; Patterns 1st Place
1987 British TaeKwon-Do Championship, U.K.; Patterns 2nd Place
1988 4th Degree Black Belt 1989 Coach for two Junior Teams for British TaeKwon-Do Championships; 1st and 2nd Place
1990 Tournament Director for 4 Nations Tournament (Ireland, England, Germany & Holland)
1993 Tournament Director for 12 Nations Tournament Including Russia & Australia
1991-94 Irish Team Manager
1994 5th Degree Black Belt 1994 International Instructors Certificate from I.T.F. Technical committee 1995 International Seminar under Grand Master Choi Hong Hi
1996 Class A International Umpire Certificate
1999 International Seminar under Grand Master Choi Hong Hi (Ireland)
1999 6th Degree Black Belt under Master Choi Jong-Hwa (Ireland)
2002 Irish National Coach for European Championships Squad, Czech Republic
2003 Irish National Coach to I.T.F. Ireland Squad for European Championships, Croatia; Gold Medal for Team Power
2003 Irish National Coach for World Championships Squad, Poland; Gold Medal for Team Power; Gold Medal for Team Pattern
2004 Irish National Coach for World Championships Squad, Finland; Bronze Medal for Team Pattern; Bronze Medal for Team Power; 6 Individual Medals
2004 Irish National Coach for the Junior World Championships Squad, Italy; Gold Medal for Individual Pattern; Bronze Medal for Individual Sparring
2004 International Instructors Course ( Belgium) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2005 Head Coach, Irish National Team, European Championships, Terracina, Italy 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronzes.
2005 7th Degree Black Belt under, Grand Master Van Bihn IX Degree, Master Pablo Trajtenberg VIII Degree, Master Hector Marano VIII Degree, and Master Trân Trieu Quân VIII Degree. (Ireland)
2005 International Instructors course( Ireland ) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2005 Head coach for Irish National team, World Championships, Germany, 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals
2006 International Instructor Course (Germany) I.T.F. Technical Committee and Master Trân Trieu Quân VIII Degree.
2007 Director of coaching ITF Ireland Squad
2008 Director of Coaching ITF Ireland Squad
2008 European Championships Wroclaw, Poland, Umpire
2008 International Instructors Course, (Ireland) I.T.F. Technical Committee
2009 Director of Coaching ITF Ireland Squad
2009 Tournament Organiser, INTA International ITF Open Championships
2010 Tournament Organiser, INTA International ITF Open Championships 2011 International Instructors course( Ireland ) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2011 Tournament Organiser, INTA International ITF Open Championships
2012 International Instructors course( England ) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2012 International Instructors Course (Scotland) Under I.T.F Technical Committee
2012 8th Degree Black Belt under Grand Master Marano, Grandmaster Ung Kim Lan, Grand Master Wim Bos.
2015 International Instructors Course (Scotland) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2018 International Instructors Course (Ireland) under I.T.F. Technical Committee
2020 Promoted to 9th degree Grand Master by the I.T.F. Promotions committee
2022 International Instructors Course (Ireland) under I.T.F. Technical Committee

Full time ITF Taekwon-do International Instructor & Examiner.
Current rank of 8th Degree Master.
Former member of ITF Tournament & Umpire Committee and current Chairman of All Europe Taekwon-do Federation Tournament & Umpire Committee.
Chairman of TKDSL.
AA group for International Taekwon-do Federation in Scotland.

"Commit your spirit to the pursuit of excellence!"
Kwan-Jang-Nim Gerhard Brunner was born in Munich and has been actively practicing Taekwondo for over 45 years. He has been teaching taekwondo for several decades and was appointed 9th DAN in September 2022 by the Secretary General of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in Korea for his numerous contributions to the spread of taekwondo. After setting up a number of schools in Germany, he moved to the USA in 1997. There he opened the first traditional Taekwondo school in Tampa, Florida. In addition, he is the first certified Kimoodo instructor in the USA. Grandmaster Brunner enjoys great international recognition and has received numerous awards, including the Hall of Fame Award (in 2012) for his outstanding achievements in traditional Taekwondo and the award "European Grandmaster of the Year 2017". In 2022 Grandmaster Brunner also celebrated his 25th anniversary in the USA. He looks back on many successful years in which he was able to bring Taekwondo closer to countless people and anchor it as a constant in their lives. Grandmaster Brunner continues to visit his system schools in Germany regularly. Several times a year he visits all schools as part of a Germany-wide course weekend, teaches courses that are both sweaty and inspiring and conducts belt tests.

Earl Weiss is a 9th dan black belt in the ITF style of Taekwon-Do. He was one of the last people to test for master's rank under Choi Hong Hi. Weiss is a prolific author on the topic of Taekwon-Do and is a frequent contributor to publications such as Totally TaeKwonDo magazine.
Biography
* 1971 - 1973 Judo at Niles North High School, Skokie, Illinois
* 1972 - 1988 American Taekwon-Do Institute, Morton Grove, Illinois - Under the direction of Dr. Gregg Youstra VI Dan. ITF # A-6-13
* 1974 - Ju Jitsu Self Defense training under Sensei Ben Bergwerf - Now head of the Tori Ryu Ju Jitsu School in Northbrook, Illinois and Chairs the United States Judo Association Ju Jitsu Committee.
* 1975 - 1977 Taekwon-Do and Hapkido under the direction of Kyun Suk Park, Miami, Florida
* 1976 - 1988 Instructor American Taekwon-Do Institute
* 1976 First Degree Black Belt
* 1979 Second Degree Black Belt A-2-2371
* 1981 "Sereff's Camp Taekwon-Do," Rye, Colorado
* 1982 "Sereff's Camp Taekwon-Do," Rye, Colorado
* 1983 Third Degree Black Belt A-3-148
* 1985 - 1993 Illinois State Director - United States Taekwon-Do Federation
* 1986 - 1987 Instructor - Taekwon-Do; Yeshiva High School, Skokie, Illinois
* 1987 Fourth Degree Black Belt A-4-101, USTF Class B Referee. ITF Class B Umpire No. 229 Member of United States Taekwon-Do Federation Constitution Committee First Place Belt Sparring American Taekwon-Do Institute Tournament, Center Referee - Corner Judge-- Production of Cable TV segment for an Evanston, Illinois Cablevision program, "The Friday Club," Taekwon-Do American Stytle" Camp Promotion.Director and Instructor "Youstra's 1987 Midwest Taekwon-Do Camp"
* 1988 - Present -- C.E.O. and Instructor: National Taekwon-Do Academy, Inc, Des Plaines, Illinois.
* 1990 ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, International Taekwon-Do Federation Instructor No. 487 "Sereff's Camp Taekwon-Do," Grand Lake, Colorado
* 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Hosted Midwest Taekwon-Do Tournament
* 1992 Fifth Degree Black Belt A-5-58
* 1993 "Sereff's World Camp" and two day Seminar with General Choi Hong Hi
* 1993 - Present -- USTF Region 5 Director for the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota PPCT Pressure Point and Control Tactic course and certification
* 1994 Ju Jitsu Shodan United States Judo Association PPCT Spontaneous Knife Defense Course certification International Taekwon-Do Federation Class "A" International Umpire No. 547 Judge at the USTF National Championship, Las Vegas Nevada ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Odessa, TX
* 1995 "Small Circle Ju Jitsu" Seminar, Prof. Wally Jay, Instructor "Gracie Ju Jitsu" Seminar (10 hours) - Royce Gracie, Instructor
* 1996 Rickson Gracie Ju Jitsu Seminar Oak Park / Chicago, IL 4 days - 16 hours Reylson Gracie Ju Jitsu Seminar Wheeling IL 2 days - 10 hours ITF Technical Conference conducted by General Choi Hong Hi, Canada ITF International Instructors Course taught by Master C.E. Sereff, Miami, Florida USTF Knife Defense Course taught by Mr. Fred Akard
* 1997 Sixth Degree Black Belt A-6-39 Judge: ITF Xth World Championships, St. Petersburg, Russia Seminar by General Choi Hong Hi, Arizona (Dec.)
* 1998 ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Jamaica, Certificate # 148-59 Promoter - 1998 Authentic Taekwon-do Tournament, Des Plaines, IL Chuck Norris KDOAA Seminars - Twenty Seminars - 3 days, Chicago, IL
* 1999 ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Colorado, Certificate # 153-13 Co - Promoter: Midwest tournament
* 2000 Host, ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Illinois, Certificate # 167-1
* 2001 ITF International Instructors Course taught by General Choi Hong Hi, Newfoundland, Canada, Certificate # 178-46
* 2002 ITF International Instructors Course taught by Grand Master C.E. Sereff & General Choi Hong Hi, Colorado, Certificate # 187-14 7th Degree Black Belt, Master Instructor # A-7-28 Member International Taekwon-Do Federation Legal Consultative Counsel
* 2009 8th Degree Black Belt USTF - 8- 10
* 2016 9th Degree Black Belt USTF - 9 - 7

Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Sports and Taekwondo from Kyung Hee University South Korea, and was professor in the Humanitas College at the same University. He is a Co-Founder and Vice-President of iACT. He is the Executive Director for the International Association for Taekwondo Research (IATR), the copy editor for the Journal for the International Association of Taekwondo Research (www.jiatr.org), and a reviewer for two other international journals. He has published research articles on Taekwondo Philosophy and Education. In other academic work, Dr. Johnson has presented his research in South Korea, Mexico, Russia, the Czech Republic, and the United States. He was the International Relations Director for the Korean Hapkido Federation (KHF) and organized Hapkido demonstrations at US military bases, including the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. Dr. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Sports and Taekwondo from Kyung Hee University and is a professor in the Humanitas College at the same University. He is a Co-Founder and Vice-President of iACT.

We have a fascinating conversation on all aspects of Taekwon-Do including the Do and it’s origins. Dr Johnson’s insights comes from his personal Taekwon-Do journey, his extensive academic background and many years spent living in South Korea.

There’s so much here

I do hope you enjoy

Not to be missed

Grand Master Willy van de Mortel
[email protected]
www.difesasports.nl
Deurne, Netherlands
Start with Taekwon-Do in 1976:
1e Degree: year: 1981
2e Degree: year: 1983
3e Degree: year: 1988
4e Degree: year: 1993
5e Degree: year: 1996
6e Degree: year: 2001
7e Degree: year: 2006
8e Degree: year: 2013
9e Degree: year: 2021
H-1-82 H-2-31 H-3-18 H-4-15 H-5-9 H-6-4 H-7-3 H-8-2 H-9-2
International Instructors Courses:
Date: 18-11-1994
Date: 25-10-1996
Date: 04-06-2000
Date: 02-07-2000
Date: 11-03-2001
Date: 23-02-2003
Date: 01-06-2006
Date: 19-10-2007
Date: 27-04-2008
Date: 19-11-2010
Date: 24-11-2013
Date: 14-11-2014
Date: 07-07-2017
Date: 17-11-2018
Date: 11/12/2020
Oostende, Belgium Treviso, Italy, Manchester, England, Amsterdam, Netherlands Online
International Instructor: No.796
International Umpire "A" : No. 496
International Umpire Course
No:26-136 Date:10-09-2016 Oslo,Norway
No:002-140 Date:17-04-2021 Online
International Coaches Conference
No: 1-132 Date: 28-06-2019
Awarded by International Taekwon-Do Federation
Date: 23-04-2019 Outstanding Personalities – Instructor/coach
International Sparring Course
No:001-275 Date:27-02-2021 Online
Member of the A.E.T.F. Technical Committee.
Member of ICC (International Competition Course) With courses in Netherlands, Spain, Scotland, England
Guest instructor on the IIC in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2009. Competition results:
16 times National Champion
Winner of 146 prizes
Member of National Team from 1983 – 1991.
Results national team: European title, Silver and Bronze medallist on World Championships.
Was coach from National team from Italy – Slovenia – Netherlands – New Zealand and current from Norway.
Conduct seminars all over the world, from Europe to South America and from Russia to New Zealand.
Organise already a open tournament here in the Netherlands for 15 years called now the “Open Dutch”.
At the moment technical director of ITF Netherlands.

Philip Hawkins 5th degree ITF
Philip has always held an interest in the history of TaeKwon-Do, and has been fortunate to meet, train with and interview many of the pioneering Grandmasters. He has travelled to Korea, Canada, USA and Europe to conduct interviews, which have been published in various martial arts magazines. Combat, TaeKwon-Do Times, Taekwondo and Korean martial arts, MAI, Totally TaeKwon-Do, ITF magazine.
Opening Photos in the video are with General Choi Hong HI (Germany) and at Virginia Water, Windsor.