Two gold medals so far at the Junior World Champs

6 December 2002

Dear Sir or Madam

Re: New Zealand has two gold medals so far at the ITF Taekwon-Do Junior World Championships!

It is day two of the 6th International Taekwon-Do Federation Junior World Championships in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and the New Zealand team has already won two gold and one bronze medal.
The five day tournament has drawn competitors from about 40 countries throughout the world. In the first day of competition:
o Mark Trotter, 3rd degree black belt from Shore City, Auckland won a gold medal in male 3rd degree individual patterns.
o Kyle Caldwell 1st degree black belt from Tauranga, won a gold medal in male individual special technique.
o Harmony Moki, 2nd degree black belt from Papakura, Auckland won a bronze medal in female lightweight individual free sparring.
The Junior World Championships is open to ITF Taekwon-Do black belts up to 18 years of age. The team coaches, Steve McQuillan, 3rd degree black belt from Auckland, and Grant Eccles, 3rd degree black belt from Hamilton, have been training regularly with the team for over a year.
This is the first time New Zealand has won a gold medal in any ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships tournament.
ITF Taekwon-Do tournaments have four individual and four team events: patterns, free sparring, special technique and power. In patterns, competitors perform a sequence of prearranged techniques against imaginary opponents for technical accuracy and power. Free sparring is controlled combat between two competitors. Special technique involves performing five flying kicks for the greatest height or distance. In the power event, competitors perform five hand and foot techniques to break as many boards as they can.
Further information may be found at www.itfnz.org.nz (ITFNZ Taekwon-Do New Zealand, updated twice daily) and www.prtkditf.com (Puerto Rico ITF Taekwon-Do), or by calling Paul McPhail, 6th degree black belt ITFNZ Taekwon-Do webmaster and Director of Technique, on (09) 268 8552.

Yours faithfully

Mark Banicevich
Director of Marketing
International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand
Telephone +61 2 410 300 610
Email mbanicevich@itfnz.org.nz

NEW ZEALAND WINS TWO GOLD AND ONE BRONZE MEDAL IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE 6TH ITF TAEKWON-DO JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PUERTO RICO
New Zealand won two gold and one bronze medal in the first day of competition at the 6th International Taekwon-Do Federation World Championships in Ponce, Puero Rico!
The five day tournament has drawn competitors from about 40 countries throughout the world. In the first day of competition:
o Mark Trotter, 3rd degree black belt from Shore City, Auckland won a gold medal in male 3rd degree individual patterns.
o Kyle Caldwell 1st degree black belt from Tauranga, won a gold medal in male individual special technique.
o Harmony Moki, 2nd degree black belt from Papakura, Auckland won a bronze medal in female lightweight individual free sparring.
The tournament runs from the 4th to the 8th of December, and the 15 member (nine male and six female) New Zealand team have events throughout the five days. The tournament is open to competitors up to 18 years of age.
This is the first time New Zealand have won a gold medal at an ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships. In the last Junior World Championships, in Pyong Yang, North Korea in 2000, Jake Goldsmith of Brooklyn, Wellington won a bronze medal in individual sparring. In Senior World Championships, the best New Zealand have done is also one bronze (three times, in Malaysia 1994, Russia 1997 and Argentina 1999).
ITF Taekwon-Do tournaments have four individual and four team events: patterns, free sparring, special technique and power. In patterns, competitors perform a sequence of prearranged techniques against imaginary opponents for technical accuracy and power. Free sparring is controlled combat between two competitors. Special technique involves performing five flying kicks for the greatest height or distance. In the power event, competitors perform five hand and foot techniques to break as many boards as they can. In the team events, five of a six member team compete together in all four events.
The New Zealand team send regular email back to the ITFNZ Taekwon-Do webmaster, Paul McPhail, making the New Zealand website the most up to date in the world. The website may be found at www.itfnz.org.nz. It is updated at least twice daily; despite the difficulty the team is having finding email facilities in Ponce.
The New Zealand team began training for this competition over a year ago, including regular training camps in Taupo so members from throughout New Zealand could come together. The coaches, Steve McQuillan, 3rd degree black belt from Auckland, and Grant Eccles, 3rd degree black belt from Hamilton, have been instrumental in developing the team’s technical skills, fitness and mental discipline to a level required for international competition.
Further information about the tournament may be found at www.itfnz.org.nz (ITFNZ Taekwon-Do New Zealand, updated twice daily) and www.prtkditf.com (Puerto Rico ITF Taekwon-Do).
The New Zealand team arrive back in Auckland from Los Angeles at 6:05am on 16th December 2002.
The New Zealand team
The New Zealand team (and the events in which they are competing) are:
o Mark Trotter, 3rd degree black belt, (3rd degree individual patterns, individual microweight free sparring, team event)
o Daniel Kerr, 2nd degree black belt, (2nd degree individual patterns, hyperweight individual free sparring, individual power, team event)
o Kyle Caldwell, 1st degree black belt, (heavyweight individual free sparring, individual special technique, team event)
o Regan Diggelmann, 1st degree black belt, (1st degree individual patterns)
o Phillip Diggelmann, 1st degree black belt, (hyperweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Sam Skinner, 1st degree black belt, (middleweight individual free sparring)
o Tonee Francis, 1st degree black belt, (hyperweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Robert Buddle, 1st degree black belt, (middleweight individual free sparring)
o Daniel Thompson, 1st degree black belt, (heavyweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Harmony Moki, 2nd degree black belt, (2nd degree individual patterns, lightweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Roseanne Te Hau, 1st degree black belt, (1st degree individual patterns, heavyweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Jessica Te Hau, 1st degree black belt, (heavyweight individual free sparring, team event)
o Nicole Kettings, 1st degree black belt, (1st degree individual patterns, team event)
o Anna Wintle, 1st degree black belt, (1st degree individual patterns, team event)
o Nikki Galpin, 1st degree black belt, (individual special technique, individual power, team event)
o Coach, Steve McQuillan, 3rd degree black belt
o Assistant Coach, Grant Eccles, 3rd degree black belt
o Manager, Debbie Trotter
What is Taekwon-Do?
Taekwon-Do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self defence. It is more than just that, however.
It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self defence; aiming to gain the ultimate use of one’s body through intensive physical and mental training. Though it is a martial art, its discipline, techniques and mental training are the mortar for building a strong sense of justice, fortitude, humility and resolve. It is this mental conditioning that separates the true practitioner from the sensationalist, content with mastering only the fighting aspects of the art.
Translated literally “Tae” means jumping or flying, to kick or smash with the foot; “Kwon” denotes the fist - chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist; “Do” means art or way.
Taekwon-Do was developed by the late General Choi Hong Hi, who passed away on 15th June 2002.
In New Zealand, ITFNZ Taekwon-Do has over fifty clubs and nearly 2,000 members throughout the country. Members get together regularly for tournaments, training camps and training seminars.

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