By LIAM TWOMEY
ATHLETES from the International Taekwondo Defence Force are not afraid of the big stage. The centre, which trains a number of talented kids throughout the West, sent a contingent of seven athletes to represent Australia at the World Taekwondo ITF Championships last month.
Despite competing in a foreign country and against many opponents whose national sport is taekwondo, International Taekwondo Defence Force more than held its own.
Members of the club where part of the Australian bronze medal winning Power Break team.
Club and national coach Danny Kordanovski said it was an outstanding result to finish in the top three.
“The medals we took were in an event called power break team,” he said.
“It is not something that we really practised for or really gunned for. My guys are pretty slender. They are not very heavy set and the power break guys are the ones who are on the bigger side. To our credit, technique prevailed.”
While the bronze medal will go down as a highlight, the club also had athletes finishing in the top eight in a number of other disciplines including the male self-defence routine and sparring events.
It wasn’t just his students who produced outstanding results though with Kordanovski named the most outstanding instructor at the ITF congress meeting.
To win the award he had to be nominated by the Oceanic Taekwondo president.
With the national championships coming up in December, Kordanovski said the ITF Championships would provide the perfect lead in.
“We were the best western country by far in terms of ranking,” he said.
“As for North Korea, Russia, Czech Republic and China, those countries are pros. They have full government funding.
“The experience you get in taking these guys on and almost beating them in that competitive level is amazing. No-one takes martial arts as seriously as the North Koreans do.
“It is their national sport and number one priority so to be even close to them is great.”
