Club News

Sport Taekwondo UK Host Sparring Days
12.01.09

Sport Taekwondo UK have invited players who meet their selection criteria to Sparring days at the National Academy, Manchester.  The players must meet one or more of the following:

Valid licence holder
Senior categories (unless selected by coach)
Senior National Champion (Sept 08)
Senior National Champion & Silver Medalist (Sept 08) if 8 or more players in your division
Senior Gold or Silver Medalist at British International Championships (Nov 08)
Senior medalist at European A class tournament in the last 12 months
Players selected by the National Team Coaches

Sport Taekwondo UK understands that there are talented athletes who do not meet the Selection Criteria, so it’s for this reason that the coaches will select certain players based on performances over the past 12 months, if you are selected you will hear from one of the coaches prior to the relevant dates.

If you meet the criteria and would like to be involved please notify one of our High Performance Coaches at least one week before to confirm and check attendance. All invited players will be inform at least 7 days before the sparring day.

Stephen.Jennings@btcb-stuk.co.uk
Paul.Green@btcb-stuk.co.uk

The scheduled dates for the Sparring Days in 2009 are:

Sat January 24th 2009
Sat May 16th 2009
Sat July 11th 2009
Sat December 12th 2009

(These dates may change depending on the preparation times of the academy, changes will be announced)

New WTF Website
14.01.09

The WTF has launched its new website.  The main difference is that the website is now available as a beta version and is available in several languages.  Visit the new website www.wtf.org

Dale Rhodie & Stephen O'Connor Finish 13th in European Ranking List
13.01.09

Stephen O'Connor and Dale Rhodie have officially finished joint 13th in the European Ranking List.  Points are taken from 6 A-class tournaments and Stephen and Dale only attended one of the these events due to university and work commitments.  Most fighters in their divisions are full time athletes sponsored by their countries.  Stephen and Dale do not receive any funding of any sort which makes their achievements even more impressive.  Congratulations guys!    

Grading Results 20th December 2009
12.01.09

Congratulations to all the candidates that passed their Kup Grading on Saturday 20th December 2008.  This months Star Performer was Michael Devine.  Michael went on to win all his matches at the Police League later that day - congratulations!

Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Lana Strachan
Promoted to Green Tags:  Abbie Toal, Calum Macaulay & Matthew Burgoyne
Promoted to Green Belt:  Andrew Harley
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Stephen Klos, Jay McKenzie & Michael Devine (Star Performer)
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Victoria Ash
Promoted to Red Belt:  James Williamson & Amy Carnegie

Police League Results 2008
08.01.09

Congratulations to Anniesland who won the 2008 Police League with 32 points.  2008's top players was JJ Cameron who amassed 18 points.   Each of the kids that took part received a club T-shirt to reward their efforts. 

JJ - 2008 Boys Champion

Taking part on the day were:
JJ Cameron
Kevin Sanders
Michael Devine
Declan Prosser
Murray Donaldson
Daniel Smith
Andrew Provan
Dylan Sabushimike

Thanks also go to the coaches and players who assisted on the day:
Dale Rhodie
Laura Sweeney
Scott Simeon
Susie Miller
Thomas Anderson
Matthew Devine
Gemma Anderson

For more info about the Police League and full tables click here.

Swedish Open 2009
07.01.09

The club will be attending the

2009 Swedish Open
14th & 15th February

The event is an A-class tournament using Adidas Electronic Body Protectors.  Players from the club representing Scotland used them for the first time at the Boeskool Open and cam back with 2 golds and 2 silvers.  Click here for the 2009 calendar.

Scottish Cup 2009
07.01.09

Central Taekwondo Academy will hold the

11th Scottish Cup
Grangemouth Sport Complex
15th March 2009. 

This event is ideal for all competitors.  In 2007 we finished 3rd in 2008 we finished 2nd this year we are planning on 1st.  Click here for the 2009 calendar.

BTCB British International Open 2009
07.01.09

The BTCB will be hosting the

British International Open
Manchester Velodrome
29th & 30th August 2009

The event has been promoted to an A-class.  In 2008 Caledonian Players Ewan Harrison won gold and Carla Summerhill won bronze at the inaugural event.  Click here for the 2009 calendar.

BTCB British Championships 2009
07.01.09

The BTCB will hold the British National Championships on 2nd & 3rd May 2008 at Manchester Velodrome.  This event is open to all intermediate and experienced competitors.  Click here for the 2009 calendar.

Next Grading Date
06.01.09

January 2009 Coloured Belt Grading Date will be held at the centre on:

Saturday 31st 2009
Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
£20 per person

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

BTCB Referees Course
06.01.09

A Class 3 Referee (Judge) Course will take place at Carronshore Community Centre, Falkirk, over March 14th and 15th 2009.  Details for the event and an application can be found below.

Theory
Saturday 14th March 2009 10am - 4pm
Carronshore Community Centre, Main Street, 
Carronshore, Falkirk,FK2 8EX

Practical
Sunday 15th March 2009 9.30am onwards.
2009 Scottish Cup, Grangemouth Sports Complex,
Grangemouth, FK3 9JD

Instruction by BTCB Referee Department

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Steve Gane – BTCB Referee Dept Promotions Officer -Tel 07796 956877 or
Angela Davison – BTCB Referee Dept Promotions Officer – Tel 07903 937077

Application forms can be downloaded here.

The closing date for application is 1st March 2009.

Triumph for Caledonian Players in Scottish Team

21st International Boeskooltournament

Four Caledonian players were competing for team Scotland at the 21st Boeskool Tournament in Oldenzal, Netherlands.  This was the first event that our club players had taken part in using the new Adidas electronic body protectors. 

Carla Summerhill, Dale Rhodie, Ewan Harrison & Laura Sweeney were all competing for the national team and came back with four medals!  Ewan Harrison and Laura Sweeney finished off an excellent year with a gold medal each -  Ewan and Laura have now won three title each this year.  Carla and Dale both went on to clinch silver after difficult semi-finals.  Dale was up against Iran in the final with Carla fighting in a merged category (pictured above).

Click on the links below to watch Carla's final.

Round One
Round Two
Round Three

Please note you will be take away from www.caledoniantkd.com site.

Congratulations to all the players from team Scotland that medaled and special thanks to Scottish National Coaches Mark Russell and John Cullen.

 Archives

December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
January/February 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007

Club Coach John Cullen's Host Sky's Taekwondo Highlights

Club Coach John Cullen will be hosting a one-hour highlights show of the 2008 BTCB British International Open to be broadcast on Sky.
The programme will be shown on the following channels at the following times;
Sky Sports 3: November 26th at 19:00, 24:00 and the 27th at 08:30.
Sky Sports Xtra:  November 27th at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:30. 

John with co-commentator Adrian Battersby at Manchester

New British International Open Champion - Ewan Harrison

The BTCB hosted the 1st British International Open at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.  The event was open to all UK clubs and international teams.  Team that competed were; Korean National League tea, Iran, France, Germany, Norway to name but a few. 

The event was broadcast live on the internet by www.247.tv with a highlights package shown on Sky Sports in November.

The club only entered a small team due to injuries to some of the teams key players.  Ewan Harrison and Carla Summerhill were competing respectively in the Junior Male +78kg and Senior Female -59Kg divisions.  

Carla was the fighting on Saturday and was against the competition favourite from Norway after a bye in the first round and straight passage into the semi final.  The match was an even affair in the first two rounds with the score at 2-1.  Carla came out looking to make up the difference in the third but during exchanges lost the points on the counter.  The Norwegian went on to easily win the final with Carla receiving a bronze medal for her efforts.

Ewan was straight into the final against his opponent from Scorpion Taekwondo.  This was Ewan's first major match since his back injury.  The match was evenly matched in the first round with Ewan 1 point in the lead.  In the second Ewan stepped it up a gear and hit his opponent with several double kicks.  The games was stopped in the second round by the referee after a 7 point lead was opened up.   This was one of the most impressive displays from a junior at our club in some time.  Congratulations Ewan on being the new British Open Champion.

BBC Open 606 Have Your Say Forum for Taekwondo

The BBC has now opened a 606 Have Your Say Forum for Taekwondo.  Simply click on the BBC's site link.  Anyone can read the contributions but members must register first and follow the house rules.  Anyone under 16 should consult their parents before joining any forum.

This is an ideal platform to contribute to the growth of Taekwondo in Scotland and the UK.  Club Coach John Cullen has written an article on the changes proposed by the WTF.

Christmas Opening Hours

Please note the Christmas Opening hours for your diary.

TKD Classes
Last TKD Class:  21st December 2008
First TKD Class:  3rd January 2009

Centre Opening Hours
24th December:  9am - 4pm
25, 26 & 27 December:  Closed
28, 29, 30 & 31st December:  12pm - 5pm
1 & 2nd January:  Closed

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our members from all our staff.


Christmas Party

The club will host its annual Christmas Part on Sunday 21st December 12pm - 3pm at the centre.  All children from all of the venues are welcome to attend - although we ask all under 8 to be supervised by at least one adult for every two children. 

We want all children to raise a £5 minimum in sponsorship for the Player Fund.  Please feel free to raise more money if you can!  This year we will be doing a sponsored bounce-a-thon - the aim is for all children to do 1000 bounces.  It wont be all bouncing - there will be loads of games, assault courses and cakes (once a year is allowed).

Lets get bouncing!!!!

Players Fund

The club has set up a not for profit fund for players representing the club at tournaments.  Each international event cost each player approximately £250!  The Korean exchange programme more than £1500.  Many of the players from the club try to attend at least three international events per year, plus Scottish & British events.

All players return to the club and pass on their experience and knowledge to the all the members of the club.  That is why we are asking everyone to get involved!  The club has joined forces with Easy Funding to offer a website where anything purchased from it will make a deposit to the Club Fund.  All you have to do is register and a list of all the stores taking part is shown.  Nearly every high street store is there.  Some companies will even make a donation to the Fund by opening an account. 

With Christmas just round the corner this is the ideal time to get buying and helping.  To help our click on the banner below. 

Timetable Change for 2009

There will be a slight timetable change as of 3rd January 2009.  To allow more time for competition practice and to help children with the transition to higher ranked classes the following amendments have been made.

Children's Advanced Class 6-7pm on Monday, Wednesday & Friday (previously 7-8pm)

Competition Advanced Class 7-9pm on Monday, Wednesday & Friday (previously 6-7pm)

Adult Beginner & Intermediate Class (8-9pm) and all other classes will continue as normal.

Next Grading Date

December Coloured Belt Grading Date  will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 20th December 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 28th November.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

Grading Results

Congratulations to all the students that passed their grading on Saturday 29th November 2008

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Michelle Soldani, Elizabeth Jamieson, Jessica Hunter, Niamh Prosser & Ryan Gibson
Promted Yellow Belt: Kyra Bradley, Daniel Chernick & Dhruva Thakkar
Promoted to Green Tags:  Kirill Chernick, John Young, Anna Jean Mackenzie & Usaamah Ahmed Ramzan
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Ailsa McClymont
Promoted to Blue Belt:  Victor Noguera

Caledonian Taekwondo Finishes 2008 as the Number One Club in Scotland

Its been a great year for the club and a well traveled one!  Starting with the Scottish Open at the end of last year the club has went on to perform exceptionally well.  We finished number one at the Scottish Open,  top placed Scottish club at the Scottish Cup, Belgian Open, British Championships and second placed at the British International Open.

As well as all this we had two players Dale Rhodie and Stephen O'Connor becoming the first Scottish males athletes to ever medal at the Belgian Open.  Laura Sweeney retained her title as UK Champion and Ewan Harrison won the British International Open. 

The club spent six weeks in Korea over the summer and came back fitter and more skilled then ever before.  Worldmark came on board as club sponsors and allowed the team to attend Korea dressed as a club. 

Thomas Anderson received one £1000 sponsorship to go to with the team and trained with the number one high school in Korea.  Not bad for a red tags!

In addition to all these comps the clubs attended several grass roots competition and one to ones.  We held the Police League again and held the first ever girls only event.   

BBC's Review of 2008 Olympic Games by John Cullen

As part of the WTF's ongoing review programme the BBC have submitted a review of the Olympic Games and recommendations to improve the martial art as a spectator sport.  The report was written by club coach John Cullen and BBC broadcaster Nick Mullins.

To view the article that has been published on the BTCB, European Taekwondo Union and WTF's website click here.

Poomse Videos Online

The club will shortly be selling Poomse & Syllabus DVDs which shows how each moves in constructed, slow motion shots and reverse angle views.  All eight Taegeuks are can be viewed online, free of charge.  Please note Window's Media Player is required to view files.

Click here to view Poomse

Player Profile - John Cullen

Name
John Cullen

Position
Coach Caledonian Taekwondo

Qualifications
1st Dan Kukkiwon, Ba (Hons) Business Law

Started Taekwondo
1995

Began Competing
1995

 
Commentating for the BBC at Beijing Olympics 2008 

Competition Career  1997 - 2000
British Students Champs 97 Gold
USA East Coast Champs 97 Gold
Shins Open 97 Gold
City of Glasgow 98 Gold
Shins Open 98 Gold
Central Cup 99 Gold
Tokyo Invitational 99 Bronze
Cumbria Open 00 Gold
Central Cup 00 Silver
Scottish Open Gold
Pungsaeng High 00 - 02 Trained and lived

Team GB 2003

Back kick at UK Champs 2006

Competition Career  2001 - 2003
Scot Open 02 Gold
Korean Open 02
Torneo International 02 Bronze GB Team
British Champs 03 Gold
(first senior Scottish male winner)
Dutch Open 03 GB Team
German Open 03 GB Team
Mexican Open 03 GB Team
Scottish Open 03 Gold (-78Kg)
Scottish Open 03 Gold (-84Kg)
World Universiade 03 GB Team Captain
World Olympic Qualifiers 03 GB Team

 
Paris Open 2006


Europeans 2006

Competition Career  2004 - 2007
Paris Open 04 Bronze
Belgian Open 04 GB Team
Dutch Open 04 GB Team
European Championships 04 GB Team
World University Games 04 GB Team
Tornoe International 04 GB Team Gold
Czech Open 05 Gold
British Champs 05 Gold
Austrian open Bronze
European Cadet Champs Head of GB Team
Polish open 05 Bronze GB Team
Torneo International GB Team Gold
Paris Open 05 Bronze
Swedish Open 06 Silver GB Captain
Chinese Olympic Camp 06 GB Captain
US Open Head of GB Team
Dutch Open 06 GB Team Captain
China & Korea Camp 06 GB Team Captain
European Championships 06 GB Team Captain

Further Info
Founded Ee Sung Ee exchange programee in 2004
Former GB Team Captain & Head of Team
Scottish National Coach 2007 to present
BBC's Taekwondo commentator for Beijing 2008

Institutional Links
Pungsaeng High School 2000 to present

Police League Decider

The final Police League event of the year takes place on Saturday 20th December, 4pm at the centre.  Springburn are currently top of the boys leaderboard with Anniesland on top of the combined leaderboard.  With it still top play for which team will come out on top.

If you are a boy and below blue tags then you can take part in the event.  Please give your details to your instructor.  Entries need to be received by Friday 19th December at the latest.

For more details and to view the tables click here.

Active Schools

The club will be continuing its programme of afer school clubs and taster session in the new year.  Already Hillstrust and Drumoyne Primary have booked a 12 week sessions.

If you interested in taking part please view our afterschool page or contact us.Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter November 2008

Ellis Wright Silver
Mariama Gorman Silver
Lilly Arenas Gold
Rebecca McGowan Gold
Finlay Benton Gold
Kyra Bradley Silver
Peter Sutherland Gold
Thomas Anderson Silver
Dilexsan Fancis Alosious Silver
Lee Klos Silver
Michael Simeon Gold
James Williamson SilverThe club returned from the Ultimate Taekwondo Championships, Barnsley, England on Sunday 12th October.  The club entered 5 players to the event and returned with 3 gold medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.

Ultimate Championships, Barnsley, England

This event was Ewan Harrison's first since a back injury put him out of competitive action for 12 months.  Ewan has been undergoing an intensive physio and sports rehabilitation programme for the past 5 months.  Ultimate was his first event and he went straight into the final.  The match did not last long and was stopped after Ewan opened up a seven point lead.  Congratulations Ewan - nice to see you back!

Lilly Arenas and Rebecca Smythe were returned to action after the UK Nationals were they both claimed bronze - this time it was gold for both of the girls.

Finlay Benton and Carla Summerhill were the remaining two players.  Finlay was unfortunately beaten in the final and had to settle for silver.  Carla was finished the day off with another bronze medal for the club.

Congratulations to all the team and special thanks go to the coaches and supporters John Cullen, Laura Sweeney & Scott Simeon.

Photos & videos to follow. 

Police League Results

The club held the third Police League event of the year and this was the second session for the boys.  A day of howling gales and torrential weather did not stop the teams turning up.  The event as always was a great success with ten kids taking part from the four grass roots clubs; Anniesland, Dumbarton, Springburn and Gorbals.

The Rocks rock!

The event was as competitive as always with Springburn winning the day the day for the boys.  Springburn are currently top of the boys league table but Anniesland are top overall after the girls competition.

Springburn - Leader of the Boys League

Anniesland - Overall leaders of combined class league.

Special mention goes to JJ Cameron of the Dumbarton Rocks.  JJ was the only player form his team available to fight on the day and had several matches and against each of the teams.  This great effort from JJ saw him race to the top of the boy's Leaderboard.  Well done JJ!

Southside Team with Susie Miller

November Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 29th November 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 28th November.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

October Grading Results

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed their Kup grade exam on 25th October 2008:

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Lisa McCafferty, Rebecca McGran, Yvonne Conley & Jack Hamilton
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Nathan Hennebry, Thomas Black, Lois Russell, Duncan MacKenzie & Matthew Burgoyne
Promoted to Green Tags:  Caitlin McEneaney, Daniel Smith, Andrew Provan & Murray Donaldson
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Mariama Gorman & Lauren White
Promoted to Blue Belt:  Kevin Sanders & Rebecca McGowan
Promoted to Red Tags:  Muriel Finnegan & Ellis James Wright

This month's star performer was Mariama Gorman!

Caledonian Players Fund

The club has set up a not for profit fund for players representing the club at tournaments.  Each international event cost each player approximately £250!  The Korean exchange programme more than £1500.  Many of the players from the club triy to attend at least three international events per year, plus Scottish & British events.

All players return to the club and pass on their experience and knowledge to the all the members of the club.  That is why we are asking everyone to get involved!  The club has joined forces with Easy Funding to offer a website where anything purchased from it will make a deposit to the Club Fund.  All you have to do is register and a list of all the stores taking part is shown.  Nearly every high street store is there.  Some companies will even make a donation to the Fund by opening an account. 

With Christmas just round the corner this is the ideal time to get buying and helping.  To help our click on the banner below. 

New Poomse Videos Online

The club will shortly be selling Poomse & Syllabus DVDs which shows how each moves in constructed, slow motion shots and reverse angle views.  All eight Taegeuks are can be viewed online, free of charge.  Please note Window's Media Player is required to view files.

Click here to view Poomse page

Player Profile - Dale Rhodie

With Springburn going top of the Boys Police League we profile their club instructor Dale Rhodie.

Name Dale Rhodie Position Player -78Kg Instructor of Caledonian Springburn & Dumbarton Qualifications 3rd Dan Kukkiwon, BA Started Taekwondo 1992 Began Competing 1999  Competition Career  1999 Shin's Open Gold 2000 Granite City Gold 2002 British Champs 4th 2003 British Champs Bronze 2003 Four Nations Fight Night Gold 2004 Ultimate Champs Gold 2006 British Champs Silver 2006 Scottish Cup Gold 2006 Chungdokwan Open Bronze 2007 British Champs Bronze 2007 Irish Open Silver 2007 Scottish Open Silver 2008 Scottish Cup Silver 2008 Belgian Open Bronze
Teaching Career Teacher of Caledonian Springburn, North Woodside & Meadow since 2007
Additional Info Dale has spent several months practicing Taekwondo in Korea at Pungsaeng High School. 2002 six weeks 2007 six weeks 2008 four weeks

Central One to One

Central Taekwondo hosted another One to One comp at the Carronshore training base.  This event was incredibly popular drawing a record nuber of competitors for a One to One comp.  The club entered Pee Wees, Childre, Cadets and Juniors to the event.  The players that competed are shown below with their medal shown beside their name.  Every player put in a great performance but the standout performance was from Lilly Arenas.  WEll doen all the team!

Ellis Wright Silver
Mariama Gorman Silver
Lilly Arenas Gold
Rebecca McGowan Gold
Finlay Benton Gold
Kyra Bradley Silver
Peter Sutherland Gold
Thomas Anderson Silver
Dilexsan Fancis Alosious Silver
Lee Klos Silver
Michael Simeon Gold

British International Open

The BTCB hosted the 1st British International Open at the National Squash Centre in Manchester.  The event was open to all UK clubs and international teams.  Team that competed were; Korean National League tea, Iran, France, Germany, Norway to name but a few. 

The event was broadcast live on the internet by www.247.tv with a highlights package being shown on Sky Sports later this month hosted by club coach John Cullen.

The club only entered a small team due to injuries to some of the teams key players.  Ewan Harrison and Carla Summerhill were competing respectively in the Junior Male +78kg and Senior Female -59Kg divisions.  

Carla was the fighting on Saturday and was against the competition favourite from Norway after a bye in the first round and stright passage into the semi final.  The match was an even affair in the first two rounds with the score at 2-1.  Carla came out looking to make up the difference in the third but during exchanges lost the points on the counter.  The Norwegian went on to easily win the final with Carla receiving a bronze medal for her efforts.

Ewan was straight into the final against his opponent from Scorpion Taekwondo.  This was Ewan's first major match since his back injury.  The match was evenly matched in the first round with Ewan 1 point in the lead.  In the second Ewan stepped it up a gear and hit his opponent with several double kicks.  The games was stopped in the second round by the referee after a 7 point lead was opened up.   This was one of the most impressive displays from a junior at our club in some time.  Congratulations Ewan on being the new British Open Champion.

Pictures and videos to follow soon. 

 Active Schools 

The club will be taking part in more Active School after school clubs and taster session over the coming months.  If you would like the club to attend you school please contact your instructor and we can try and arrange a visit.

We will be visiting St Michaels Primary, St Ronan's and St Patrick's Primary, Dumbarton.  Elderpark Primary, Linthouse plus more planned for the near future.   

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter - October 2008

October Break Training Camp

The club will hosting the October Break Camp again.  All grades are welcome at camp where we will be covering all the different aspects of TKD as well as the usual fun games an activities. 

Kids from Spring camp with their T-shirts and certificates!

Dates:  Monday 13th October to Friday 17th October
Times:  9.15am - 3.15pm
Cost:  £35 per week (if paid in advance) or £10 per day

More details to follow shortly

Meadow Centre Class Cancelled 4th October

The Saturday 10-11am class at the Meadow Centre has been cancelled on Saturday 4th October due to a special event held at the centre.  Classes on the 11th, 18th will be on as normal. 

There will be a double session from 10am - 12pm on Saturday 25th October to make up for the lost class. 

If you cannot attend the double session you can attend one of the classes at the Centre, Anniesland to make up lost sessions.

Police League

The Police League will be held on Saturday 25th October at Caledonian Taekwondo Centre, 4.30pm.  Entry to the event is £8 per person and all competitors will receive approximately three matches.  Each participant will receive a certificate of participation. 

Proceeds from the event will go towards club funds.

 

British National Championships Report and Pictures

The club sent a nine man team to the British National Championships in Manchester and returned home with an impressive tally of 1 British champion, 7 medals and finished the top placed Scottish club.  The club finished 11 out of 50 teams from all over the UK and had a much smaller contingent than most other clubs. 

Laura Sweeney is the new -55kg British champion.  Laura had three matches and against very experienced opponents and came through each one to win gold.  Not only did Laura show great technical and tactical ability and fitness but determination that saw her through with a broken hand sustained during the final.

 
The Senior & Junior proudly show off their medals!    New UK Champion Laura Sweeney receiving her medal.

 
The Children & Cadet team prepare.                           Kevin, Rebecca, Carla & Laura waits for their medals.

Thomas Anderson and Carla Summerhill both won silver in their respective divisions after very competitive qualifying rounds.  Thomas had four matches to get to the final, each one proving more difficult than the last.  Thomas sustained an injury to his right foot in the first match and showed great spirit to continue.  Thomas fought well in the final but was beaten by a larger and more experienced opponent.  Well done Thomas!

Carla won her first match comfortably but found a very experienced opponent in the final.  The first round was tight affair but her opponent opened up a lead.  At the start of the second Carla came out strong and chop kicked her opponent straight in the face but the points did not register and her opponent countered to win the match.   

Rebecca Smyth, Lilly Arenas and Kevin Smith all won bronze in their divisions which put the club 11th out of the 47 teams taking part.  That means that the clubs finished top out of the four Scottish clubs taking part.

Dale Rhodie was competing against Arron Cooke who had just returned from the Olympics.  Unfortunately Dale was suffering with a knee injury that had kept him to limited training for two weeks prior to the event.

The full team to take part were as follows: 

Laura Sweeney
Dale Rhodie
Carla Summerhill
Kevin Smith
Peter Sutherland
Rebecca Smythe
Lilly Arenas
Finlay Benton
Thomas Anderson

A full list of the teams and players taking part can be found the BTCB website.

October Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 25th October 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 24th October.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

Grading Results for 20th September 2008

Congratulations to all the students that took part and passed their recent coloured belt guarding at the centre.

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Sean Kelly & Christy O'Hanlon
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Gillies O'Hanlon, Abbie Toal, Calum Macaulay, Taylor Thomson, William Gibson & John Young
Promoted to Green Tags:  Robbie Norris & Sean Brown
Promoted to Green Belt:  Stephen Klos (star performer), Declan Prosser & Sam Purdon
Promoted to Blue Belt:  John Norris & Alisha Smith
Promoted to Red Belt:  Thomas Anderson

Korea 2008

Report to follow shortly

Club Unveils New Sponsor

Caledonian Taekwondo is proud to announce Worldmark as the club's new tracksuit sponsor.  The award was a great boost to all the members who took part in the exchange programme. 

For more info about our sponsor and to see how far the tracksuit have traveled click here.

Thomas with members of Pungsaeng

John Cullen Beijing Highlights

John with co-commentator Nick Mulliins at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

This summer I was blessed to be at the Olympic Games in Beijing as a TV commentator for the BBC. I was given the chance to talk about the sport I love at the greatest sporting event in the world…amazing. It was a fantastic experience and a real joy to see people from all over the world performing at their very best. It was a truly inspiring fortnight that really restored my faith in what we can achieve if we work together.

The Olympic movement defines its ideals as “a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles."  Olympic Charter, 

These principles are what we aspire to teach at Caledonian Taekwondo, they are what we seek to be as individuals and to encourage as a team. The Olympic athletes I met and interviewed came back with the same central message. Believe in yourself, no matter what, have courage and faith that you can produce your best effort when it is required.

When you watch friends and former teammates chasing their Olympic dreams with unwavering self belief it is truly an awesome sight. They work hard – just as you do – they try to improve everyday – just as you do, but crucially they conduct themselves as winners from the very start. Full of confidence and self belief they are bigger than the circumstances around them. Take Sarah Stevenson for example, she refused to give up and managed to beat the double Olympic champion Chen Zhong in her own backyard!

That takes courage. We all know what happened next was not ’t the fairytale gold but a hard earned bronze medal – that takes real heart to overcome such odds and Sarah is a great example of what self belief and honest effort can create.

Another good Friend Cha Dong Min came away with gold in the men’s Heavyweight and that was a highly unlikely prospect before the games, lucky to qualify and not quoted as a contender amongst the much bigger heavyweight group – he stuck to his beliefs.

He fought on the last day – after three of his teammates had won gold. That’s pressure. He told me before it he didn’t care what anyone thought of him as an athlete and he didn’t care who he fought – he believed he had the skills and the confidence to win. And he did. He told me he wasn’t worried about any other fighters – that they should worry about him. Confidence based on adding nearly a stone in functional Taekwondo muscle and a certainty that he had a plan for every possible eventuality. That level of preparation is inspirational, to try and find a way to do it a little better, every day a little better.

Having the patience to enjoy small signs of progress and a willingness to face pain and danger with no fear. Like when you pass a grading or win a match in a sparring or in competition it’s a signal of progress, it’s vital to embrace that progress – celebrate it and use it to propel you further.

The Olympic Coach for the USA Jean Lopez told me some of the cornerstones of his teams belief.

• To have the confidence to concentrate on what they are doing as opposed to being fixated on others.
• The ability to adapt to change and find it acceptable.
• The bold resistance and tenacity of purpose to chase a dream.

And crucially to make a decision that they are going to win before the match starts. To visualise every stage of victory and all the requirements of the match. To prepare mentally so that every ounce of effort is productive and positive.

To actually decide – I am going to win – and let everyone else react to that decision.

As we all train and try to improve as athletes and as people we have a great opportunity, we are only limited by what we think we can achieve. So in your daily training go beyond the simple effort of kicking and moving, add some positive visualisation to your practice and allow yourself to dream of achieving great things.

Reality will come kicking at your dreams but you have to kick back harder. I look forward to helping you all chase those dreams and to developing Caledonian Taekwondo into fantastic team.

Working with the BBC gave me access to every sport at the Olympics I had the opportunity to witness some of the greatest moments in Olympic history from backstage: the incredible Michael Phelps, who won a record-breaking eight gold medals; and Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world. I sat across from the finish line as Bolt stormed to victory in the fastest ever 100-meter time. It was a breathtaking moment of power and skill, and I am grateful to have been in such close proximity to sporting greatness.

The Beijing Olympics will be remembered for its organisation and the amazing performances. Which are two things we as a team can build upon, to be more organised in our practice and competition schedule and to aim for amazing performances.

The watchword for 2009 is Awesome. And its starts today.  

awesome (ốsəm) - Far beyond what is usual, normal, or customary: exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent, outstanding, preeminent, rare, remarkable, singular, towering, uncommon, unusual. Informal standout Standing out among others of its kind; prominent, causing feelings of great admiration, respect or fear:

Active Schools 

The club will be taking part in more Active School after school clubs and taster session over the coming months.  If you would like the club to attend you school please contact your instructor and we can try and arrange a visit.

We will be visiting St Michaels Primary, St Ronan's and St Patrick's Primary, Dumbarton.  Elderpark Primary, Linthouse plus more planned for the near future. 

Player Profile - Stephen O'Connor

Name Stephen O'Connor Position Player -84Kg Qualifications 1st Dan Kukkiwon Started Taekwondo 1998 Began Competing 1999 Competition Career  Competed internationally for Scotland and UK 2004 British Champs Gold 2006 Scottish Cup Silver 2006 Chungdokwan Open Silver 2007 Scottish Open Gold 2007 Scottish Cup Silver 2007 Irish Open Bronze 2008 Belgian Open Bronze

The Club has extended its popular off peak gym membership to 5pm Monday to Friday and 4pm Saturday and Sunday.  The price is still £15 per month - that an incredible 50p per day!  Sign up by Direct Debit and you will get two weeks for free as well.

Scottish Dan Grading

The Scottish Dan Grading was held over the weekend of 27th & 28th September at University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton campus.  Andrew Graham, Dilexsan Francis Aloysious, Finlay Benton and Lee Klos sat and passed their 1st Poom grading in front of panel of masters and Grandmaster Park Soo Nam, WTF vice-president .  The following day Kevin Smith sat and passed his 2nd Dan. 

Congratulations boys!

 
Very proud of the new black belts!                                Kevin - happy and relieved after a grueling 2 Dan test.

British International Open

The BTCB will be hosting the 1st British International Open in Manchester.  This event is open to club and national teams from all over the world and promises to be of a very high standard.  Deadline for entries is 10th October.

The National Squash Centre
Rowsley Street City Stadium
Rowsley Street
Eastlands
Manchester
England
M11 3FF

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd November 2008

New Poomse Videos Online

The club will shortly be selling Poomse & Syllabus DVDs which shows how each moves in constructed, slow motion shots and reverse angle views.  All eight Taegeuks are can be viewed online, free of charge.  Please note Window's Media Player is required to view files.

Click here to view Poomse page

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter September 2008

British National Championships

The club will send a nine man team to the British National championships in Manchester on 6th 7 7th September.  The team is as follows Dale Rhodie, Laura Sweeney, Carla Summerhill, Peter Sutherland, Kevin Smith, Rebecca Smyth, Lilly Arenas, Finlay Benton and Thomas Anderson.

A full list of the teams and players taking part can be found the BTCB website.


Korea 2008:  The Team Returns

Report to follow shortly

Club Unveils New Sponsor

Caledonian Taekwondo is proud to announce Worldmark as the club's new tracksuit sponsor.  The award was a great boost to all the members who took part in the exchange programme. 

For more info about our sponsor and to see how far the tracksuit have traveled click here.

Thomas with members of Pungsaeng

John Cullen's Beijing Highlights

John with co-commentator at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Report to follow shortly

Summer Timetable Changes

The majority of the classes are unaffected by the timetable review for this term.  The following changes have taken place:

Tuesday 7-9pm - senior advanced competition training (adult beginners has now been cancelled)  
Thursday 7-9pm - senior advanced competition training

North Woodside closed - see note below

All other classes will continue as normal.

Closure Of North Woodside Leisure Centre Classes

It is with great regret that the club has decided to close the weekly class at North Woodside Leisure Centre.  The club has operated classes from there for the the last ten years.  Unfortunately due to falling roll numbers the class has been operating at a loss for the past year.  Classes at Springburn will continue as normal.

Player Profile:  Laura Sweeney

This month's player profile is Laura Sweeney who currently fights at -55Kg senior female.

Name Laura Sweeney Position Player for Caledonian Taekwondo & Team Scotland Instructor Caledonian Langside Qualifications 1st Dan Kukkiwon, BA (Hons) Started Taekwondo 2001 Began Competing 2001
Competition Career  2005 British Championships - Silver 2006 Scottish Cup - Silver 2006 Chungdokwan Open - Silver 2006 British Championships - Gold 2007 Scottish Cup - Gold 2007 Irish Open - Gold 2007 Scottish Open - Gold 2007 British Championships - Silver 2008 Scottish Cup - Gold  2008 British Nationals - Gold

August Grading Results

Congratulations to the following candidates who sat and passed their kup grading on Saturday, 30th August 2008.  This months star performer was Victoria Ash!

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Niomi Richer, Lois Russell, Nathan Hennebry, Thomas Black, Lanna Strachan, Jordan Harvey, Kerrie Watret & Kyra Bradley
Promoted to Yellow Belt: Daniel Smith, Jack Wales, Andrew Provan, Usaamah Ahmed Ramzan, Matthew Carlin & Lewis Brown
Promoted to Green Tags:  Andrew Harley
Promoted to Green Belt:  Dylan Sabushimike, Mariama Gorman
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Ross Darroch & Michael Ducat
Promoted to Blue Belt:  Victoria Ash (star performer)
Promoted to red Tags:  James Williamson

September Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 20th September 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Results:  Click here for results

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 29th August.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Scottish Dan Grading

The Scottish Dan grading will be held at West of Scotland University, Hamilton Campus (formerly Bell College).  There is a new system in operation for candidates this year.  1st Dan candidates will sit their test on the Saturday and take part in a seminar prior to their grading on the same day.  This format will be repeated for Sunday for 2nd Dan candidates and above.


British International Open

 The National Squash Centre
Rowsley Street City Stadium
Rowsley Street
Eastlands
Manchester
England
M11 3FF

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd November 2008

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter August 2008

John Cullen is the BBC's co-commentator for 2008 Beijing Olympics

Summer Programme

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in the Summer camp week.  Ten kids took part in the programme.  They were; Andrew Harley, Ellis Wright, Stewart McMahon, Sean Browne, Sam Purdon, Matthew Burgoyne, Anna MacKenzie, Michael Ducat & Mark Ducat.  Pictures will follow soon. 

Netherton Centre Open Day

The Netherton Community Centre held its annual open day once again.  The club took part in a demonstration on the centre's stage in front of a packed hall.  The day was a great success in spite of the weather and through as excellent display the kids generated a lot of interest in the club.  Afterwards many of the spectators commended the kids on how professional they were. 

The centre was also opened up to the public had large turn out for the stalls provided by local community groups. 

Thanks to all the kids, helpers and parents who supported the event.  Special thanks go to Ewan, Kevin, Lilly, Rebecca, Ellis, Gemma, Ross, Michael, Stewart, Mark, Declan and Andrew.

Kung Fu Panda Demonstration

The club recently took part in the part in the promotion for the Dreamworks film Kung Fu Panda.  We performed several demonstrations to kids and their parent in the lobby of the new Odeon cinema in Braehead, Renfrew.  The day was a great success with Kung Fu Panda making an appearance himself.  After the film all the kids went to see the film and an gave it the big thumbs up! 

Thanks to Kevin, Lilly, Finlay, Lee, Thomas and Ellis for taking part.

To watch the films trailer and download games go to the official website www.kungfupanda.com

Summer Timetable Changes at the Centre

The Seniors timetable has been slightly altered for the summer months.  The senior's beginner's class Tuesday 8-9pm has been canceled and competition training classes 7-8pm on both Tuesday and Thursday have been canceled.  All of the above sessions will now be opening training sessions available to anyone.   

Closure of North Woodside Classes

It is with great regret that the club has decided to close the weekly class at North Woodside Leisure Centre.  The club has operated classes from there for the the last ten years.  Unfortunately due to falling roll numbers the class has been operating at a loss for the past year.  Classes at Springburn will continue as normal.

Classes at Springburn Leisure Centre Re-Open

Kid's classes at Springburn, Tuesday 5-6pm will re-open on Tuesday 5th August

Grading Results

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in the grading on Saturday 26th July 2008 at the Centre.  The standard was very high as always.  This month's star performer was Stephen Klos who showed great ability and attitude for someone so young. 

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Duncan MacKenzie, Finlay Wright, Lucy-Ella Richer, William Gibson, Usaamah Ramzan & Murray Donaldson
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Caitlin McEneaney & Anna MacKenzie
Promoted to Green Tags:  Stephen Klos
Promoted to Blue Belt:  Muriel Finnigan
Promoted to red Belt:  Greg Ryan

New Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 30th August 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 29th August.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Scottish Dan Grading

The Scottish Dan grading will be held at West of Scotland University, Hamilton Campus (formerly Bell College).  There is a new system in operation for candidates this year.  1st Dan candidates will sit their test on the Saturday and take part in a seminar prior to their grading on the same day.  This format will be repeated for Sunday for 2nd Dan candidates and above.

The deadline for the Dan grading is Monday 25th August.

British National Championships 2008

The UK Champs will be held by Sport Taekwondo UK at

Manchester Velodrome
Stuart St
Manchester
M11 4DQ

Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th September 2008

More details can be found on BTCB website.

British International Open 2008

The British International Open will take place this year in Manchester as part of the sport development programme run by Sport Taekwondo UK.  The event will take place over two days and will held on

The National Squash Centre
Rowsley Street City Stadium
Rowsley Street
Eastlands
Manchester
England
M11 3FF

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd November 2008

More details can be found on the BTCB website. 

 Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter July 2008

Summer Programme

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in the Summer camp week.  Ten kids took part in the programme.  They were; Andrew Harley, Ellis Wright, Stewart McMahon, Sean Browne, Sam Purdon, Matthew Burgoyne, Anna MacKenzie, Michael Ducat & Mark Ducat.  Pictures will follow soon. 

Netherton Centre Open Day

The Netherton Community Centre is held its annual open day once again.  The club took part in a demonstration on the centre's stage in front of a packed hall.  The day was a great success in spite of the weather and through as excellent display the kids generated a lot of interest in the club.  Afterwards many of the spectators commended the kids on how professional they were. 

The centre was also opened up to the public had large turn out for the stalls provided by local community groups. 

Thanks to all the kids, helpers and parents who supported the event.  Special thanks go to Ewan, Kevin, Lilly, Rebecca, Ellis, Gemma, Ross, Michael, Stewart, Mark, Declan and Andrew.

Kung Fu Panda Demonstration

The club will be taking part in the promotion for the Dreamworks film Kung Fu Panda.  We will perform several demonstrations to kids and their parent in the lobby of the new Odeon cinema in Braehead, Renfrew.  To watch the films trailer and download games go to the official website www.kungfupanda.com

Summer Timetable Changes at the Centre

The Seniors timetable has been slightly altered for the summer months.  The senior's beginner's class Tuesday 8-9pm has been canceled and competition training classes 7-8pm on both Tuesday and Thursday have been canceled.  All of the above sessions will now be opening training sessions available to anyone.   

Canceled Classes at the Meadow Centre

Classes at Meadow Centre will be canceled on Saturday 28th June with a double session on 5th July making up for lost sessions.  All other classes will continue as normal.

Canceled Classes at Langside Halls

Classes at Langside Hall are canceled on Saturday 28th June due to an event taking place in the park.  Class will resume as normal on Saturday 5th July.  If you are only attending this class please attend either Gorbals Leisure centre on Thursday, 5-6pm or St Francis Centre, 6-7pm in its place.

Canceled Classes at North Woodside Leisure Centre

Classes at North Woodside Leisure Centre will be canceled on Saturday 5th July due to the club's open day held at the centre.  A double session on Saturday 12th July be make up for the lost session.

Canceled Classes at Springburn Leisure Centre

Kid's classes at Springburn, Tuesday 5-6pm have been canceled from 24th June to, and including, 29th July.  All students are recommended to attend North Woodside Leisure Centre Saturday 1-2pm instead.  Please note there will be some class cancellations and double classes booked to replace missed sessions.

New Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 26th July 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 20th June.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Grading Results

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in the grading on Saturday 21st June 2008 at the Centre.  The standard was very high as always.  Bradley McDowall and Robbie Young demonstrated a fantastic attitude and were full  of confidence.  Great jobs boys!  However, this month's star performer was Thomas Anderson who showed great attitude, technical and tactical ability on the day.  Well done Thomas.

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Abbey Toal & Rachael Joyce
Promted to Yellow Belt:  Robbie Norris & Bradley McDowall
Promoted to Green Belt:  Jay MacKenzie, Stewart McMahon & Jack Gorman
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Jack Mortimer
Promoted to Red Tags:  Taylor Lawrence & Thomas Anderson (star performer)

Korean Exchange Programme - Thanks!!!!

Laura Sweeney, Dale Rhodie, Danielle Cairns and Peter Sutherland headed off to Korea for the beginning of their six week exchange programme.  John Cullen, Thomas Anderson, Rebecca Smythe and Liz Williamson will head off in the middle of July for a shorter three week stay but will no doubt reap the benefits of the programme.  Thanks to all the friends, family, organisations who made a contribution to various bag packs, car washes, fund raising night, stalls, etc that made Korea a possibility. 

Special thanks this month goes to Anne Marie McNaught and Kevin Browne who both did sponsored runs for the club and raised approximately £300 between them.  Many thanks indeed.

British International Open

The British International Open will take place this year in Manchester as part of the sport development programme run by Sport Taekwondo UK.  The event will take place over two days and will held on

Date:  1st & 2nd November
Venue:  Sportcity, Manchester

More details can be found on the BTCB website. 

 Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter June 2008

Central One to One Competition

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in Central Taekwondo's One to One competition.  There were six taking part; Finlay Benton, Kevin Smith, Ellis Wright, Mariama Gorman, Lee Klos and Thomas Anderson.  The event was a small affair but very demanding on all the palyers.  Thanks also goes to the coaches that supported the event; Laura Sweeney, Carla Summerhill, Scott Simeon and Liz Williamson.

Summer Programme 2008

The dates for this year's Summer programme have just been announced.  We will run the programme over two weeks to allow all the kids to get the best out of the camps.

Week 1:  white belts to blue tags (30th June, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th July 2008) 
Week 2:  blue tags and above (7th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th July 2008)
Times:  9.15am - 3.15pm
Cost:  £35 per week or £10 per day

Important Information on Protective Equipment!

The club recently received reviewed guidelines regarding protective equipment.  The following information was sent to all Scottish and UK clubs.

Mouth guards are compulsory in all competition and must be clear or white."

The club will be reviewing its own equipment it sells to make sure it conforms to the new standards.

Netherton Community Centre Open Day

The Netherton Community Centre is holding it's annual open day once again.  The club will be taking an active part as always with a demonstration from some of our younger members.  The event starts at 12pm and is free of charge an open to everyone.  Last year there were community stalls, fun rides, and demonstrations form the local martial arts, sports and dance clubs.  Please come along and support you club.  If you would like any more info or would like to assist on the day contact John Haggerty.

Event:    Netherton Community Centre Open Day
Where:  Netherton Community Centre and playing fields
Cost:     Free of Charge
When:   Saturday 5th July 2008
Time:   12pm onwards

Auditions for Children's BBC comes to Caledonian Taekwondo

A new kids programme to be shown on Children's BBC will be hosting auditions at Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre for kids who are aged 9,10 or 11 on 1st July 2008.  The programme is called Hotrods and will see teams compete against each other using their brain and muscle power.  Those successful at the audition could appear on this new show. 

To take part all those that are interested must complete a form that will be handed out by your instructors.  There is a maximum of 40 people per audition and will be offered on a first come first served basis.

Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre
Cost:     Free of Charge
Forms:  You will need to complete and return your form  on the day
Date:    Thursday 19th June
Time:    5pm - 6.30pm

Korean Exchange Programme

Thanks to all the members, parents, friends and family who have helped to raise funds for the 2008 exchange programme.  The latest fundraising extravaganza was Dale's car wash and food stall which raised over £200.

Girls Police League

The Police League was initiated in 2006 as a way of introducing kids to competitive Taekwondo were taking part truly was the order of the day.  The league got it's name from the support offered to the club by the local Community Police officers through their pro-active involvement and a grant of £1000 towards the running costs of the competitions.

The club has held two events so far this year with the most recent the Girls Only Day!  The event was the first time that we had ran it for the girls and it proved to be the smoothest ran event so far!  There were six girls taking part representing each of the four teams; Anniesland, Northside, the Rocks and Southside.  

There were some excellent matches with Rebecca McGowan being crowned girls champion 2008 with Ellis James Wright coming in a close second.  All the girls showed courage, determination and skills in their matches.        

Black Belt Seminar

The next seminar for candidates preparing to sit the Dan grading exam this year will be held on the weekend on Saturday 14th June and Sunday 15th June 2008.

The seminar will be conducted by Master Ian Lennox and assisted by members of the BTCB technical panel.  All candidates wishing to sit the Dan grading this year must attend to receive a certificate of participation that is required for in the Dan grading application form.

Venue:              Iain Nicholson Recreation Centre
Date & Times:   Saturday 14th June 2008 (red belts & above only), 1-30 - 4.30pm
                        Sunday 15th June 2008 (Yellow belts & above), 12.00 - 3.00pm
Cost:                £10 per person or £25 per family of three 

Dan Grading 2008

The BTCB will be hosting the Scottish Dan grading in Hamilton this year using a new format.  Candidates for 1st Dan or 1st Poom will sit their test on Saturday after a seminar and last minute refresher course held by the examination panel.  The following day will see all 2nd Dan and above candidates.  This new format is designed to improve the pass rate and allow a communicative approach to the gradings. 

Grading Results from 31st May 2008 Coloured Belt Grading

31st May 2008
Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Caitlin McEneaney, Anna MacKenzie, Murray Donaldson & Matthew Burgoyne
Promoted to Green Tags:  Declan Prosser
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Victoria Ash & Rebecca McGowan
Promoted to Green Belt:  Lyle Gillan 

June Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:    Saturday 21st June 2008
Times:  Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:     £20 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 20th June.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Competition Tracksuits

The club will be selling competition team tracksuits to any members of the club that attends events on a regular basis.  Children's sizes will be £45 and and seniors £50. 

   Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter May 2008

 Belgium Open 2008

The club had three players entered to the 2008 Belgium Open as part of the Scottish National Team headed by National Coach John Cullen.  Stephen O'Connor, Dale Rhodie and Laura Sweeney were all fighting in the senior divisions.  Both Stephen and Dale fought in -84Kg and Laura in -55Kg.

Laura was competing abroad for only the second time and performed well but was beaten in her first match.

The -84Kg male senior division is always a tough category and Dale and Stephen had to overcome two experienced international opponents each to walk away with bronze medals.  This was the first time a male Scottish athlete had medaled at Belgium and the club walked away with two on the same day.  This is a massive reflection of the work and effort both Stephen and Dale had put in the past twelve months.  Congratulation to the both of the them and the rest of the team. 

Dale and Stephen are now officially ranked on the European Fighters list click here - to view the full list requires Adobe

Girls Only Police League

The Police League was initiated in 2006 as a way of introducing kids into competitive Taekwondo were taking part truly was the order of the day.  The league got it's name from the support offered to the club by the local Community Police officers through their pro-active involvement and a grant of £1000 towards the running costs of the competitions.

The club has run the very successful Police League over the last few years.  This year our big ambition is to get the girls involved.  That is why we will be hosting a girls only day as well this year.  There will be four events this year - three for the boys and one for the girls. 

Date:     Saturday 31st May 2008
Time:     4.30pm
Cost:     £8 per person
Venue:  Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Due to the numbers imbalance between girls and boys the Girl's League will follow a slightly different format.  Each girl will accrue her own points tally in her weight category.  The girls in 1st place will have their points awarded to their team.  

For a full list of players and teams that have take part, plus photos and more click here.

Spring Break 2008

Congratulations to all the kids that took part in the Spring Camp 2008.  The week was spent performing team building exercises, learning Korean, making a video and of course Taekwondo as well!

Pictured below are the kids with their T-shirts and certificates of participation.

April 2008 Grading Results

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed their recent Kup grading exam.  This month's start performer was Jay MacKenzie

Promoted to  Yellow Tags: Oscar Wiencis, Eryk Wiencis, Ben Fernandez, Rachael Fernandez, Jack Wales, Jack McLean & Antonio Kerr
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Scott Dundas & Stuart Huskisson
Promoted to Green Tags:  Liam Hastie, Dylan Sabushimike, Cara Carrigan, Sam Purdon, Stewart McMahon & Jay MacKenzie (star performer)
Promoted to Green Belt:  John Norris, Lauren White & Ailsa McClymont
Promted to Blue Tags:  Mauriel Finnegan & Shannon Meechan
Promoted to Blue Belt:  Jane Moore & Mark Wallace
Promoted to Red Belt:  Amy Carnegie

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

May Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next grading will be held at the centre on:

Date:      Saturday 31st May 2008
Times:    Adults: 2.30pm & Children 3.00pm
Cost:      £20 per person
Venue:   Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

All form should be completed and returned together with BTCB licence booklet and fee by the 30th May.

For more information on the grading syllabus and to download forms click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Black Belt Seminar

The next seminar for candidates preparing to sit the Dan grading exam this year will be held on the weekend on Saturday 14th June and Sunday 15th June 2008.

The seminar will be conducted by Master Ian Lennox and assisted by members of the BTCB technical panel.  All candidates wishing to sit the Dan grading this year must attend to receive a certificate of participation that is required for in the Dan grading application form.

Venue: 
Iain Nicholson Recreation Centre
Date & Times:
Saturday 14th June 2008 (red belts & above only), 1-30 - 4.30pm
Sunday 15th June 2008 (Yellow belts & above), 12.00 - 3.00pm
Cost:
£10 per person
£25 per family of three

One to One Competition, Falkirk

Central Taekwondo will be hosting a One to One competition in Falkirk.  This is a great event to take part in if you are new to competitions or or just wanting to stay match fit.  If you wish to take part please submit your name, age, weight (in kilogrammes) and fee of £10.  Transport from the centre can be arranged but requires booking one week in advance.

Event:  Central TKD One to One 
Date & Time:  Sunday 8th June 2008, 10am start
Cost:  £10 per person Spring Break Programme

Exchange Programme Fundraising Night

The club recently held a fundraising event at the Redhurst Hotel to raise money for the 2008 exchange programme.  The event raised £2150.00 towards the cost of the programme and is a major step towards Korea.  In addition to this the club was given a grant of £500 towards new tracksuits for all of the players attending Korea.  More details will follow on this.

The event success was down to the support of members, friends, family, students, parents and Glasgow Thai Boxing Academy.  Special thanks go to Liz Williamson, Laura Sweeney and Stephen Barton who spent a huge amount of time preparing for the event.

Holidays

Taekwondo classes have been canceled for the following date:

Monday 26th May

The centre will remain open on these days.

Scottish Squad Training Sessions

The Scottish Squad Training sessions have resumed headed by a coaching panel from three different clubs.  John Cullen is looking for members who have an interest in competition and want to compete at international level.  If you are interested contact John by email or speak to him, during one of his classes.

British International Open

The British International Open will take place this year in Manchester as part of the sport development programme run by Sport Taekwondo UK.  The event will take place over two days and will held on

Date:  1st & 2nd November
Venue:  Sportcity, Manchester

More details can be found on the BTCB website. 

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter April 2008

Spring Break 2008

The club will running it's successful Spring Break programme this year from Monday 14th April to Friday 18th April 2008.  All grades are welcome but children must be aged 8 and above (exemption may be granted for certain reasons).  To book you place now contact your instructor or the club direct by email. 

The week costs £35 per child or £10 per day and runs from 9.15am to 3.15pm, children must provide their own packed lunch.
Spring Break Holiday Programme

Monday 14th April to Friday 18th April 2008

Cost £35 per week or £10 per day

Spaces are limited - book in advance

As well as practicing Taekwondo the kids and playing games the week will finish off with the Junior Olympics where all kids will take part in a serious of event to find our Junior Olympian!

All children that take part will receive a certificate of attendance each day and certificate of completion at the end of the week and a TKD T-shirt!

 Exchange Programme Fundraising Night

The club will be running a fundraising evening at the Redhurst Hotel, Eastwood Mains Road to raise money for the 2008 exchange programme.  There will be a live band and a massive raffle with some excellent prizes.

Caledonian TKD Fundraising Evening

in aid of

The Lee Sung Lee Exchange Programme

Tickets:  £10  book in advance

Saturday 3rd May 8pm at

Redhurst Hotel, 27 Eastwood Mains Road

Tickets are available from Liz Williamson, John Cullen and at the centre reception.

Police League - Saturday 29th March

Congratulations to all of the players, coaches and parents who took part in the Police league held at the centre on Saturday 29th March.  There were some fantastic matches with the star performer of the day Taylor Lawrence who was competing against opponent a head and shoulders taller than him. 

The current league leaders are Northside with 9 points and current boys league league leaders are Sam Purdon of Anniesland and Michael Devine on the Rocks.   

All the participant - for more pic click here.

The club recently took part in a SOS event to foster good relation between local schools in Govan.  The event took place in Bellahouston Sport Centre and was attending by the P7s, Active Schools Co-coordinators and various local coaches from other sports.

Belgium Open 2008

The club will be sending a four strong team to the Belgium Open headed by club coach and Scottish National Coach John Cullen.  Dale Rhodie, Stephen O'Connor and Laura Sweeney will all compete for the club at the two day event in what is sure to be the biggest test yet. 

This event is an A Class tournament and results form it are added to the European League Table.  Best of luck to the team!

April Coloured Belt Grading Date

The next coloured belt grading date has been set for:

Saturday 26th April
3pm
Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Please make sure all forms have been completed and returned with the BTCB licence booklet and fee.

For more info on gradings click here. 
To download the grading form click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

March Grading Results

Congratulations to all the students that sat their coloured belt exam 29th March 2008.  The following candidates were successful:

Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Matthew Carlin, Lewis Brown, Kyle Gillies, Graeme Rainey, Dhruva Thakkar & Daniel Chernick
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Kirill Chernick,
Promoted to Green Tags:  Corey McRobert, Mariama Gorman, Jack Gorman, Lauryn Rankin
Promoted to Green Belt:  Lauren White 
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Kevin Sanders & Asaad Malik
Promoted to Blue Belt:  James Williamson & Dylan Mitchell
Promoted to Red Tags:  Greg Ryan
Promoted to Red Belt:  Goran Sahota (star performer)

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Holidays

Taekwondo classes have been canceled for the following dates:

Monday 5th May
Monday 26th May

The centre will remain open on these days.

 Scottish Squad Training Sessions

The Scottish Squad Training sessions have resumed headed by a coaching panel from three different clubs.  John Cullen is looking for members who have an interest in competition and want to compete at international level.  If you are interested contact John by email or speak to him, during one of his classes.

British International Open

The British International Open will take place this year in Manchester as part of the sport development programme run by Sport Taekwondo UK.  The event will take place over two days and will held on 1st & 2nd November in Sportcity.  More details can be found on the BTCB website. 

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter February 2008

Scottish Cup

Caledonian Taekwondo sent a 17 player team to the Central Taekwondo's Scottish Cup on Sunday 16th March in Grangemouth.  The event was of the highest standard yet and was well attending by clubs from Scotland, England and Ireland. 

After coming in third last year the team was looking forward to the event and came home with an impressive 2nd place overall.  A sure sign of improvement.  As well as coming second there are four new Scottish Cup champions; Dale Rhodie, Laura Sweeney, Aimee Dumbuya and Danielle Cairns - a special congratulations to each of the new champions.

Below is a list of the players that competed and their results.

Dale Rhodie - Gold
Laura Sweeney - Gold
Danielle Cairns - Gold
Aimee Dumbuya - Gold
Stephen O'Connor  - Silver
Liz Williamson - Silver
Greg Ryan - Silver
Daniel Dumbuya - Silver
Jim Watson - Silver
Alan McGrow - Silver
Sarah Rijsdijk - Bronze
Ellis James Wright - Bronze
Chris Scot-Park - Bronze
Aidan Adams - Bronze
Jane Moore - Bronze
Ross Darroch
James Johnstone 

New Coloured Belt March Grading Date

The next coloured belt grading date has been set for:

Saturday 29th March
3pm
Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Please make sure all forms have been completed and returned with the BTCB licence booklet and fee.

For more info on gradings click here. 
To download the grading form click here.

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Grading Results

Congratulations to all the students that sat their coloured belt exam 23rd February 2008.  The following candidates were successful:

Promoted to Blue Tags: Kallum McKerlich-Young
Promoted to Green Belt:  Ross Darroch
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Declan Prosser
Promoted to Yellow Tags:  Daniel Smith & Andrew Provan

For a full list of grading dates and results for 2008 click here.

Dumbarton Sport Show at the Meadow Centre

The club took part in the Meadow Centre's annual sports show on Saturday 1st March.  The club had a stall at the event where potential new (and old) members could come up and enquire about the club and it's events.  The highlight of the day was the excellent demonstration by the kids that attend the Meadow.  They were;

Matthew Devine
Craig Burns
Michael Devine
Sarah Rijkdijk
Rebecca McGowan
Antonio Kerr
Andrew Provan
Daniel Smith

Matthew Devine was also interviewed by Your Radio that were in attendance on the day and represented the club very well.  Well done radio star Matthew!

The day was also attended by instructors Dale Rhodie, Ewan Harrison & John Haggerty.  Thanks also go the parents that took time out to support the event.

Kyurrigi Cup

The club entered a team of seven players for the events and returned with an impressive tally of seven medals.  All of the players prepared well for the event with the preparation on the day a credit to their professionalism.

The results were:

Ellis James Wright - gold
Gemma Anderson - gold
Dale Rhodie - gold
Liz Williamson - silver
Ross Darroch - bronze
Aidan Adams - bronze
Thomas Anderson - bronze

It is difficult to find the best competitor of the the day as there were such strong performances but Ellis & Ross performed extremely well for their fist match and richly deserved their medals.  Well done to both of them.

Look out for this report in the Clydebank Post!

 New Website Features

This month we have included some new features on the website.  We have included a new sections on;

Korean Exchange programme being run by John Cullen
Police League
Competition calendar 2008
Holiday programme section
Afterschool club section
Grading catalogue dates and results for 2008

Holidays

Taekwondo classes have been canceled for the following dates:

Monday 24th March
Monday 5th May
Monday 26th May

The centre will remain open on these days. 

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter - January/February 2008

Korean Exchange Programme

New Coloured Belt February Grading Date

The next coloured belt grading date has been set for:

Saturday 23rd February
3pm
Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Please make sure all forms have been completed and returned with the BTCB licence booklet and fee.

For more info on gradings click here. 
To download the grading form click here.

Grading Results

Congratulations to all the students that sat their coloured belt exam in January.  The following candidates were successful:

Promoted to Blue Belt:  Declan Campbell
Promoted to Blue Tags:  Jane Moore
Promoted to Green Belt:  John Norris & Muriel Finnegan
Promoted to Green Tags:  Billy Latta & Kieren Beaton
Promoted to Yellow Belt:  Dylan Sabushimike, Mariama Gorman, Sam Purdon & Cara Carrigan
Promoted to Yellow Tags: Callum McCaulley, Lewis Conley & Gillies O'Hanlan

Kids Christmas Party Pictures

Kyurrigi Cup

The club entered a team of seven players for the events and returned with an impressive tally of seven medals.  All of the players prepared well for the event with the preparation on the day a credit to their professionalism.

The results were:

Ellis James Wright - gold
Gemma Anderson - gold
Dale Rhodie - gold
Liz Williamson - silver
Ross Darroch - bronze
Aidan Adams - bronze
Thomas Anderson - bronze

It is difficult to find the best competitor of the the day as there were such strong performances but Ellis & Ross performed extremely well for their fist match and richly deserved their medals.  Well done to both of them.

Scottish Cup

The Scottish Cup will be once again hosted by Central TKD in Grangemouth.  Players of all levels and abilities are encouraged to attend the event with team trophies for 1st,2nd and 3rd placed teams.  Last year we came third with a small team of less than ten players!  This year we are hoping for an even better result.

Application form can be obtained from your instructor. 

Scottish Squad Training Sessions

The Scottish Squad Training sessions have resumed headed by a coaching panel from three different clubs.  John Cullen is looking for members who have an interest in competition and want to compete at international level.  If you are interested contact John by email or speak to him, during one of his classes.

Afterschool Programme - Taekwondo Tigers School Programme with Active Schools West Dunbartonshire

The club has recently been promoting TKD to schools in West Dunbartonshire.  Each of the following schools has had a series of taster sessions with some schools opting for afterschool clubs.  Schools that have taken part so far are:

St Michael's PS, Dumbarton
St Martin's PS, Alexandria
St Patrick's PS, Dumbarton
Highdykes PS, Bonhill
Haldane PS, Balloch
Knoxland PS, Dumbarton
Dalreoch PS, Dumbarton
Aitkenbar PS, Dumbarton
Renton PS, Renton 

The course was an introduction to Taekwondo for school aged children run in conjunction with Active School West Dunbartonshire and has been deemed a great success by the pupils and teachers so far.

Schools that have scheduled sessions over the next few weeks are:

Jamestown PS
Braehead PS
Bonhill PS
St Peter's
Gartocharn PS
Christie Park PS
Levendale PS
St Ronan's

If you are interested in your school offering TKD session please contact your instructor.

Nurseries Get Active

The club has been working with Glasgow City Council's Nurseries Get Active Scheme to promote Taekwondo, health & fitness in local nurseries.  The programme lasted for six weeks and included Rowena Nursery School, Pikeman Nursery and Cloverbank Nursery.

Thanks to all the toddlers that took part and the staff for volunteering their times aswell.

British International Open

The British International Open will take place this year in Manchester as part of the sport development programme run by Sport Taekwondo UK.  The event will take place over two days and will held on 1st & 2nd November in Sportcity.  More details can be found on the BTCB website.

Taekwondo TV

The WTF and ETU have created an online TV streaming service for some of the largest events in the Taekwondo calendar.  There are highlights from world qualifiers for the Olympic Games in Manchester and European qualifiers in Turkey.  Both sites can be found by clicking on competition then TKD TV in the navigation column. 

Police League

The Police League will shortly be reformed to provide an exciting sets of competitions for our young and aspiring players.  This year there will be a few new categories added to the events.  Details will follow soon.

2007 Awards

Congratulations and thanks to all the members and parents who helped and took part in the Christmas party, raffles and awards ceremony.

The following members were selected out of the commitment and hard work demonstrated over the pas year.

Under 8s

Best Girl:  Rebecca McGowan
Best Boy:  Russell McGill
Most Improved: Jay McKenzie

Under 13s

Best Girl:  Ellis James Wright
Best Boy:  Thomas Anderson
Most Improved:  Liam Hastie

Juniors

Best Male:  Ewan Harrison
Best Female:  Rebecca Smythe
Most Improved:  Peter Sutherland

Seniors

Best Male:  Stephen O'Connor
Best Female:  Laura Sweeney
Athlete of the Year:  Laura Sweeney

Coaches

Coach of the Year:  Steven Barton

Holidays

Taekwondo classes have been canceled for the following dates:

Monday 24th March
Monday 5th May
Monday 26th May

The centre will remain open on these days.

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter - December 2007

Caledonian Taekwondo Wins Scottish Open - December 2007

Congratulations to all the players that represented the club at the recent Scottish Open win.  With so many great performances it would be impossible to single out any single person so here is a list of all the players and their results.   

Special thanks to John Cullen and Ewan Harrison for their expert coaching and Team Doctor Des Lee.

Kids Christmas Party

We be holding the kids Christmas party on Friday 21st December at the centre.  This year we will be splitting the kids into two groups under 8s and under 13s.  We hired a giant assault course bouncy castle and of course their will be the usual Christmas and Taekwondo game.  An event not to be missed.  We will be doing a sponsored bounce-a-thon to raise money for team tracksuits - we hope that all kids that attend will be able to raise a minimum of £5!  The party will be followed by the presentation and raffle.

Date:  Friday 21st December
Time:  Under 8s 4 - 5.45pm
          Under 13s 6 - 8pm
Cost:  Please raise a minimum of £5 sponsorship from your friends and family

Let's get bouncing!!!

Presentation Night

The club will host our first annual awards ceremony to all those students, players, coaches and staff that have made an impact this year in terms of results but more importantly attitude.  The event will start at 8pm after the kids party (see above) all members and parents are welcome.  Look forward to seeing you there.

Win the Christmas Hamper

The club is running a Win the Christmas Hamper Competition with tickets being drawn at the presentation evening.  Thanks to the generosity of the members we will be drawing a few lots so even more chance to win.  All proceeds from the evening will go towards club tracksuits.

Coloured Belt Grading Results - December 2007

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed their Coloured belt grading on 24th November 2007. 

This month's Star Performer was Thomas Anderson - well done!!!

 Promoted to 2nd Kup - Red Belt
Toni Elrick

Promoted to 4th Kup - Blue Belt
Thomas Anderson

Promoted to 6th Kup - Green Belt
Gemma Anderson, Shannon Meechan, Saif Eldian Salem, Nadine Salem & Ellis James Wright

Promoted to 7th Kup - Green tags
Ross Darroch

Promoted to 8th Kup - Yellow Belt
Sean Browne, Jay McKenzie, Corey McRobert & Owen Crosbie 

Promted tp 9th Kup - Yellow Tags
Kirsty Toland, Cara Carrigan, Shannon Wilson, Mariama Gorman, Scott Dundas, Robbie Tighe, & Andrew Harley

 Couple's Gym Membership

The club has created a new couple gym membership for £40 per month.  That means you and your loved one can attend the gym more often for less. This represents a saving of up to £18 per month - another great reason to join today! 

Please note TKD is not included in this price however all fitness classes are. 

New Online Payment System

The club has introduced a new online payment system where you can pay your fees direct and take the hassle out of cash payments.  We are evening giving away two week free membership to the club if you sign up to - another great reasons to join today!  Click here to take advantage of it today.

Be a Christmas Star

Tis the season to be jolly thats why we are giving away the rest of 2007 for free.  Why wait until 2008 to start that new fitness programme when you can start it today?  Join today and you can take advantage of all the club benefits for free - it's as simple as that.  What better way to look good and feel great for those Christmas get togethers.

Christmas Opening Hours

The club will be reducing the number of hours we are open during the Christmas period.

Sunday 23rd December 10am - 4pm
Monday 24th December 12pm - 5pm
Tuesday 25th Decemeber Closed
Wednesday 26th December Closed
Thursday 27th December 12pm - 5pm
Friday 28th Decemeber 12 - 5pm
Saturday 29th December 12 - 5pm
Sunday 30th December 12 - 5pm
Monday 31st December 12 - 5pm
Tuesday 1st January 2008 Closed
Wednesday 2nd January 2008 Closed
Thursday 3rd January 9am - 10pm

The last TKD class will be Saturday 22nd December and the first class of the new year will be Thursday 3rd January.

Extended Opening Hours for 2008

The club will be open from 9am (Mon - Sat) and 10am (Sun) from the 3rd January 2008.  We hope this will give all our members greater flexibility when it comes to achieving their goals.  These extended hours come at no extra charge.

DVDs Coming  Soon

The club will soon be releasing DVDs to help our members further the study and knowledge of TKD at home or at work.  DVDs of the following will soon available:

Patterns
Self Defence
One Step Sparring
Competition Training
Syllabus Practice
Fitness Instruction

DVDs will be £10 per video or £15 to non club members

New Online Video Resource

The club will be launching a new online video library in 2008 that is only available to club members.  This will include online lessons, syllabus, top tips, fitness instruction and much more.  Keep visiting the site to find out what happening.

New Hoodies

We will be placing a new hoodie order in January so if you want to get the most fashionable item you can by this season place your order now!

British Championships

The club has just returned from the British Championships held at Manchester Tennis Centre in the grounds of the former Commonwealth Games.

The club had entered a team of six player to the two day event.  Saturday 15th December was the novice event with Danielle Cairns and Thomas Anderson competing. 

Danielle in action.

Thomas was first up on the day and was straight into the final against another Scot.  The match was tight affair throughout and unfortunately Thomas was deducted two points that proved costly at the end losing 4-3.  Coach John Cullen commented that although Thomas did not win the match his attitude and ability were excellent throughout the day and during the match.  This performance and those over the past twelve months will make Thomas one to watch for the future.  Better luck next time.

Danielle was also coached by John Cullen and produced her best performance of the year fighting in the senior female novice division for the first time.  Danielle had been working hard over the last month to improve her match management and fitness levels in preparation for the step up in divisions.  These efforts paid dividends and she was rewarded with the crown of Senior female -63Kg Novice champion.

The four senior advanced players were all competing on Sunday in some very difficult divisions.  Stephen O'Connor was first up in -84Kg senior male advanced division and fought well but had an problem with his equipment that made competing difficult.   He lost two early points and was chasing the game from that point onwards. 

Dale Rhodie also in the -84Kg category and won his first match 3-1 comfortably.  Dale was composed throughout and showed his experience.  The next match was the quarter final and a much more difficult game as his opponent was an experienced competitor.  The match was closely thought affair but his opponent pulled into the lead and eventually won the game.

Liz Williamson was fighting in -63Kg senior female advanced division.  Liz had bee suffering from flu the week before and was only able to train once prior to the event.  Fatigued Liz lost her to opponent in her first match.  Liz showed great determination to attend the event.

Laura Sweeney was fighting in -55Kg senior female division and had a very close fought match in the semi final.  Each player took the lead at various point with Laura going a point down in the last 5 seconds.  Laura delivered an excellent head shot to go a point up and followed up quickly with a body shot.  The next match was the final and Laura was against a four time British team member.  Laura fought well but her opponents experience showed through. 

The overall result for the club was 1 Gold, 2 Silver & 1 bronze.  Congratulations to all of the team on their performance and to coaches and medical staff for their support.

The team (missing from picture Thomas Anderson & Dr Des)

November 2007 Newsletter 

New Coloured Belt November Grading Date - November 2007

The next coloured belt grading date has been set for:

Saturday 24th November
3pm
Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Coloured Belt Grading Results - November 2007

 Congratulations to the following candidates who passed their Coloured belt grading on 27th October 2007. 

This month's Star Performer was Rebecca McGowan - well done!!!

Promoted to 5th Kup - Blue Tags
Thomas Anderson, Gary Boyle, Alisha Smith, James Williamson & Mark Wallace

Promoted to 6th Kup - Green Belt
Rebecca McGowan

Promoted to 7th Kup - Green Tags
Ailsa McClymont, Gavin McCormick, Sarah Rijsdijk & Lyke Gillan

Promoted to 8th Kup - Yellow Belt
Jack Fulton & Rick Rijsdijk

Promoted to 9th Kup - Yellow Tags
John Young, Owen Crosbie, Jack Gorman, Kirill Cherivigyan & Taylor Thomson 

Ian Nicholson Comp, Chryston, Glasgow - November 2007

Congratulations to the small team that attended the competition on Sunday between they brought home 5 gold and 6 silver medals!!!

Special mention goes to Billy Latta and Gemma Anderson as it was their first competition and both performed extremely well.

Billy’s first fight was a semi final which he comfortably won 7-0, he then progressed to the final where he only narrowly lost to a fighter who was a much higher grade, he came away with a silver medal a fantastic achievement!!!

Gemma also put in an excellent effort for her first fight, coming up against an experienced fighter she used a wide variety of kicks some of which unfortunately did not score, she performed well and came away with silver. Her next match was much more successful and she won without conceding a single point, Gold!

Well done also to Thomas Anderson who came away with three golds!!! 

Gareth Degnan who won two silver only loosing his last match in overtime.

Dylan Mitchell who won silver and gold, he put in a fantastic performance coming back from 6-1 down to lose his second match by only 1 point.

All the team put in an excellent effort and they gained excellent experience from the competition, Well Done!!!!!!!!

Success at Irish Open - November 2007

The club will sent a team of 5 players to the Irish Open, Dublin on 14th October and returned with an impressive tally of 3 bronze medals and 2 gold.

Laura Sweeney -55Kg Senior Female Gold (left)
Ewan Harrison +78Kg Junior Male Gold (right)
Dale Rhodie -84Kg Senior Male Bronze (centre right)
Stephen O'Connor -84Kg Senior Male Bronze (centre left)
Danielle Cairns -63Kg Junior Female Bronze (not pictured)

All players competed expertly well coached by John Cullen. 

Congratulations go to Ewan and Laura who won gold in their divisions.  Ewan had just returned from a back injury that had prevented him from training two weeks in advance and only a late fitness test let him compete. 

Laura was competing in the final against a player who had already been voted player of the day. The match was a tense affair to start with but Laura created an excellent lead by delivering an excellent chop kick to her opponents face.  from then on there was only going to be one winner!

Caledonian Taekwondo Newsletter - October 2007 

New Fitness Classes at the Centre - October 2007

Stephen Barton, our resident strength & conditioning coach, is conducting old school circuit classes at the centre every Tuesday and Thursday evening.  The circuit will work the whole body using free weights, classic cardio (heart & lungs) work and finish off with the ultimate core (abs) workout.

There will also be circuit classes held in the fitness suite using the resistance machines.  This workout is a great way of measuring you overall development using the resistance weight as a measure of your improving fitness but puts less stress on the body.

 If you would like to take part in these classes simply drop in ten minutes before the session is due to start.  The fitness suite circuit class is limited to only six people and is done on a first come first served basis.

Circuit Classes (Cardio & Strength) Tuesday & Thursday 6.00 - 6.45pm

Resistance Class (Strengthen & Tone) Tuesday & Thursday 6.45 - 7.30pm

New Elite Class Training Times - October 2007

The club has re-arranged the Elite Training time on Thursday and introduced a new session on Tuesday. 

Warm Up Training 6.3pm
Technical Training 7.00pm
Gym Work 8.00pm

Training Sessions on Monday, Wednesday & Friday will continue in their normal time slot.

Club Visits Partick Thistle - October 2007

The club visited the home of Partick Thistle FC in August as guests of Show Racism the Red Card and were recently shown in the club programme.  For a full report on the match and pictures from the day click here to visit Thistle's website. 

Show Racism the Red Card is an organisation dedicated to stamping out racism in football and sport.  For more details click here.

New Kids Class Timetable - October 2007

As some of you may have noticed our kids programme has become very popular over the last 6 months!  In addition to adding extra teachings assistants to the 4pm & 5pm classes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday we have decided to add extra classes to fulfill the demand and excitement.  Therefore we have started four new classes at the centre.  Now there will be a 4pm class for under 8s and a 5pm class for all 8-13 years olds Monday through to Friday at no extra cost.

Monday
4-5pm  3-7 years old   waiting list
5-6pm  8-13 years old

Tuesday
4-5pm  3-7 years old   new class
5-6pm  8-13 years old new class

Wednesday
4-5pm  3-7 years old  
5-6pm  8-13 years old

Thursday
4-5pm  3-7 years old   new class
5-6pm  8-13 years old new class

Friday
4-5pm  3-7 years old  
5-6pm  8-13 years old

For a full list of classes click here.

Taekwondo Tigers School Programme with Active Schools Glasgow - October 2007

The club recently completed a four week school programme with St Ninians Primary, Knightswood and St Peter Primary, Partick, Glasgow.  The course was an introduction to Taekwondo for school aged children run in conjunction with Active School Glasgow and was deemed a great success by the pupils and teachers in both schools.

Each child received a certificate on completion of the course that was well deserved after a month of hard work and a lot of fun!

Coloured Belt Grading Date - October 2007

The next coloured belt grading date has been set for:

Saturday 27th October
3pm
Caledonian Taekwondo Health & Fitness Centre

Please make sure all forms have been completed and returned with the BTCB licence booklet and fee.

For more info on gradings click here. 
To download the grading form click here.

Scottish Open Taekwondo Championships - October 2007

The Scottish Open Taekwondo Championships will this year take place in Clydebank, Glasgow.  The event is open to all club members with an interest in competition. 

Please make sure that your BTCB licence is renewed well in advance of the event if it is due to expire.

Scottish Open Taekwondo  Championships
Sunday 18th November
The Playdrome, Clydebank

For more info please see your instructor.

British Taekwondo Championships, Manchester - October 2007

The British Championships will be held this year in Manchester at the new HQ for UK Taekwondo.  The event is open to all club members who have competed regularly over the past few years.  Last year we came back with 3 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal from a team of 5 players!

British Championships
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th December
Tennis Centre, Sportcity, Manchester

For more info visit the Sport Taekwondo UK website:  www.sporttaekwondouk.staffs.org

Coloured Belt Taekwondo Competition - October 2007

Kyorugi Taekwondo will hosting another competition in October for coloured belt grade children.  That means those competitors new to tournaments will have a great chance to compete against players with a similar level of experience.

Kyorug Coloured Belt Taekwondo Championships
Sunday 28th October
Leisuredrome, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow

For more information see your instructor.

 September 2007 - Newsletter

World Olympic Qualifiers Manchester - September 2007

The world qualifiers for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are being held in Manchester on Friday 28th September, Saturday, 29th September & Sunday 30th September. 

There are four competitors from the UK competing; Louise Mair, Sarah Stevenson, Arron Cooke and Tony Grisman.  Louise of Focus Martial Arts in Elgin recently featured on the BBC Scotland programme Class of 2012 is the only Scottish athlete competing.  Good luck to all of the team and especially Louise.

For more info the event there is visit www.manchester2007.info

Ewan Harrison - A Profile - September 2007

This month we are profiling one of our most promising, dedicated and hard working  members of the club Ewan Harrison. 

Ewan started Taekwondo 7 years ago at the Meadow Centre in Dumbarton and has since has went on to compete at countless Scottish and UK events.  After winning the +78Kg junior male category at the 2007 British Champs he went on to win the Scottish Scorpion Open and Scottish Cup. 

He won silver at the Dae Do Open and went on to compete and win the round robin event for a place in the UK team at the European Junior Championships.  He recently completed a week training at the headquarters of UK Taekwondo as a result of his his wins but was unfortunate not to be picked for this team.

In addition to all this Ewan spent six weeks in Korea training with three other members of the club over coming a broken hand that he sustained in only the second week of training. 

When Ewan is not competing or training he assists at the Meadow Centre to the next crop of aspiring youngsters.  Ewan can always be relied on to give 100% when training, competing or teaching.

Coloured Belt Grading Results - September 2007

Congratulations to the following candidates who passed their Coloured belt grading. 

This month's Star Performer was Thomas Anderson - well done!!!

Promoted to 1st Kup - Black Tags

Dilexan Francis Alosious & Lee Klos

Promoted to 3rd Kup - Red Tags

Goran Sahota & Danielle Cairns 

Promoted to 4th Kup - Blue Belt

Salah Salem, Greg Ryan & James Thomson

Promoted to 5th Kup - Blue Tags

Thomas Anderson, Gary Boyle, Alisha Smith, James Williamson & Mark Wallace

Promoted to 6th Kup - Green Belt

Gareth Degnan & Asaad Malik

Promoted to 7th Kup - Green Tags

Gemma Anderson, Saif Salem & Nadine Salem

Promoted to 8th Kup - Yellow Belt

Russell McGill, Ross Darroch & Dean Bird

Promoted to 9th Kup - Yellow Tags

Dylan Sabushimike, James Wilson, Sean Browne, Jay McKenzie, Sam Purdon, Callum Gilmartin, Abdul Dar & Lauren McKinnon  

Black Belt Grading Results - September 2007

Congratulations to Kevin McKeeman & Liz Williamson who both passed their 1st Dan in front of BTCB Technical Committe headed by Grand Master Park Soo Nam - Vice President of the WTF.

Both are worthy holders of the black belt and is testimony to their efforts in and out of the class.  A massive congratulation to them both! 

Kyorugi Taekwondo Open - September 2007

A small team of five players attended this event in Bishopbriggs, Glasgow.  As always the team put in a great effort returning with a haul of Gold and silver medals.

Stephen O'Connor - Gold Male Senior +84Kg
Dale Rhodie - Silver Senior Male - -78Kg
Ewan Harrison -  Gold Junior Male + 78Kg
Kevin Smith - Silver Junior Male + 78Kg
Thomas Anderson - Silver Child Boys -43Kg
Congratulations to everyone in the team (again).

Korean Fight Night at the Centre - September

On Friday 24th August the club hosted the 1st Ee Sung Ee Cup in remembrance of Ee Sung Ee a member of Pung Saeng High School Taekwondo Team. 

A demonstration of the best competitors from Caledonian Taekwondo and pupils & graduates from Pung Saeng High School competed at the event watched a large audience of members, parents, families and friends.  The Korean Team was coached by Hong Chan Ki and was comprised of Joon Hoon, Jon Wha, Jay, Beckham & Yong Goo.  Caledonian Taekwondo coached by John Cullen had in their team; Dale Rhodie, Stephen O'Connor, James Tully,Jonathan Murray, Michael Simeon, Thomas Anderson & Sean Havelin.

The event was regraded as a great success by all competitors and the audience.  The head of the Korean Team Hong Chan Ki presented Sean Havelin with the Ee Sung Ee Cup in recognition of the best performance on the night.  The Cup will stay at the Centre until next year.

Thanks also go to David Findlay, Gill Taggart, Kevin McKeeman for the corner judging and scoring operators.  Bill Darlington and Cara Darlington also provided great support refereeing the matches  and without their help the night could not go ahead.

Alba Adventures Day Out - September 2007

John Johnstone of Alba Adventures kindly donated a day out gorge walking to our Korean friends and lucky club members.  John even arranged transport to and from the site.  Everyone had a great time even though they got a wee bit wet!

For more info on outdoor adventures from highly experienced experts visit their website www.albaadventures.co.uk or call the team on 0141 336 5300.