Mosgiel ITF Taekwon Do

The Mosgiel club opened in 1985 training in the ITF style, with Dave Hastie (I Dan) then Donald Pete (I Dan) as head instructors. In 1987 Chan’s martial arts, the national body that the Mosgiel club was affiliated to, changed styles to Choikwang-Do but the club decided against this change and reverted back to an ITF syllabus. Instruction in Choikwang-Do techniques was not as readily available as ITF techniques at that time.

In late 1990, Mr. Paul McPhail conducted a seminar for the club on ITF techniques. Then in early 1991 the club joined ITFNZ under the instruction of Mr. Grant Evans (I dan). Those not able to adapt to the change in style left the club, however numbers then boomed under Mr Evans disciplined approach to training.

 

Due to other committments Mr. Evans was forced to temporarily pass the running of the club over to Ms. Caroline Seleag, head instructor.

This change was for a short period 1993-4. Ms. Seleag was to shift to Greymouth and start the Greymouth club. Instruction of the Greymouth club was then to be taken by two keen students Ms. Sonya Smith (I Dan) and Ms. Natalie Ewen (I Dan). Later Natalie moved to Otago for study leaving responsibility for instruction with Sonya who continues to do a great job today despite geographical isolation.

Mosgiel was to have a new head instructor who was later expelled from ITFNZ for severe misconduct both in and out of the Do-Jang. This was a difficult time for Mosgiel club and the number of active members dropped.

Mr. Evans resumed as head instructor facing a difficult task of rebuilding the club back to its former population of members and level of expertise. It was shortly after in 1994 that Mr. Jake Pearson (I Dan) started at Otago University studying physical education and Japanese. Mr. Pearson began training with Mr. Evans (II Dan) and together they did a tremendous job building Taekwon-Do at the Mosgiel club and Dunedin area.

Mr Evans due to work committments passed the instruction of the club on to Mr James Buchan (2nd Dan) and Colleen Gorton (1st Dan). A few years around the year 2000 the club was passed to Mark (1st Dan) and Teresa Allen (1st Dan) who continue as instructors to this day.

 Currently the club is instructed by Mrs Allen and assisted by Mr Phil Hayward (1st Dan) with a great number of senior students also assisting. We regularly compete in Regional and National tournaments and strive for at least 7 people in the next regionals.