6th degree International Instructor/Examiner with 2nd degree Assistant Instructor Sophie Hurst
Steve Weston, is the Sixth
degree black belt International Instructor/Examiner of Southern ITF Taekwon-Do.
He has been teaching Taekwon-Do for over twenty two years. Apart from his
professional qualifications as a medical scientist and science teacher he has
also completed courses in fitness instruction, coaching and first aid. He is the
current treasurer of the Tasmanian Martial Arts Council and has been involved
with setting up and running a coaching course for Martial Arts instructors in
Tasmania.
He began his martial arts career in 1983 in Rhee
Taekwon-Do (Australia) and achieved the rank of first degree in November 1986.
In 1993 he joined the ITF and performed a recognition grading for first degree.
He has subsequently passed grading’s for 2nd and 3rd
degree and was graded for fourth degree in 1999 and fifth degree in January 2003
by Master Choi Jung Hwa. Since
Joining the ITF he has attended five International courses with General Choi,
one with Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha, four with Master Choi Jung Hwa, one with Master
Nestor Gallaraga and more recently two with the ITF Technical committee and many national
seminars with International Instructors.
Steve has also competed in
National and International competitions and has consistently won medals each
time he has entered. In 1996 he took out the gold medal in the black belt
patterns division of the Australasian Championships. He has also coached many
students that have won significant events in competition including several
Australian, Australasian and Oceanic champions. Two of his students have also
competed in the ITF World Championships and he has acted as the Australian Coach
in Argentina in 1999 and as a referee/umpire in Italy in 2001. In 2000 he was
awarded a medal by the Australian government for his contribution to sport in
Australia.
As senior instructor for Southern ITF Taekwon-Do he has personally enrolled over 450 students and trained over 20 black belts. He runs classes each week night at a dedicated dojang in Lutana, Hobart.
Despite his competition awards
Steve believes that apart from its obvious self defence aspect, the purpose of
Taekwon-Do is to allow students to develop self confidence and attain their
chosen goals. As General Choi points out “Though it is a martial art, it’s
discipline, techniques, and mental training are the mortar for building a strong
sense of justice, humility and resolve. It is this mental conditioning that
separates the true practitioner from the sensationalist content with mastering
only the fighting aspects of the art”.
Lindsey Wherrett is the latest edition to our club having arrived from Scotland and being graded by Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha to fourth degree, she brings a fresh and exciting new dimension to our club. She is rapidly stamping her mark on the Tasmanian martial arts scene by taking out trophies for patterns sparring and breaking in Tassie competitions and has shown her ability to train winners as well with several of her charges taking out medals already.
IVth degree Instructor Lindsey Wherrett (nee Arnott) working with Master Daher recently
Ekaterina Batistatos is another of Steve's black belt assistants. Kathy is third degree black belt and is very proud of her Australian/Greek heritage.She won her divisions in the 1999 Australian Championships in Adelaide and her sparring division in the United ITF Australasians in 2001 in Melbourne, second place in the United ITF Championships in Melbourne in 2002 and first place in her division at the Master Choi cup Downunder in Jan 2003.
Wayne Fehlberg and Sophie Hurst are Second Degree Assistant Instructors who have competed with distinction in National and International competition and have participated in Seminars on coaching and technique with Senior International Instructors and Master Instructors. They all take part in instructing and the development of Southern ITF Taekwon-Do.
Wayne Fehlberg in action and Sophie Hurst shows her kicking style during their second degree grading