6th degree International Instructor/Examiner
See steve in Action doing Po Eun Tul
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 six 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 Secretary General of ITF Taekwon-Do (Australia) and Vice-President 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 four 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, Canada in 2007,
Argentina in 2009 and New Zealand in 2011. 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 500 students and trained over 30 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”.
Wayne Fehlberg (left) is a third Degree Assistant Instructor who has competed with distinction in National and International competition and have participated in Seminars on coaching and technique with Senior International Instructors and Master Instructors. He takes part in instructing and the development of Southern ITF Taekwon-Do.
Wayne Fehlberg in action at
his 2nd degree grading