We are confident of the magic of a new challenge, a fresh start and future with many opportunities for growth.
Welcome Sabum Marcel and Sabum Samantha with the club Cheo Go Kwan to our federation itf hq bita
Our federation is a safe haven where everyone can develop. A place where people train together with pleasure and respect.
After years of working together, we are more than happy to welcome you.
All the tools and knowledge are there, let's use them to, in legacy of General Choi, strengthen and promote Taekwon-Do ITF.
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf #friendsinTKD #hwarangcenter #CheoGoKwan
GM Vasilis actually wanted to come to Belgium last May.
However, that was too short a day to plan because of many other events. So the appointment was made for September.During the summercamp in Greece we discussed which part of Taekwondo we wanted to emphasize during this seminar. Although GM Vasilis also likes pads training and sparring, he still starts from the original principle, Taekwondo purely as self-defense.
Nowadays that is a bit forgotten because we are all much more concerned with preparing our students for all kinds of competitions.
It was a wonderful "old school" training day. Contact, without safety's, using techniques from the Tuls as defense (knees, elbows, sweeps...). For the young it may have taken some time getting used to it, but I have seen the older ones really enjoy training in this way.
There were about 60 participants, from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
GM Vasilis was joined this time by two of his students ( for 20 years ) who became Sabum last summer camp.( Dimitris Tzovairis and Nikos Tastioglou)
The exercises were performed by them in such a way that everyone was already very impressed in advance.
Friday and Saturday evening we spent time in Vilvoorde and Brussels, together with Master Thomas Weiss and Lena. And of course they brought a lot of Belgian chocolate back to Greece.
So we have another weekend to remember forever
Thanks to the sponsors
#Glexso
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf #friendsinTKD #hwarangcenter
This European Championship only started for us in November.....During the UKTA London Open in November 2022, we spoke with Grandmaster Michael Prewett and Grandmaster Gary Miller ( that's a long story and not for this report ;-)), and the idea for this European Championship in April 2023 started to come to life for us.
Normally you start having selections a year in advance, slowly increase the training intensity, look for selection tournaments etc etc....
Now after the covid years we are well on our way back to building a "new" competition team, but a European Championship of this level was ( yet ) not on the planning so soon.
But sometimes opportunities come along that you just can't pass up, so in January we really started preparing for this EC.
(behind the scenes a lot of work, certifying participants in the correct database, asking for time off from school/work, looking for sponsors, looking for extra trainings and tournaments, buying the right doboks and safety´s, but in the meantime not forgetting the rest of the 220 students in Hwarang-Center who still had kup-exams scheduled ;-))
We put together a team of people with a lot of potential, some with relatively little competition experience, others with titles but a very long break ( covid, studies, work etc) and ended up with 12 participants representing Team BITA ( delegates from the clubs Hwarang Steenokkerzeel, Do-San Tervuren , Po-Eun Ramillies and Kkamagwi Amsterdam ) youth to veteran.
So the BITA represents Flanders, Wallonia and Amsterdam !!!
The EK itself was ( for us ) as always great. Almost 800 participants, tight organization ( except for some network problems unfortunately ) and mega level ITF Taekwon-Do.
But for our relatively inexperienced team it was overwhelming (most of us have only competed for 1 day ;-)).
But then we come to our performance .......
We still have to work on our tuls ( because of the many federations nowadays there are some differences in judging the execution unfortunately ) but that's no problem, the basic level is good so we will get there.
Hassan Barkellil has already shown that by getting one round further than the rest.
But in sparring they have shown who they are and what they can do !!! After 3 months of preparation !!! Really great.
Nowadays there is a different system where you first have to go through the group phase and then you can go to the semi-finals. Which means that you fight 2 or 3 matches anyway !
Our team almost all won at least 1 game !!!, and many lost games ended up losing on golden-point against the later European champions !!!
We are really so mega proud of all of them, Aya, Mayssoune, Jah-noë, Jashlin, Tsiresy, Céline Leurquin, Hassan Barkellil, Kiara Kiara, Shadeon Donker and Robin.
Commitment, mindset, listening, fighting, and getting everything out of it that they did
And for everyone who fought, our Arwa was able to confirm that once again with a beautiful bronze medal !!! ( 4 games, and lost semi-final against the European champion)
But we had another asset behind us, our only veteran Sabum Milton Hasselnook competed in power-breaking.... 17 competitors in the pool and what does he do.... just a gold medal !!!! Superrrrrr
We want to thank everyone again for a great week, of course our participants, but also the supporters of course who experienced the week with us.
This tastes like more for everyone, next European Championship is already on the planning. So after 1 year of preparation, who knows where we will end up....
BITA Ushuuaaaa
#itftaekwondo #eitf #ecjesolo #EC2023 #taekwondoitf
Thanks to the sponsors
#daedo.com
#flocking
#financial
#topnotch
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf #friendsinTKD #hwarangcenter
Today BITA ITF HQ joined an open training in Rotterdam organized by ITF Union NL ( Sabum Marcel & Sabum Samantha van Cheo go kwan )
3 students of HwaRang Center also took the opportunity ( Noah, Narjisse & Mayssoune ) and we all had a great time.
Great to see so many new and old friends training together.
1 picture says more than 1000 words.
It doesn't matter which organisation , how old, what grade you have !!
ITF Taekwon-do is for everyone together , . Training, working, learning and having a good time together with others from our big Taekwondo family.
A big thanks for organizing Sabums . Next time at the other side of the border , we will have the coffee ready for you
Taekwon
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf #friendsinTKD #hwarangcenter
After a great tournament day at the Rotterdam Taekwon-Do Cup 2022 , we are still reminiscing through the many photos and videos
ITF HQ BITA registered with participants, coaches and referees from the clubs Hwarang-Center, Do-San , Po-Eun and Kkamagwi.
With a total of 52 individual medals and 2 team medals, we then finished 2nd Team 💪
Sabums Luis Arend Sanchez, Samuel Gerard, Milton Hasselnook thanks 🙏
We are really super proud of everyone, trial and error, learning, absorbing, dealing with stress....not easy but oh so important. The foundation has been laid for many.
1 Team, beginners and advanced, encouraging each other , congratulating and catching when needed
Sabum Samantha Sophia and Sabum Marcel Hildering thanks for the organization and hospitality. We found it a very nice day.
On to the next
Taekwon
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf
Here we go again...Let's work work work. Great Job everyone.
An informal BITA ITF HQ meeting was held after the training.
Representatives from 6 ( out of 7 ) clubs present. Season agenda reviewed, initiatives and ideas discussed. Proposals made.
The official annual meeting is scheduled for 8 January.
Thanks for attending and ideas 💪💪.
Taekwon
#itfhqbita #itfhq #BITA #taekwondoitfbelgium #belgiumitf