Grand Master Oldham

Present Day . . .

We are proud at this time in our history to be founder members of a new and exciting group OPEN ITF TAEKWONDO. This will make certain that our national squads enjoy an abundance of International Championships at European and World level in the future…

This international organisation is unique in its structure allowing autonomy to member groups, and are positively a modern approach to the future of Taekwon-do. Our association has access to international instructor courses, seminars & international degree certification. The association has a vibrant future for all our membership and up and coming black belts.

History . . .

My first instructor was First Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, the father of British Taekwon-Do. I was one of the first twelve civilian Black Belts to be promoted in the UK. The test took place in Coventry England in September 1971.

In 1990 our association heard through the grapevine that Grand Master Park Jung Tae had left the ITF, and was forming a new world body. So I phoned Grand Master Park, and he asked me to join him, and others in Toronto Canada. At that inaugural meeting we became founder members of the newly formed Global Taekwondo Federation. In 1992 Master Andresen (Norway) and myself set up the European arm of the GTF, called the European Global Taekwondo Council (EGTC) it grew very rapidly. We held many seminars, IIC’s, European and World Championships throughout Europe. Also at that time we traveled as assistants to Grand Master Park to many countries throughout the world promoting the GTF.

The GTF organisation was formally founded in October 1990 at a statutory congress meeting in Toronto, Canada. The organisation held its second congress meeting on the 4th of October 1993 in Moscow Russia. Representatives from many nations, and all member states from Russia were present at the meeting. Since that time the organization enjoyed a phenomenal growth throughout the world. In the year 2000 the organization held its 3rd World Championships in Rimini, Italy to celebrate the Millennium, and the coming of the organisations tenth anniversary.

In late 2002 I attended an inaugural meeting in London along with five other group leaders to form the UKITF under the leadership of Grand Master Choi Jung Hwa (son of our Taekwon-Do founder). My belief at this time was to help rebuild one Taekwon-do “I still believe in the unity and strength of one Taekwon-do, with one technique”  In October 2004 I was promoted to 8th degree (GBR-8-1002) at the ITF World Championships in South Korea and to 9th degree in March 2013 – UK.

I am very proud to introduce our Senior Instructors who know and display the true “Tenets of Taekwon-Do”. Please can I ask you to take time to get to know them a little better by reading their profiles below.