Two days, eight clubs, two disciplines and one shared love of Taekwondo!

What a fantastic weekend in Wellington for Seminar #24 of the I ❤️ TKD Seminar Series. Athletes from eight clubs around the North Island came together across the Kyorugi and Poomsae mats to learn, challenge themselves and support one another.

Mostly black belts, alongside a few coloured belts, shared the mats for two days of training, encouragement and plenty of laughs.

Learning and putting it into practice

On the Kyorugi mat, Andrea Kilday took athletes through fitness, kicking and sparring drills, electronic scoring, close-range techniques, head shots and more. NZ Referee Director Aaron Dean also spoke with athletes about the latest sparring rules and interpretations, helping them better understand competition requirements.

Day two was about putting that learning into practice. Athletes worked on when and how to use different techniques, adapting to their opponents and understanding what scores and why. There was plenty of thinking, trying something different and stepping outside comfort zones.

On the Poomsae mat, Garry Carpenter put athletes through their paces, working on kicks, stances, precision and the finer technical details that can make a difference to a performance.

The Para community was well represented, including Alex Kelly, gold medallist at the latest Oceania Championships. We also welcomed four athletes who had just returned from the World Poomsae Championships. Their experience helped lift the standard and gave others a chance to learn alongside them.

And, of course, there was plenty of stretching — which was definitely needed!

More than a weekend of training

Friendships were formed, laughs were shared and athletes encouraged one another to give things a go.

This is what I ❤️ TKD is all about: bringing clubs together, putting club colours aside and helping each other improve in the sport we love. Seeing athletes support one another and leave with something new to work on makes all the organising worthwhile.

Thank you to everyone who made it happen

A massive thank you to Andrea Kilday and Garry Carpenter for sharing your knowledge, experience and passion so generously. Your guidance and encouragement helped athletes get so much out of the weekend.

Thank you to Aaron Dean and Nick for your contributions and support, and to our host club, Dynamic Taekwondo, for helping secure the venue and looking after us so well.

To every athlete, coach, parent and supporter who attended — thank you. Some travelled a long way to be there, and I really appreciate the effort you made. Without your support, these seminars simply wouldn’t happen.

You don’t have to be the best in the room to get something out of these weekends. Come willing to learn, give your best effort and support the people around you.

Arrive with a smile, leave with a smile, and in between — give it your all!

Until next time, keep training, keep learning and keep enjoying your Taekwondo. ❤️🥋

I ❤️ TKD — Bringing our Taekwondo community together, one seminar at a time.