Day 1 Examiners Panel and Candidates

The Irish Taekwon-Do Association (ITA) held its winter black belt grading on Dec. 3rd and 4th 2011 in Tralee Co. Kerry. 49 people presented for the testing with 44 successfully promoted over the two days.

On Saturday Dec. 3rd the grading took place for those applying for 2nd Dan and above. 16 people presented for the testing with fifteen of those going for 2nd Dan and one for 5th Dan. The candidates were tested by the ITA examiners panel, which consisted of Master Kenneth Wheatley VII Dan, ITA President and Technical Director, Master Patrick O’Rourke VII Dan, Mr. Pat Barry VI Dan, Mr. Adrian O’Mahoney VI Dan, Mr. Adrian Byrne V Dan with Mr. Ryan V Dan, ITA Secretary General testing theory. Mr. Sinclair Kingston I Dan narrated the grading. The candidates were rigorously tested in all aspects of Taekwon-Do; eleven were successfully promoted to 2nd Dan and one to 5th Dan.

Special mention to Mr. Peter Crosbie who was promoted to 5th Dan, who will be moving to Australia with his family this month, we wish him and his family all the best for the future and with his continued journey in ITF.

Day 2 Examiners Panels and Candidates

On Sunday the 4th of December the test took place for all those applying for 1st Dan. Thirty-three people presented for the testing, with thirty-two successfully promoted. The candidates were divided into 8 groups, which were tested by two separate panels.

The first four groups tested under the panel, which consisted Mr. Pat Barry VI Dan, Mr. Stephen Cooley VI Dan, Mr. Adrian O’Mahoney VI Dan, Mr. Kevin Kinsella V Dan and Mr. Declan McMullen V Dan, with the grading being narrated by Mr. Barry O’Connor I Dan.

The other groups were tested under a panel, which consisted of Master Patrick O’Rourke VII Dan, Mr. Mark Buckley VI Dan, Mr. Ken Leahy V Dan, Ms. Anne Marie Kinsella V Dan and Mr. Donal O’Donoghue V Dan, with Ms. Laura Cullen III Dan narrating. Mr. Stephen Ryan V Dan acted as theory examiner for all candidates and Master Kenneth Wheatley VII Dan supervised the examinations.

The standard of those testing on both days was very high and shows the progress being made by the ITA in terms of standardising the technical level within the association. The weekend also provided an opportunity for the ITA tournament committee members to meet and review their work in 2011 and prepare the tournaments for 2012, including an umpire manual, which will be available from January. Special thanks to all the examiners, narrators, local organisers and Mr. Adrian O’Mahoney’s local team at Kingdom Schools of Taekwon-Do for hosting the event.

Photos of the Gradings:

Day 1 Gallery 1

Day 1 Gallery 2

Day 2 Gallery

Stephen Ryan
Secretary General
Irish Taekwon-Do Association