Mr. Stephen Ryan commenced training in Taekwon-Do in 1993 in Ennis Taekwon-Do School. Mr Ryan's original instructor was Mr. Tim Forde, now VI Degree, and he tested for most of his colour belts under Mr Aidan Walsh, now VI Degree. The Ennis Club was later taken on by Mr. Kevin Kinsella, now V Degree, and Mr Ryan continued to train under Mr. Kinsella's instruction for many years and indeed they train together regularly to this day. Over the years Mr. Ryan has been instructed and taught by many gifted Taekwon-Do practioners including Mr. Stephen Cooley who has coached Mr. Ryan from a young age and plays a major role in Mr. Ryan's competitive success to this day. Also Master Kenneth Wheatley, VII Degree, who Mr. Ryan has  trained under regularly from an early age and who was the examiner for several Taekwon-Do clubs in Clare, including Quin TKD for many years. Special mention must also go to Master Mark Hutton from Scotland and Master Jerzy Jedut from Poland who Mr. Ryan has trained with on several occasions and who has been an inspirational instructor for so many TKD practioners.

Mr. Ryan has completed several International Instructor Training Courses under the ITF technical committee, and IIC's under General Choi Hong Hi, GM Choi Jung Hwa and GM Rhee Ki Ha.

As a competitor Mr. Ryan has held National titles in Pattern, Sparring and Special Technique. He has competed successfully at International level since 1999 and has medalled at ITF European and World Championships and ITF European and World Cups on several occasions in team and individual events. 

Mr. Ryan has held several committee positions within the Irish Taekwon-Do Association  and has been the ITA Secretary General since 2003. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Irish Taekwon-Do Association and and member of the Technical and Instruction Committee / Examiners Panel as well as serving as Umpire Chaiirperson with the responsibility of training ITA umpires and umpiring at ITA tournaments. 

 

Mr. Ryan is the head instructor of Quin Taekwon-Do Club (www.quintkd.ie) in Quin, Co. Clare which he runs along with a team of black belts including assistant instructor Ms. Laura Cullen III Dan.

 

As well as his Taekwon-Do qualifications Mr. Ryan holds a 1st Class Honours Degree in Physical Education & Geography, he works as a secondary school teacher and is a Level 1 NCDP qualified coach through the Irish Sports Council.

2011 ITA Irish Cup 2011 1st Place IV Dan pattern, 2nd place -71kg sparring.

2011 Attended AETF Congress in Bratislava, Slovakia

2011 Represented Ireland at AETF European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, competed in Individual Pattern 4th - 6th Dan, Team Sparring, Team Power, Team Special Technique and Team Pattern. Two of my students, Laura Cullen & Nicole Moriarty took bronze in III Dan Pattern and team sparring and a Gold in Junior Team Pattern respectively.

2011 Represented Ireland at ITF World Championships New Zealand. Silver in Individual Pattern 4th - 6th Dan, Bronze in Team Sparring

2011 Attended ITF Congress in Wellington New Zealand

2011 INTA Open 1st in III - VI Dan Pattern, 1st in -71kg sparring

2011 Attended IIC in Tralee, Ireland, under ITF Technical Committee

2011 Organising Committee member for IIC held in Tralee Ireland, hosted by Irish Taekwon-Do Association

2010 Completed CDPI Tutor Training Course 

2010 Completed policy document "How to host & organise an ITA Dan Testing" for the ITA

2010 Represented Ireland at the ITF European Championships, Skovde, Sweden. Bronze in Team Sparring. Also competed in team pattern, special technique and power.

2010 Elected as ITA Umpire Chairperson & as member of ITA Technical and Instruction Committee

2010 Created "Parents Guide to ITA Tournaments" Document in conjunction with Mr. Adrian Byrne

2009 Captain of Irish Team ITF World Championships, Mar del Plata, Argentina, Bronze team pattern, Bronze team sparring

2009 Attended 16th ITF Congress, Ashtor Hotel, Mar del Plata, Argentina

2009 INTA National Championships, 1st pattern, 3rd sparring

2009 Promoted to V Dan Black belt by ITF technical committee, GM Marano IX, GM Trajtenberg IX, Master Bos VIII

2009 Attended IIC under ITF technical committee in Benidorm, Spain

2009 Completed 1st Aid Course with Irish Red Cross

2009 Member of Irish Team ITF European Championships, Benidorm Spain. Gold in Team Pattern event. Also competed in Team; Sparring, Special Technique, Power and in individual IV Dan Pattern

2009 INTA Open International Championships - Silver -71kg sparring, Bronze IV Dan Pattern

2009 Gold at RITA Leinster Open  - Black Belt Patterns

2008 Qualified as CPR and Defibrillator (AED) Instructor, certified by the HSE and Irish Heart Foundation

2008 Competitor and Coach at 3rd ITF World Cup, Riva del Garda, Italy

2008 ITA Kingdom Open, 3rd/4th Dan Patterns 1st, -71kg sparring 1st

2008 Completed International Instructors Course under ITF Technical Committee - Master Marano, Master Trajtenberg and Master Bos, Dublin Ireland

2008 Completed ITF International Umpire Course under Master Katz VII, Master van de Heuvel VII and Mr. Otteson VI, in Cologne, Germany

2007 Completed Irish Sports Council Code of Ethics and Child Protection Awareness Seminar

2007 ITA Irish Cup, -71kg Sparring 3rd Place, IV Dan Pattern 2nd Place, Team Pattern 1st Place, Team Sparring 3rd Place

2007 Became Examiner to Scoil Mhuire Taekwon-Do Club

2007 TKD Alliance Open, III - IV Dan patterns 1st Place, -70kg Sparring 1st Place

2007 Established St. Joseph's Tulla Taekwon-Do Club as an after school programme

2007 II ITF European Cup, Finland, Team Pattern 1st Place

2007 Certified as ITF International Umpire Class 'A'

2007 9th Italian Open, Terracina, 3rd - 6th Dan Pattern 1st Place, Combined Team Pattern and Sparring Event Event 2nd Place

2007 ITA Dublin Open Championships, Pattern 1st, Sparring 2nd

2007 Completed NCDP Level 1 coaching course, recognised by Irish Sports Council

2007 Viking Cup International, Skovde, Sweden, 3rd place III-VI Dan Patterns

2006 Became member of ITA Examiners Panel & Technical and Instruction Committee as well as Midwest Taekwon-Do regional testing panel

2006 Certified as ITF International Instructor

2006 Completed Child Protection Awareness Seminar through Dept. of Education

2006 Irish Cup International - 1st place III-VI Dan Patterns, 3rd Place -71kg Sparring, 2nd Place Team Pattern

2006 Compiled Technical Syllabus and Training Manual for the ITA in conjunction with Mr. Byrne & ITA Technical Committee

2006 Compiled ITA National Policy for Young People in conjunction with Ms Kinsella, Ms L Cullen and Ms R Cullen

2006 2nd ITF World Cup Benidorm Spain - 2nd Place IV- VI Dan Patterns, 1st Place Team Pattern, 3rd Place Traditional Sparring

2006 2nd ITF World Cup Benidorm Spain - Coach to Female Senior Team - Bronze Team Pattern

2006 Completed Umpire Course & Seminar, Dublin - Master Wim Bos VIII Dan

2006 Trained for 1 week in MKS Lewart Lubartow with Mr. Jerzy Jedut VI Dan

2006 Promoted to IV Dan Black Belt by ITF Technical Committee

2006 Completed International Instructor Training Course (England) under Master Hector Marano VIII Dan, Master Pablo Trajtenberg VIII Dan, Wim Bos VIII Dan, Master Tran Trieu Quan VIII Dan, ITF President

2005 ITC Midwest Open Championships 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

2005 AITA South Eastern Championships - 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

2005 Viking Cup International, Skovde, Sweden - 3rd place III & IV Dan Pattern

2005 Completed International Instructor Training Course under Master Hector Marano VIII Dan, Master Pablo Trajtenberg VIII Dan, Wim Bos VIII Dan, Master Tran Trieu Quan VIII Dan, ITF President in Dublin Ireland

2005 Certified as ITF Umpire Class "B"

2005 1st European Cup, England - 1st place III Dan Pattern and 2nd place Team Pattern

2005 Conferred with B.Sc. in Physical Education with Geography, 1st Class Honours from the University of Limerick

2005 Italian Open, Terracina 2nd place Pattern and 3rd place Team Pattern

2004 AITA National Championships - 1st place Pattern, 1st place Sparring, 1st place Special Technique, 2nd place Power

2004 IUTF Open International - 1st place Pattern

2004 ITF Vs. WTF Team Event Winners

2004 AITA South Eastern Championships – 1st place Pattern, 1st place Sparring, 1st place Special technique and 2nd place Power

2004 Member of the Irish Coaching Panel for Junior ITF World Championships Riccone, Italy, Silver (2), Bronze (1)

2004 Completed International Instructor Training Course under the ITF Technical Committee in Rimini, Italy

2004 Competed in -71kg Sparring and 3rd Dan Patterns at the 1st Taekwon-Do World Cup in Orlando, Florida, USA

2003 Elected AITA Secretary General & Executive Committee Member

2003 Received Community and Sport award for outstanding achievement in Sport

2003 INTA International Open – 3rd place Pattern and 2nd place Sparring

2003 AITA National Championships – 1st place Pattern, 1st place Sparring, 1st Place Power

2003 Promoted to III Dan Black Belt ITF

2003 ITF European Championships, Croatia – 1st place Team Power also competed in -63kg Sparring and III Dan Pattern

2003 Completed Occupational 1st Aid Course with Red Cross

2003 ITF World Championships – 1st place Team Pattern and 1st place Team Power, also competed in -63kg Sparring

2002 AITA National Championships – 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

2002 RITA South Eastern Championships – 1st place Sparring

2002 RITA Open, Galway – 3rd place Sparring

2002 Completed International Instructor Training Course under Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha IX Dan in Dublin, Ireland

2001 European Championships Benidorm, Spain – Member Irish National Team & competed in 1st Dan Patterns, -63kg Sparring

2001 TAI Best of the Best – 3rd place Pattern, 1st place Sparring and 1st place Team Sparring

2001 AITA South Eastern Championships – 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

2001 ITF National Championships – 1st place Sparring

2001 INTA International Open – 2nd place Sparring

2001 Promoted to II Dan Black Belt ITF

2000 Coach for the AITA (2000 – 2005)

2000 East Vs. West AITA Team Event Winners

2000 TKD Ireland Open Championships 2nd place Sparring

2000 Scotland vs Ireland (select) team event

2000 Intervarsity Taekwon-Do Championships – 1st place Sparring

1999 Completed International Instructor Training Course under General Choi Hong Hi and GM Choi Jung Hwa in Dublin, Ireland

1999 Munster Open Taekwon-Do Championships – 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

1999 AITA National Championships – 1st place Sparring, 1st place Pattern

1999 Taekwon-Do Sport Championships, Scotland – 1st place Sparring and 2nd place Team Sparring

1999 IUTF Cork Open – 1st place Sparring

1999 Promoted to I Dan Black Belt ITF

1998 TKD Open Championships 1st place pattern 2nd place sparring

1998 IAMA Open – 1st place Sparring

1998 CTS Championships 1st place Sparring

1998 Cork Open Taekwon-Do Championships - 2nd place Sparring

1997 IAMA Open Championships - 1st place Pattern and 1st place Sparring

1996 Taekwon-Do International Open Championships - 3rd place Sparring

1996 RITA Open Taekwon-Do Championships - 1st place Sparring

1994 AITA National Championships - 1st place Sparring

1993 Commenced training