ITA President promoted to 7th Dan Master at IIC Spain

At the ITF International Instructor Course in Spain. The president of the Irish Taekwon-Do Association (ITA) was promoted to 7th Dan Master. On behalf of Quin TKD and the Midwest Taekwon-Do Schools, I would like to congratulate Master Wheatley on this very significant promotion. Master Wheatley has been training in Taekwon-Do for 30 years having started in 1979. As well as leading the ITA, Master Wheatley is ITA Technical Director, Chairperson of the Ethics and Discipline Committee, IMAC Executive Committee and President Taekwon-Do Advisory Board

Saturday 26th September 2009 is a day that will live long in the memory for those fortunate enough to be present at the ITF International Instructor Course in Benidorm, Spain and witness the historic moment when three Irish Taekwon-Do Masters were promoted by the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) promotions committee.

 A group of 27 people drawn from the ranks of Irish Taekwon-Do Association (ITA) and Irish National Taekwon-Do Association (INTA) travelled to the three day event held in the Grand Hotel Balli in Benidorm, Spain. On Saturday 26th September at 5.00pm nine candidates from Ireland participated in a truly historic grading examination conducted by the ITF Promotions committee of Grand Master Hector Marano 9th Dan, Grand Master Pablo Trajtenberg 9th Dan and Master Willem Jacob Bos 8th Dan. The first group of Irish candidates were testing for 5th Dan; Mr. Kevin Kinsella, Mr. Adrian Byrne, Mr. Brian Coughlan, Mr. Stephen Ryan and Mr. Jamie Rigney. Next up was Mr. Stephen Cooley testing for 6th Dan along side a candidate from Sweden. From there the candidates testing for 7th Dan Master took the floor. Our president Mr. Kenneth Wheatley lined up along side Mr. Gerry Martin from INTA and Mr. Mark Hutton from Scotland, who is at this stage an honorary Irishman! Finally Master O'Toole, President of INTA took the floor to test for 8th Dan along side Master Christa Wintzer from Germany. All candidates performed extremely well in what were very physical grading examinations.

See Photos

With pleasure we can announce that all candidates from Ireland were successfully promoted, congratulations to one and all.