Photographer in Perth, Western Australia
At the recent First Tae Kwon Do Western Australia grading examination, we had two candidates applying for promotion to the rank of 1st Dan black belt. Both applicants ran through a series of tests, including basic techniques, self-defence techniques, and breaking techniques. A key part of the grading is several rounds of free sparring, or… Continue reading September 2022 action
After a long life and a very long reign in modern human terms, Queen Elizabeth II died yesterday. She was a figurehead not just throughout the British Commonwealth, but across the world. By all accounts, she was a diligent and honourable woman, holding her post with distinction. In recent decades, she had also been the… Continue reading Death of Queen Elizabeth II
First Tae Kwon Do Western Australia’s black belt training session in July 2022 focused on throwing techniques, which involve a simulated attack and then a defensive response including a throw to put the attacked onto the ground. Chief Instructor Dane Meade, 5th Dan, taught black belt members for the better part of two hours on… Continue reading July 2022 action
With the gradual lifting of COVID-19 public health restrictions in Western Australia, First Tae Kwon Do training has continued through the autumn and into winter. While ‘Tae Kwon Do’ is nowadays a very broad term, like ‘Karate’ or ‘Kung Fu,’ most people associate this Korean martial art with kicking techniques—particularly the World Taekwondo system seen… Continue reading May 2022 and June 2022 action
In my recent look at the Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt, I mentioned that I had old and new Warrior Silver black belts in hand. The old Warrior Silvers, dating back to almost 20 years ago, represented remarkable value for money; they cost only slightly more than typical belts, but were of far superior… Continue reading Warrior belts side by side
In many Asian martial art systems, particularly those from the easternmost countries, a belt forms part of the uniform worn during training. Often, the colour of the belt denotes the rank the wearer holds within that system, with rank generally reflecting technical proficiency or expertise. The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, introduced this practice to… Continue reading Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are all being affected in one way or another; martial art training and martial art photography are no different. I have been able to continue shooting over the past several months, but time has been very limited. For today, we start with some pictures of breaking techniques (‘destruction’ in… Continue reading October 2021 to April 2022 action
Easter this year is now two weeks in the past, and at the time I was actually reminded of a Christmas carol: O Holy Night. Part of the second verse, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,” came to mind. It has now been more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and… Continue reading Easter 2022
First Tae Kwon Do Master Vernon Low was in Perth recently to teach and to examine candidates for promotion. There was a solid contingent of FTKD students who had been training for this test, and they presented well throughout the day. Congratulations to all students who were promoted, and there will be many who will… Continue reading September 2021 action
It has been more than a year since I last posted some photographs, and that has been mainly due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. First Tae Kwon Do training has been interrupted due to the public health situation, but we are starting to see something of a return to normality. At the beginning of 2020,… Continue reading January 2020 to August 2021 action