First Tae Kwon Do Western Australia’s first grading examination for 2019 was a special event, with 10 members being promoted to Junior Black Belt or 1st Dan Black Belt by Master Vernon Low. For details on the newly promoted black belt members, visit FTKD WA’s Facebook site. There were four Junior Black Belt members from the Duncraig Branch undertaking their 1st Dan gradings, and I was on hand to shoot the action.
Out of the few pictures above, the knife-hand strike breaking technique is of particular interest. Normally, there will be a visible gap between the two halves of the broken wooden board (after it has been broken), but in this case, there is almost no gap. From this angle, the only visible sign that the board has been broken is the actual line of breakage in the wood itself. The two black belt members holding the board have done a good job in keeping the board stationary, and the candidate has done a good job striking swiftly and precisely to cut through the board with his hand and forearm—without disturbing the overall positioning of the board.
Once the candidates had passed the test, Master Low personally presented them with their new 1st Dan black belts. In the background, you can see Chief Instructor John O’Brien, who assisted Master Low, and Chief Instructor (WA) Dane Meade. Following the belt presentations, Chief Instructor Meade presented the new 1st Dan members with their FTKD 1st Dan certificates.
As mentioned above, these four candidates were part of the larger group of 10 candidates undertaking their black belt gradings. Below are pictures of one of the new Junior Black Belt members and two of the new 1st Dan members with Master Low, Chief Instructor O’Brien, and Chief Instructor Meade.
The 10 black belt candidates were themselves part of the hundreds of FTKD WA students being graded by Master Low. The grading was not only a test for the students, but also an opportunity for Master Low to teach on some specific techniques, assisted by senior instructors. Below you can see a junior belt member showing good focus in his kicking technique, one of the most senior instructors in WA demonstrating a crescent kick, Master Low executing the same technique as part of his teaching, and two senior belt members in a sparring exercise.
Congratulations to the many FTKD WA students who were promoted, their families for supporting them in their training, and their instructors for their dedication to teaching the martial art of Tae Kwon Do.