The Female Rise within Taekwondo
3 new Black Belts awarded to Shannon Murray, Jessica Hall and Aine Jones.
In 2005 a 7-year-old named Shannon Murray walked into the Ayrfield Taekwondo club looking to join. 5 years later she was awarded her 1st Dan Black Belt in May 2010. Shannon has travelled to the United Kingdom & Sweden to compete in the Kyorugi (Sparring) part of Taekwondo & has won medals at these events. She also has a handsome medal collection from home events such as the Irish Nationals, The Fingal Open & The Meath Open and all this was while she was preparing for her secondary school entrance exams. Shannon is a very busy young girl, she trains 4 evenings a week in Taekwondo and she is a member of the Leinster Kyorugi team. She also enjoys football & trains twice a week for it.
Another recently promoted Black Belt student is 12-year-old Jessica Hall. Jessica also trains in the Ayrfield club on Dublin’s north side. Jessica started 5 years ago & trains 2 nights a week in the club and has additional training as a team member of the Leinster Poomsae squad (Poomsae consists of the various fundamental stances, blocks, punches and kicks logically arranged in a meaningful order in response to attacks from multiple imaginary assailants attacking you from different directions.) Jessica also competes in this area of Taekwondo and has entered many home competitions. In this area of Taekwondo you can enter as an individual or part of a two or three-person team.
In Preparation for their Black Belts both girl would have trained extremely hard & consistently for the last 6-12 months. Attending their club sessions & additional Technical classes.
Áine Jones (39), recently achieved the grade of 3rd Dan Black Belt & has been involved with the Olympic Style Taekwondo for 19 years and has been passing on her knowledge to children and adults of all ages for the past 10 years. Áine works as a full time secretary and runs a Taekwondo Club in Trim and Dunshaughlin three evenings per week.
In January 2009 Áine was appointed Director of Growth and Development with the Irish Taekwondo Union and took on the challenge of encouraging more women to take part in the sport of Taekwondo. She officially launched the Taekwondo Women in Sport Campaign 2009.
The campaign comprises of a 10-week course in WTF Style Taekwondo & is specifically aimed at encouraging women (over 16 years of age) to take up the sport that they previously wouldn’t have tried out. The course includes an introduction to Taekwondo, aerobic exercise, stretching, hand techniques i.e. striking and blocking, kicking, pad work and basic self-defence. Class are held all over Dublin, Meath and Louth.
The first year of the programme is almost over and is set to finish up with a seminar for all the women who took part in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Trim on Sunday 4th July 2010.
For more on the Taekwondo Women in Sport Campaign or for information on joining the I.T.U. please contact Áine on 087 935 6678 or via email on taekwondotrim@eircom.net
In December 2009, Erika Martin achieved the grade of 3rd Dan Black Belt from the Irish Taekwondo Union, from a grading panel that seated the President of the ITU & her own instructor. Four months before this test took place Erika travelled to Bangalore India, to complete a four-day course of intensive training followed by a written & a practical test to become an International Kyorugi referee. In November 2009, Erika was awarded her International Referees Licence and is the first female in the ITU to reach such a qualification.
Flash back to 1995; Erika was in secondary school in Baldoyle, Dublin. She joined the local Taekwondo club, as support to a shy friend. Some months on and the school friend left the club while Erika stayed on. She progressed successfully through the coloured belts & took some time out for state exams & then college exams. She achieved her 1st Dan Black belt in 2002.
In 2005, she travelled to Toronto, Canada and trained with 7th Dan Master Kim for a year before coming home to Dublin. Since she returned to her home club in Baldoyle; she is now the assistant instructor there 2 nights a week; Monday & Thursday. The club ages range from 6+ and have male & female students.
In 2009, Erika was appointed the position of Communications officer of the Irish Taekwondo Union.
Since becoming an International Referee, she has been busy attending various ITU competitions & travelling to International competitions, making her mark on the scene.
At the age of 36, after sitting watching her children doing Taekwondo for several months, and listening to their enthusiasm about the sport Ann Murray decided to step onto the mat herself. As most people her age were doing Taekwondo for many years, she found it hard to keep up with the classes at first but with the encouragement of her Instructors Keith Martin & Damien Cleary she went on to compete in Kyorugi and Poomsae competitions. Ann found she was hooked to the sport & started attending classes all over Dublin, 6 nights a week.
Within 3 years, she was elected to the Executive committee of the Irish Taekwondo Union. PA to the tournament Director and saw how much the Irish Taekwondo community are dedicated to the Sport.
In 2008, after 3 ½ years of constant training, attending seminars, competing, studying, and much help from her fellow club mates. Ann attended her Black belt grading, under Master Park Soo Nam, & achieved her 1st Dan, She promptly went on to Instruct in Lusk Taekwondo Club & she went on to achieve level 3 as an Athletics instructor, Teaching the kids in the local schools. Her children also attend Boxing, GAA and Hurling and excel at their individual sports; Ann sincerely believes it is mostly to do with the skills they have attained from Taekwondo. Ann & her three children train four times a week.