Podcast
Black Belt Interviews
Hosted by Master David Hodson · EN
Welcome to Black Belt Interviews with me Master David Hodson VII.
In this series I interview ITF Taekwon Do Grand Masters and Masters from around the World.
They share with me their history, their experiences and their philosophies for Taekwon Do and Life.
These interviews contain many gems of wisdom from many years of training, also personal experience with the Late Founder of Taekwon Do General Choi Hong Hi
Not to be missed. I do hope you enjoy
Please like and subscribe
Thank you
Taekwon
In this series I interview ITF Taekwon Do Grand Masters and Masters from around the World.
They share with me their history, their experiences and their philosophies for Taekwon Do and Life.
These interviews contain many gems of wisdom from many years of training, also personal experience with the Late Founder of Taekwon Do General Choi Hong Hi
Not to be missed. I do hope you enjoy
Please like and subscribe
Thank you
Taekwon
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Interview with GM Paul Donnelly
Mar 2501:21:54Tap to summarizePaul Donnelly started training in TKD in 1973 at Warwick club under instructor Bob Howe aged 17 , Paul was a natural and it was like watching a mirror image of his instructor Bob Howe when he was kicking & performing patterns, Paul competed regularly at green belt & blue& red winning lots of competitions and when he got to black belt he went straight into the National team, all the way through he was competing in the same divisions as Ron Sergiew, Kenny Walton, & Bob Sergiew so a tough time to make your mark but Paul did.But this feature is not about Paul’s competitive career it’s about a little bit of TKD history which he was part of, because of his superb technical ability Paul was invited by General Choi in 1980 to undertake a 3 week tour of North Korea as part of the ITF world Master demonstration team to introduce ITF Taekwondo to the people of North Korea for the first time. On the 15th of September 1980 Paul and Master Ki Ha Rhee who was chief instructor of the UKTA flew from Heathrow airport to Sweden to meet up with General Choi and the rest of the Masters, Paul was a 3rd dan at this time and was honoured to have been asked to go on the tour, some of the other members of the group were, Park Jung Tae ,Lim Won Sup ,Kim Jung Sun , Master Han , Charles Sereff ,Choi Jung Hwa , Michael McCormack , Kresha Broussa ,Demitrius Cosmoglu, from Sweden the group flew to Moscow where Paul was asked to demonstrate for General Choi and the North Korean embassy officials, after sightseeing in Moscow the next day taking photos in red square, the group flew to Pyong Yang in North Korea where they were greeted by hundreds of schoolchildren and a full blown orchestra. The group gave demonstrations across North Korea in huge stadiums all making national headlines, the biggest one was in Pyong Yang where they were watched by a crowd of 15,000 ,Paul’s role was decided by General Choi he had to perform high jumping reverse turning kick, twist kick , one step sparring with Park Jung Tae team pattern, and free sparring with Master Han and Kresha Brussa .Paul said it was a real eye opener,they were well looked after, taken all over the country to the most prestigious events and historical sights , and diverse events such as a couple of propaganda films as well as an opera and children’s school shows , they were given money to buy things from the embassy to bring home along with a professional photograph album, newspapers and gifts , Paul said the country was beautiful, and we had minders every where we went who were at our beckon and call , Paul said when they left the city’s and went into the countryside to visit mountains and beauty spots he could not help but notice that the people looked malnourished, and whenever they asked awkward questions about there lifestyle the subject was quickly changed, all the children were dressed the same and they walked everywhere crocodile style. Just before Paul left for North Korea he received a phone call from the foreign office pointing out that we didn’t have an embassy out there so if anything went wrong he would be on his own! Paul was also offered a 4th dan grading when he was on the tour but turned it down because he had not done his time and did not want to jump a grade above his peers and training partners.
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70th Anniversary Special with Grand Master Lu
Mar 400:48:54Tap to summarizeTaekwon-Do 70 Years 11th April 1955 - 2025 Anniversary Special Interview with Grand Master Phap Lu
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70th Anniversary Special with Grand Master Sanders
Mar 400:43:44Tap to summarizeTaekwon-Do 70 Years 11th April 1955 - 2025 Anniversary Special Interview with Grand Master Sanders
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70th Anniversary Special with Grand Master McPhail
Mar 400:44:01Tap to summarizeTaekwon-Do 70 Years 11th April 1955 - 2025 Anniversary Special Interview with Grand Master McPhail
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70th Anniversary Special with Grand Master Bos
Mar 400:56:50Tap to summarizeTaekwon-Do 70 Years 11th April 1955 - 2025.Anniversary Special Interveiw with Grand Master Bos
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Interview with Master Stephen Tapilatu
Feb 26, 202500:56:13Tap to summarizeStephen Tapilatu Personal information Nickname The Dragon Nationality Dutch Born March 17, 1972 (age 52) Groningen, Netherlands Sport Country The Netherlands Sport Taekwondo, MMA, kickboxing Rank Teakwondo ITF 7 Dan Club Sportcenter tapilatu / Teakwondo Groningen(TKDG) Team Golden Glory (MMA) Now coaching National team, ITF Netherlands Achievements and titles World finals Canada 1990, Malaysia 1994 Regional finals 1990 Davos, 1992 Koszalin Updated on 8 February 2013 Stephen Tapilatu (born March 17, 1972, in Groningen) is a prominent Dutch martial artist who has achieved success at the highest level primarily in ITF but also in WTF taekwondo. He began taekwondo at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his black belt father, Wijnand Tapilatu. He became ITF World Champion in 1990 and 1994[1] and won two European titles, in 1990 and 1992.[1] In 1991 he won a silver medal at the WTF World Championship in Athens.[2] Tapilatu fought his way to victory in the prestigious King of Taekwondo competition in Tokyo, Japan, in 1995 and 1996.[3] After completing his taekwondo career he took up kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), notably challenging leading figures including Dutch karate champion Ronny Rivano, Brian Lo-An-Joe[4] and the former kickboxing world champion Perry Ubeda. From 1999 to 2008 he was a member of Team Golden Glory,[5] alongside one of the most successful fighters of all time: Semmy Schilt. Stephen Tapilatu is a member of a large and successful taekwondo family headed by his father Master Wijnand Tapilatu, who was a member of the winning Dutch team that took the 1984 World Taekwondo Championship. His sister Bianca and his cousins Django and Patiparu have also won many ITF titles. Bianca Tapilatu is married to Tomaž Barada, three times ITF World Champion and six times ITF European champion. He retired from competitive martial arts in 2008. Since that time he has taught taekwondo with his father at Tapilatu's sport center in his home town of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is also much in demand as a personal trainer, and in 2012 played a key role in the return to form of the footballer Género Zeefuik, who began his career at Ajax and currently plays for FC Groningen.[6][7] Stephen Tapilatu was appointed national coach of ITF Netherlands in November 2012.[8] In July 2022 Tapilatu was promoted to the rank of 7th Dan black belt, joining an elite group of only 2 other ITF taekwondo practitioners currently holding this rank in the Netherlands.[9]
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Interview with Mr Stuart Anslow VI
Dec 29, 202401:23:05Tap to summarizeMr Anslow began his martial arts journey around 1986 (whilst still at high school), dabbling in arts such as Shaolin Kung Fu, Wing Chun and even Ninjitsu. At college he studied both Judo and Fencing, before finally settling on Ch'ang Hon (ITF) Taekwon-do in early 1991 at Wembley Taekwon-Do School, under the instructorship of Master David Bryan (then a 5th degree) and Mr John Pepper, 2nd degree. During his formative years in Taekwon-do, he also got the opportunity to study some Jiu-Jitsu as well as training along side his friend (Dave Arnold), a Shotokan black belt, for many years. He graded to black belt in Taekwon-do in early 1994 under the B.U.T.F. and gained his 2nd degree in 1996. In 1999 he founded Rayners Lane Taekwon-do Academy, which ran in the same location until 2007, when the hall was demolished and we move into the newly built dojang (training hall), just a few hundred years away, continuing to run there ever since. In 2000 he graded to 3rd degree under Master Juan Mahai of the KTA (Korean Taekwondo Association), as well as winning a gold and silver medal at the AIMAA World Championships. In 2002, along with a couple of friends in the USA & Canada he founded IAOMAS (International Alliance of Martial Art Schools), which continues to flourish under the guidence of Mr Colin Wee, to this day. Stuart Anslow - Chief Instructor In 2003 he was inducted into Combat magazines 'Hall of Fame' & in 2004 he graded to 4th degree whilst in the USA, as well as 7 of his students becoming World Champions (2 as double world gold medallists) at the 2nd AIMAA World Championships. In 2005 he started writting his first book (Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul, Vol. 1), which was released in 2006 to critical acclaim to Taekwon-Do students around the world. Also in 2005, he went from part-time instructor, to full-time instructor, establishing Harrow Martial Arts. Having written for and been interviewed in many martial arts magazines over the years, in early 2009 he started his own magazine; Totally Tae Kwon Do magazine, a global Tae Kwon Do magazine loved by all that read it, which he editted and ran free for 40 issues and is still going strong today. In 2010 he graded to 5th degree (along side fellow instructor Mr Vikram Gautam who was grading for 3rd degree) under legendary Taekwon-do pioneering Master, Willie Lim, 8th degree. Also in 2010 he released a further 3 books (The Encylopedia of Taekwon-Do Patterns, Vols. 1, 2 & 3), all of which were received extremely well and became top sellers Also in 2010 Mr Anslow was awarded a citation from Dr. Chungwon Choue, (then) President of the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation), South Korea, recognizing his 'outstanding contribution to the development of Taekwondo'. In 2012 he released the second volume of Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul, which so many had been waiting for. Again, it was very well recieved. In 2013 he released his sixth book, From Creation To Unification, which is adored by many due to its in-depth historical contents regarding Taekwon-Do, in 2015 his first book (Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul, Vol. 1) was released as a Spanish version as well and in 2017 he released his 7th book, 'Ch'ang Hon Taekwon-Do Hosinsul' which was a detailed look at the self-defence aspect of Taekwon-Do (known as Hosinsul). In 2022, as well as his daughter gaining her 1st Degree black belt, he graded for 6th Degree, under Master Hay Harris, 7th Degree (Himself a Master promoted by Grandmaster Willie Lim, 9th Dan) Over the years he has taught numerous seminars (both home and abroad) on the applications of Taekwon-do's patterns (as well as other aspects of the art, such as knife and gun defence) and in 2015 he travelled to South Korea with one of his senior students, where he not only got to experience the fantastic culture of Korea and many historically relevant places, but also taught Taekwon-do in the homeland of the art, over the course of 10 days. And he returned in 2018, with another of his students, Matthew Baxter. Mr Anslow has 4 lovely children and continues to run the Academy. To him, Taekwon-Do is not a hobby or a part-time job, its not even a full-time job; it his his career that he devotes his life to, both developing excellent students, whilst continuing to promote and develop that art he loves.
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Interview with Master Mariusz Steckiewicz VIII Part 1
Nov 10, 202401:12:10Tap to summarizeMaster Mariusz is a 8th degree black belt and professional ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer and sports coach, currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He has been into sports since his early teenage years, following his greatest passion, ITF Taekwon-Do, which he has been studying ever since. He has over 30 years of experience in training and coaching including a successful competitive career that includes 3 gold medals from the ITF Taekwon-Do European Championships (1996, 1997, 1999) and 6 gold medals from the Polish Championships. Most notably, he has coached Finland and Vietnam’s national teams. Under his lead, Finland rose from the far-middle of the list in the general classification to 5th in the World and 2nd in all of Europe. His Finnish and Vietnamese athletes have won 8 Gold medals from World Championships and dozens from the European and Asian Championships.
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Interview with Master John Mcilvaney VII
Jun 26, 202401:01:11Tap to summarizePart 1 of my interview with Master John Mcilvaney from Scotland.👊 Master Mcilvaney is able to tell us of his 44 years in Taekwon - Do. The interview includes many anecdotes and accounts of his early days and experiences with FGM Rhee Ki Ha and other Pioneers of Taekwon-Do.👊 Master Mcilvaney talks about how he and his fellow students embraced the “Martial” side of training as they were lead by highly impressive hard core instructors that walked the walk. 👊 He takes us right up to the present times and what he is most passionate about today. Master Mcilvaney and several other instructors from around the World are contributing massively to the ground breaking work in Additional Sporting Needs and inclusivity within Taekwon-Do, highlighted by a recent demonstration at the European championships, which brought the crowd to their feet with several standing ovations.👊 Master Mcilvaney, has faced and stood up to many threatening physical challenges from his years as regular doorman in Glasgow. However, he is able to tell us about this and more with wit and humour. Altogether it makes for a great podcast.
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Interview with Grand Master Mel Steiner IX
Jan 29, 202402:10:03Tap to summarizeMel Steiner is a Martial Arts instructor and competitor with a 9th Dan in TaeKwon-Do. Among his many accomplishments he is listed on Who’s Who in American Martial Arts, and also included in Marquis’ Who’s Who in the South and Southeast. Grandmaster Steiner is a Certified International Instructor, as well as a Certified International Umpire. In 1989, he was inducted into the International Karate Hall of Fame. In 1994, he was one of only five in the U.S. to be recognized by the International Taekwon Do Federation as “Outstanding Instructor” Grandmaster Steiner began his Martial Arts training in 1969 and began teaching in 1974. He opened Chi Taekwon Do school in 1981. His articles “Condition the Hand the Eastern Way”, “Martial Co-Ops, The New Wave” “China in Search of Roots”, “How to Measure Stances” and others have appeared in the Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine. Accomplishments 1969 – White Belt1974 – B.A. from Florida International University1981 – Opened TKD commercial school.1984 – 1st to demonstrate TKD at the Honan Shaolin Temple in China International TKD Federation-I.T.F.1986 – Promoted to 4th Degree #A-4-1021988 – Certified as ITF International Instructor #4191989 – Promoted to 5th Degree #A-5-371994 – Promoted to 6th Degree #A-6-211999 – Promoted to 7th Degree Master #A-7-142001- Feature cover Taekwon-Do Times Magazine2003 – Promoted to 8th Degree Master ICTF #12007 – Promoted to 9th Degree- GrandmasterI.T.F. school plaque #301Class “B” I.T.F. National Umpire #281Class “A” I.T.F. International Umpire #542Re-established I.T.F. governing body in Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela & NicaraguaHosted the 5th I.T.F. Instructors Course in the U.S., #35, taught by the founder of Taekwon Do – Gen. Choi Hong- Hi, in 1991Hosted the 1st ever I.T.F. Instructors course taught by a non-Asian Grandmaster C.E. Sereff – 9th DanParticipated in thirteen I.T.F. International Instructors Courses and taught twoOne of only five in the US ever to be awarded “Outstanding Instructor Award” by the I.T.F. in 1995Met with Nicaraguan President Chamorro to promote Taekwon-Do in the Army and public schoolsDesigned, published, copyrighted a unique method of measuring stancesInducted into the “International Karate Hall of Fame”First President of Organizacion Chi Taekwon-Do Venezuela and U.S.A.
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