2008 Traditional Tang Soo Do Federation Tournament

On May 10, 2008, the largest event in the brief history of the UTC took place, as Master John Trudgill hosted dignitaries from two continents and over 600 competitors at the annual Tradition Tang Soo Do Federation Tournament in Cardiff, Wales. As Master Trudgill said, never before had an event in Wales featured three Grandmasters (Grandmaster Richard Byrne of Massachusetts, Grandmaster Benedetto Stumpf of Germany and Grandmaster Dominic Giaccobbe of New Jersey), as well as one of the highest ranking women in Tang Soo Do in the World, Master Penny Mitchell.

The Tournament

The tournament featured Tang Soo Do practicioners of every level from all over the United Kingdom. Many competitors also arrived from schools in Germany, Holland and the United States.

The competitors and spectators filled the National Indoor Athletic Centre at The University of Wales in Cardiff. The morning session featured competition among all of the black belts, except for the younger kids. This freed the black belts to officiate the Gup competition in the afternoon. The competition was spirited, but not mean-spirited - it was a tremendous event, as all who attended will surely attest. From the smallest to the tallest, from young to old, there was something for everyone, and an event that was a treat for all participants and spectators. A hearty Diolch Yn Fawr (Thank You) to Master Trudgill and every member of his organization, as they put on a wonderful tournament, an event that was a joy to see and a privilege to be a part of.

Promotions

The day featured two notable promotions. The first of these took place when Grandmaster Richard Byrne, President and founder of the ATA and the UTC, promoted Master John Trudgill to sixth Dan. Master Trudgill has been active in Tang Soo Do for over 25 years, and has established an outstanding organization in Wales.

The second was when Grandmaster Benedetto Stumpf and the German Tang Soo Do Foundation promoted Grandmaster Richard Byrne to ninth Dan. It goes without saying that this is a very great honor and there are very few ninth Dans. Congratulations go to Grandmaster Byrne for this well-deserved promotion. Those who have been privileged to watch and work with him over the years know he is an inspiration, a great teacher as well as a superior martial artist, and that this is a honor which he clearly deserves. And, at the same time, Grandmaster Stumpf welcomed Grandmaster Byrne into the Black Belt Dan College of the World Nibuiki Budo Federation.

The Tang Soo Do Weekend

As good as the tournament was, it was neither the beginning nor the end of the weekend for many of the Tang Soo Do students. The busy period began on Friday with a Masters test in Treorchy, followed by a Dan test Friday night in Pencoed. On Sunday morning, it was back to Pencoed again, as hundreds of locals students, and many of the internationals, attended a set of seminars. "Seminars" can cover many things, and be of varying quality - this set featured the very best teachers of Martial Arts in the world. Grandmaster Richard Byrne and Grandmaster Benedetto Stumpf each spent time teaching various self-defense techniques. Master Penny Mitchell taught an introduction to the Korean sword art of Haidong Gumdo. And Master David Rexer taught one-step sparring techniques and their applications.

If you are a Tang Soo Do student, well, it just doesn't get any better than that. For most Tang Soo Do students, the opportunities to train with those Grandmasters and Masters, the best in the world, are few and far between. To work with them all in one morning is a dream seminar. We all know that Tang Soo Do originated in Korea, but for this one weekend, the center of the Tang Soo Do world was Cardiff, Wales.

Please check back occasionally over the next couple of weeks as we get some pictures from the weekend rounded up and posted.