Irish Taekwon-Do groups

yomchi

I moved this from another thread about Taekwon-Do books, as it was off topic.

The condensed ITF encyclopedia is the best book for actual and definitive information on the Taekwon-Do patterns as designed by the founder and performed by the AITA until they merged with another group and no longer exist - more's the pity.

https://ssl118.alentus.com/comdo/CatalogueItem.aspx?IID=16&Desc=Taekwon-Do,%20The%20Condensed%20Encyclopedia&Code=COND-BOOK&Price=99.99&Ship=21.79

Search this site, there are also good DVD's and CD Roms that General Choi made when he was alive.

Tim_Murphy

Jon wrote: »

The condensed ITF encyclopedia is the best book for actual and definitive information on the Taekwon-Do patterns as designed by the founder and performed by the AITA until they merged with another group and no longer exist - more's the pity.

Why more's the pity? I thought it was pretty cool to see a group get back together, doesn't happen that often.


You can (or you used to be able to anyway) get the ITF encyclopedia on CR-Rom as well which was quite good.

yomchi

Tim_Murphy wrote: »

Why more's the pity? I thought it was pretty cool to see a group get back together, doesn't happen that often.


You can (or you used to be able to anyway) get the ITF encyclopedia on CR-Rom as well which was quite good.

There was no group getting back together. The AITA were a stand alone organisation, that became very small due to Aidan Walsh stepping back from being the president.

More's the pity, the AITA were the big boys of Irish Taekwon-Do. Largest and most democratic organisation ever seen in Ireland with a very credible leadership, including Aidan Walsh who was one of the first irish Taekwon-Do black belts.
They had the best Irish team of the early 80's and 90's with lads who were extremely capable.
It was a shame to see them merge with a smaller group, but thats life.

Tim_Murphy

Jon wrote: »

There was no group getting back together. The AITA were a stand alone organisation, that became very small due to Aidan Walsh stepping back from being the president.

Sorry, were you not talking about the AITA merging with the ITA a few years ago? I thought that was mainly bringing the AITA back together again under the new name ITA?
They seems to be a fairly large group that does well in internationals as far as I know.

yomchi

Tim_Murphy wrote: »

Sorry, were you not talking about the AITA merging with the ITA a few years ago? I thought that was mainly bringing the AITA back together again under the new name ITA?
They seems to be a fairly large group that does well in internationals as far as I know.

No Tim, the AITA were a small group left under a guy called Paul McNicholas and the ITA already existed under a guy called Stephen Cooley who left the INTA, he was formerly a member of AIMAA, AIMAA split from the AITA when the AITA dropped Hee Il Cho as their grading examiner.

Tim_Murphy

Jon wrote: »

No Tim, the AITA were a small group left under a guy called Paul McNicholas and the ITA already existed under a guy called Stephen Cooley who left the INTA, he was formerly a member of AIMAA, AIMAA split from the AITA when the AITA dropped Hee Il Cho as their grading examiner.

I'm reasonably sure Stephen Cooley was part of the AITA as some point. There was a team competition years back when we (IUTF) competed against the AITA and I'm 95% Cooley was their team manager/coach that night. Also I know people like Adrian O' Mahoney left the AITA to join the ITA when it was formed.

yomchi

Tim_Murphy wrote: »

I'm reasonably sure Stephen Cooley was part of the AITA as some point. There was a team competition years back when we (IUTF) competed against the AITA and I'm 95% Cooley was their team manager/coach that night. Also I know people like Adrian O' Mahoney left the AITA to join the ITA when it was formed.

That was the ITA back then Tim. Stephen was a member of the AITA years back, as were many other senior coaches these days. You had two options back then, the RITA and the AITA.
Adrian O'Mahony actually left the RITA to join the ITA. Thats what I picked up from him anyway. He was a colour belt in the AITA if i'm not mistaken.

Tim_Murphy

Jon wrote: »

That was the ITA back then Tim. Stephen was a member of the AITA years back, as were many other senior coaches these days. You had two options back then, the RITA and the AITA.
Adrian O'Mahony actually left the RITA to join the ITA. Thats what I picked up from him anyway. He was a colour belt in the AITA if i'm not mistaken.

Nope, that was long before the ITA came into existence. This was back maybe around 2000, maybe even a little before that. Adrian was definately in the AITA not the RITA. He used to train with us in Tralee regularly and wore an AITA uniform. Not that it matters a feck anyway.

yomchi

Tim_Murphy wrote: »

Nope, that was long before the ITA came into existence. This was back maybe around 2000, maybe even a little before that. Adrian was definately in the AITA not the RITA. He used to train with us in Tralee regularly and wore an AITA uniform. Not that it matters a feck anyway.

Yeh you're right, he left the RITA, to the AITA (when it was defunct) an then hit the ITA.
The ITA are around since the late 90's. It was defintely an ITA team because Stephen was complaining that the fight was held in barn - defo the ITA.
ITA people will claim continuity from the AITA, and Aidan Walsh. Aidan Walsh was Irelands main TAekwon-Do character, most respected and widely known.

Lex Luthor

Is this Adrian O'Mahoney the same one who started up the scholl in Ballincollig in the early 80's with his older brother Billy?

I trained there for a few years until we left Ballincollig and they were sound lads. Billy was involved in a serious car accident and kept him out for at least a year.

Just wondering how they are getting on...

P.s. just thought I'd mention that I'm going back to start training next week again after all these years and really looking forward to it

TKD SC

Jon wrote: »

Yeh you're right, he left the RITA, to the AITA (when it was defunct) an then hit the ITA.
The ITA are around since the late 90's. .

My head hurts!! I've been told the history so many times, but I think I'm still confused!! I also used to train with the AITA, then left training for a year or so, came back and I was in the INTA - didn't ask any q's!!

Themadhouse

Thanks Jon, i will have a good look around that site. The book certainly seems to cover everything!
Has Adain Walsh retired completely now?
He was a fantastic mentor and instructor. I gained my colour belts with him grading me.

yomchi

Themadhouse wrote: »

Thanks Jon, i will have a good look around that site. The book certainly seems to cover everything!
Has Adain Walsh retired completely now?
He was a fantastic mentor and instructor. I gained my colour belts with him grading me.

Not at all, he still trains everyday whether it be Yoga or boxing or Taekwon-Do, he's still active as ever. At 60 he's the fittest man I've come across!
There's BS about him either, thats one of the great things about him, you can talk to him like he's a normal joe, and someone caught behind some imaginary grade!

Tim_Murphy

Is this Adrian O'Mahoney the same one who started up the scholl in Ballincollig in the early 80's with his older brother Billy?

I don’t know but I doubt it. The Adrian I was talking about is based in Tralee.

Yeh you're right, he left the RITA, to the AITA (when it was defunct) an then hit the ITA.

I’m not sure what you mean when you say “when it was defunct”, they were definitively an active group at the time, I know Adrian was involved in various committees and I remember some of their guys competing in our competitions a few times. I fought one of their guys in the IUTF Nationals in Neptune in Cork in 2003 (Stephen Ryan I think), the last one I did as it turns out.

The ITA are around since the late 90's. It was defintely an ITA team because Stephen was complaining that the fight was held in barn - defo the ITA.

I think you are mistaken there, I’m nearly 100% it was the AITA. As far as I remember Adrian left when the others left and started the ITA. In the News section on the IUTF site under 2000 news there’s a heading:
IUTF easily beat AITA in Cork. I’d guess this is the event I’m thinking of. It be around the right time anyway because I was still a junior at the time of it I remember.

ITA people will claim continuity from the AITA, and Aidan Walsh. Aidan Walsh was Irelands main TAekwon-Do character, most respected and widely known.

Well the AITA and ITA did merge, I remember reading an article about it on www.taekwondo.ie which was the AITAs website before the merge and is used as the ITAs one now.

yomchi

Ok Tim, you were there!

Interesting turn of events with the ITF internationally at the moment surrounding Rhee Ki Ha. Rumours have it he is interested in joining Choi Jung Hwa's group. If this goes ahead, it means the RITA coming on board also, which would change the terrain of ITF Ireland under Don Dalton on a large scale.
Interesting times!

Tim_Murphy

Jon wrote: »

Ok Tim, you were there!

Damn it I was about to bust out the 'you weren't there man' line. :mad:

Jon wrote: »

Interesting turn of events with the ITF internationally at the moment surrounding Rhee Ki Ha. Rumours have it he is interested in joining Choi Jung Hwa's group. If this goes ahead, it means the RITA coming on board also, which would change the terrain of ITF Ireland under Don Dalton on a large scale.
Interesting times!

That would be a big change alright. Can't imagine Don would be overly thrilled with having to let go of the head honco roll.

yomchi

Indeed, time will tell!

Lex Luthor

So where are the AITA now?

I remember competing in a tournament back in the mid 80's in Dublin and it was run by the AITA, but I was a member of RITA back then.

I googled AITA and got the ITA

yomchi

Lex Luthor wrote: »

So where are the AITA now?

I remember competing in a tournament back in the mid 80's in Dublin and it was run by the AITA, but I was a member of RITA back then.

I googled AITA and got the ITA

They became miniscule and merged with the ITA. The AITA were huge in the 80's and 90's. I won their national championships in 1993, probably the only real national championships as the AITA drew support from all over the country.

TKD SC

Some more q's for you Jon!

Didn't Rhee Ki Ha grade / teach a lot of the first Irish black belts?

Why did the AITA turn so small - was it mainly due to Aidan Walsh stepping down? Or just general politics nonsense getting in the way? What group (if any) did Aidan Walsh go to when he stepped down?

Wasn't RITA around before the AITA split? Ie, it was AITA & RITA as the main two. Then AITA split resulting in INTA, ITA (& what left of AITA)? Where did IUTF come out of?

PS, lucky for you I was only a yellow tag back in '93 or I would have kicked your ass in the nationals

yomchi

TKD SC wrote: »

Some more q's for you Jon!

Didn't Rhee Ki Ha grade / teach a lot of the first Irish black belts?

Why did the AITA turn so small - was it mainly due to Aidan Walsh stepping down? Or just general politics nonsense getting in the way? What group (if any) did Aidan Walsh go to when he stepped down?

Wasn't RITA around before the AITA split? Ie, it was AITA & RITA as the main two. Then AITA split resulting in INTA, ITA (& what left of AITA)? Where did IUTF come out of?

PS, lucky for you I was only a yellow tag back in '93 or I would have kicked your ass in the nationals

Phew, thank god for that!

Yeh the AITA turned really small in the years after Aidan Walsh stood down as president. His closest instructors also moved away from the AITA and joined the WTF for a short period then came back to the ITF.
Aidan Walsh is now the president of Elite Taekwon-Do Academy Ireland - which is run by Terry Donnelly and Tim Forde.

The RITA were the main players up until 1984 when there was a split, originally there were 2 RITA's when the split occured. The majority that agreed to leave Rhee Kee Ha kept the name RITA as they were the larger group. However they then decided to change the name to the AITA.

The INTA, ITA, Taekwon-Do Ireland and GST and the IUTF all came out of the AITA and Aidan Walsh was the instructor and or examiner for all of the main instructors in these associations.

Rhee Kee Ha was the instructor for all the first generation of Irish black belts, Aidan Walsh, Robert Howard, Liam Dandy, Tony Phelan, Brendan Roche and Frank Mathews (RIP) and Paul Kavanagh.

Lex Luthor

I've just dug out my old dobok from the attic and it has an AITA badge on it, so I stand corrected that I wasn't a member of RITA back then.

The trophy I have is from the AITA National Championships in 1987 up in Dublin. I remember it having a big enough crowd.

TKD SC

Jon wrote: »

The RITA were the main players up until 1984 when there was a split,

Rhee Kee Ha was the instructor for all the first generation of Irish black belts, Aidan Walsh, Robert Howard, Liam Dandy, Tony Phelan, Brendan Roche and Frank Mathews (RIP) and Paul Kavanagh.

Thanks for all that. The 3 guys of INTA (Brendan O'Toole, Val Douglas & Gerry Martin) seemed to get their 1st degrees from General Choi and then other grades from Rhee Kee Ha. After '84, subsequent grades were awarded by Hee Il Cho. Makes sense now re the split...

1981 seemed a great year for Irish TKD when some of the above names became overall world champions in Argentina...

Paul Kavanagh was my first tkd instuctor! Out in Loughlinstown. Val Douglas was def his instructor though (as Paul Kavanagh was his first BB student), although he might have actually done the grading under Rhee...

Pity the AITA ever broke up really.

yomchi

TKD SC wrote: »

Thanks for all that. The 3 guys of INTA (Brendan O'Toole, Val Douglas & Gerry Martin) seemed to get their 1st degrees from General Choi and then other grades from Rhee Kee Ha. After '84, subsequent grades were awarded by Hee Il Cho. Makes sense now re the split...

1981 seemed a great year for Irish TKD when some of the above names became overall world champions in Argentina...

Paul Kavanagh was my first tkd instuctor! Out in Loughlinstown. Val Douglas was def his instructor though (as Paul Kavanagh was his first BB student), although he might have actually done the grading under Rhee...

Pity the AITA ever broke up really.

I'm not sure if Paul Kavanagh was a student of Val Douglas, I must check that out.
When they won the over all world championships in Argentina, Aidan Walsh was the team coach!

Roper

Wait a sec...

Didn't RITA change INTA AIMAA?

Ho ho ho I crack myself up.

TKD SC

Jon wrote: »

I'm not sure if Paul Kavanagh was a student of Val Douglas, I must check that out.
When they won the over all world championships in Argentina, Aidan Walsh was the team coach!

Interesting! Was Aidan Walsh the first Irish BB then? Before Howard & Brendan O'Toole etc?

Paul Kavanagh was a very nice guy. He stopped teaching in around '96 I think it was - he got a collapsed lung and had to take it easy. He came back for a while then but I think it happened to him again so he stopped altogether at that stage. He was a great man for feet 6" above the ground and holding them there while he walked around and randomly stepped on people's stomachs!! He was also cracking jokes the whole time so you were in a mixture of pain and trying not to laugh! I hope he's doing well these days anyway..

yomchi

TKD SC wrote: »

Interesting! Was Aidan Walsh the first Irish BB then? Before Howard & Brendan O'Toole etc?

Paul Kavanagh was a very nice guy. He stopped teaching in around '96 I think it was - he got a collapsed lung and had to take it easy. He came back for a while then but I think it happened to him again so he stopped altogether at that stage. He was a great man for feet 6" above the ground and holding them there while he walked around and randomly stepped on people's stomachs!! He was also cracking jokes the whole time so you were in a mixture of pain and trying not to laugh! I hope he's doing well these days anyway..

I didn't know he had a collapsed lung! He graded to 7th there not so long ago.
Aidan was the 4th black belt if I'm not mistaken, Bob Howard was the first. They all graded together afaik but the results were given in that order. I think Brendan O'toole and Val D would have been the next batch as the first batch are now all 8th degrees.

TKD SC

Jon wrote: »

I didn't know he had a collapsed lung! He graded to 7th there not so long ago.

Ok, definetely a different Paul Kavanagh were talking about so!!

The PK (think surname was actually spelt Cavanagh), was a 2nd degree back in '93 and probably in his very early 30's. So he's probably mid 40's now. He definitely is not a 7th degree now as doesn't train anymore! He didn't really train / teach again after the collapsed lung. Val Douglas said he met him a few years back and he was in good form but doesn't practise anymore.

Just to clear that up!

yomchi

I was thinkning that! Paul Kavanagh is still teaching classes in Dunboyne and Ashbourne.
He definitely wasn't a student of V Douglas as I think he came before him.

DJ WIPEOUT

I spent 10 years training in Tae Kwon Do (ITF) with Paul Kavanagh from Loughlinstown. Val Douglas did the gradings for Paul's students. Made me chuckle in remembering those days based on TKD SC's comment "He was a great man for feet 6" above the ground and holding them there while he walked around and randomly stepped on people's stomachs!! He was also cracking jokes the whole time so you were in a mixture of pain and trying not to laugh!" I also hope he is keeping well! Mr. Donal O Donoghue (V Dan) was a student of Paul's at the time.

Shane_7813

Can anyone suggest a Taekwon-do club to join in Dublin city center, I'm thinking about learning martial art and heard Taekwon-do is great.