Visiting instructor spreads the fun

WONDERFULLY WEIRD: Members of Te Karaka Taekwon-Do met to learn “weird and wonderful” techniques from visiting senior black belt Brendan Doogan. Gathered are, back (from left): Simon Williams and Rebekha Upston. Second row: Peter Gourlay, Chantelle Smith, Anabelle Brown, Ruby Williams, Oliver Davies, Michael Seymour, Katherine Mather and DJ Baty. Front: Brendan Doogan (guest instructor), Sally Cale, Cooper Moore, Oscar Williams, Thomas Hume-Atkins, Maggie Brown (with photo of taekwon-do founder General Choi Hong Hi), Oliver Brown, Alexander Davies, Krystal Westrupp and club head instructor Kevin Cale. Picture supplied

AUCKLAND-based relief teacher Brendan Doogan came to Gisborne to teach classes not in the everyday school curriculum.

His leisure-time passion is taekwon-do, and he agreed to visit Gisborne to teach students of Te Karaka Taekwon-Do about rarely used techniques.

Doogan calls the course Weird and Wonderful.

“Students were treated to almost three hours of fun and bewilderment . . . everything from headbutts to sweeping takedowns,” club head instructor Kevin Cale said.

To show the effect of what he was teaching, Doogan supervised the smashing of numerous timber boards.

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“No one was keen to receive a long fist punch after a demonstration that could have broken ribs with ease,” Cale said.

It was a “great session” with club members of all ages taking part.

After lunch, the club’s senior-ranked students had two more hours of tuition with the visiting instructor.

Doogan was one of the coaches to the New Zealand team at the International Taekwon-Do Federation World Championships in Ireland last month.

He also competed in team specialty and team power, achieving a silver medal in team specialty.

Cale said the tournament was a success for New Zealand. Of the 52 countries taking part, New Zealand did second-best overall.

Brendan Doogan had talked about the emotions athletes experienced on the international stage, some doing better than expected and others, not so well.

After giving his course, Doogan enjoyed a tour of Gisborne and especially enjoyed the trip up Titirangi/Kaiti Hill.

“It is our hope that after such a successful event we can bring more instructors to Gisborne,” Kevin Cale said.

In the meantime, local taekwon-do enthusiasts looked forward to hosting the regional tournament next year.