11th International Do Course

The 11th ITF International Do Course (IDC) was held online on 11 and 18 February 2024. It consisted of four 3-hour sessions over a 2-day period for a total of 12 hours. It was delivered in Spanish, one of the two official languages of the ITF. No translation into English was provided.

The IDC brought together 43 registered participants from 10 countries, namely (in alphabetical order): Argentina (26), Belgium (1), Chile (1), China (1), El Salvador (2), England (1), Paraguay (6), Peru (3), Puerto Rico (1), and Spain (1). Among them, there was one Grand Master (namely, GM Azucena Zorzon from Argentina); 8 Masters, including 2 with an 8th degree black belt (namely, Master Luis Gato Gato from Puerto Rico and Master Miguel Paccot from Argentina); and 23 Instructors with a 6th degree black belt. Participants also included a member of the ITF Board of Directors (Master Luis Gato Gato), a member of the ITF Technical and Instruction Committee (Master Virginia Dionisi), and 2 ITF Standing Committee Chairs (Sbn Fernando Arrua, Disciplinary; and Sbn. Gastón Casero, Harmony).

The course was conducted by the Do & Ethics Committee, which included Master Janel Gauthier (Chair) and, in alphabetical order, Grand Master Abelardo Benzaquén (Argentina), Master Andreu Martínez, and Master Joliette Trân. Grand Master Benzaquén kindly provided Spanish translation for two presentations: one by Master Trân on Day 1 of the IDC, and one by Master Gauthier on Day 2. Ms. Silvina Colman and Mr. Eric Gómez Vilà from Spain provided logistics assistance.

During the IDC, participants had the opportunity to learn about a broad range of topics and reflect on many of them. Those included, but were not limited to, the following: (1) the moral culture of Taekwon-Do; (2) the origin and meaning of the word “Do”; (3) the tenets of Taekwon-Do (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit); (4) the Student’s Oath; (5) the development of moral reasoning from childhood to adult; (6) the relations between the psychosocial determinants of human behaviour and the relevance of psychological knowledge in the teaching of Do and the building of moral character; (7) ethical decision-making and how to resolve moral dilemmas; (8) motivation and perseverance; (9) the integration of the teaching of Do into the teaching of Taekwon-Do (general guideline and tips).

A wide range of activities were used to grab and hold participants’ attention throughout each day. For example, participants were polled and challenged with quiz questions during presentations. At other times, participants met in small groups in virtual breakout rooms to discuss a particular issue or find ways to address it before returning to the main meeting room to share some of their ideas with the whole group. Still at other times, they were challenged with thinking exercises designed to spark their interest and curiosity. In addition, PowerPoint presentations and demonstrations were used to help participants better understand the information presented during the course. Prior to each day of the IDC, participants were given a link to a web page where they could go to download a PDF copy of the document showing the slides that would be presented during the sessions of that day.

Since the 1st of January 2023, ITF members who wish to apply for promotion to 7th degree black belt and above are required to attend one IDC to be eligible for testing. As of the 1st of April 2025, this requirement will be extended to those who wish to apply for promotion to 4th degree black belt and above.

The next 2024 IDC will be conducted in English only (i.e., without translation into Spanish) on 11 and 25 May 2024 from 10pm to 5am (UTC time), a time of day that ITF members of Oceania (e.g., Australia, New Zealand) and Asia (e.g., China, Thailand, Vietnam) will appreciate. For further information, go to https://itftkd.sport/events/category/international-do-course/

Yours in Taekwon-Do,

Master Janel Gauthier, Prof. Dr.

Chair, I.T.F. Do and Ethics Committee