The 15th ITF International Do Course (IDC) was held online on 6 and 13 April 2025. It consisted of four 3-hour sessions over a 2-day period for a total of 12 hours. It was conducted in Spanish by the Do and Ethics Committee, which included Master Janel Gauthier (Chair) and, in alphabetical order, Grand Master Abelardo Benzaquén (Argentina) and Master Andreu Martínez (Spain).
This IDC was the largest ever. It brought together 246 registered participants from 6 countries, namely (in alphabetical order): Argentina (216), Brazil (1), Chile (7), Costa Rica (3), Spain (15), United States (1), and Uruguay (3). Among them, there were one Grand Master (namely, Grand Master Azucena Zorzón from Argentina; 33 Masters, including 7 with an 8th degree black belt (namely, Master Alejandro R. Belintende, Master Marcelo Eisen, Master Sergio Esponda, Master Eduardo Favaro, Master Jose García, Master Carlos Méndez, and Master Rubén Oscar Remedi, all from Argentina); and 34 Instructors with a 6th degree black belt.
The second day of the IDC was formally opened by the President of the ITF, Grand Master Paul Weiler, who welcomed participants and spoke about General Choi’s legacy regarding the moral culture of Taekwon-Do.
Participants in the 15th IDC also included two ITF Standing Committee Chairs (Master Gastón Casero, Harmony Committee; and Master Gustavo Livon, Merger Committee), and three ITF Standing Committee Members (Sbn. Eduardo Quinteros, Harmony Committee; Sbn. Iván Rastalsky, Development and Communications Committee; and Sbn. Gerardo Rossel, Prof. Dr., Business and Marketing Committee). Master Casero was an invited special guest of the IDC and, on Day 2 of the IDC, shared with participants how he integrates the teaching of DO in the teaching of Taekwon-Do.
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; and (9) the integration of the teaching of Do into the teaching of Taekwon-Do (general guidelines 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 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 course.
Since the 1st of April 2025, ITF members who wish to apply for promotion to 4th degree black belt and above are required to attend at least one IDC to be eligible for testing.
The next IDC will be held online on 2 and 16 November 2025 and will be conducted in English. The information about the upcoming IDC is posted on the ITF website at 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
Insights into the ITF National Associations Committee
