The 196th International Instructor Course (IIC) was successfully held at Bedford International Stadium, in the town of Bedford, England, about 70km north of London. IIC196 was held from 4–6 September 2026 and hosted by England Taekwon-Do Association (ETA), an affiliate of the national association ITF England.
The event attracted close to 270 participants from 16 countries: Bulgaria, Denmark, England, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden and Wales. All participants gathered for three days of intensive technical training.
The IIC was officially opened by the ITF Secretary General, GM Łoboda, and led by three esteemed Grand Masters from the Technical and Instruction Committee, GM Hector Marano (chair), GM Ung Kim Lan (member), and GM Jerzy Jedut (member). In addition to the Technical and Instruction Committee, the IIC had to honour to host GM Wim Bos (Italy), GM Orello Ellis (England), GM Tadeusz Łoboda (Poland), GM Thomas Denis (England), GM Alexander Dunbar (Scotland) and GM Kim Anderson (England).
Training Content
Over the course of the weekend, the Technical Committee delivered comprehensive instruction across the full range of ITF Taekwon-Do syllabus requirements, including:
- Comprehensive instructions on all 24 ITF patterns and fundamental techniques.
- Three-step, two-step and one-step sparring.
- Self-defence.
- Sparring drills and physical development.
The contents of the entire weekend allowed participants to gain valuable insight into the history and application of the patterns, deepening their understanding of the art beyond pure technique.
Learning Environment
Training was conducted in a warm, friendly and open atmosphere throughout, with participants encouraged to ask questions and engage directly with the Technical Committee on any aspect of the patterns or wider ITF Taekwon-Do topics. This interactive approach created an excellent learning environment and was greatly appreciated by all in attendance.
The excellent facilities at Bedford International Stadium allowed the Technical Committee to divide participants according to grade across multiple training areas, ensuring instruction could be tailored to the requirements of each grade throughout the weekend.
Gala Dinner
A three-course banquet dinner took place on Saturday night at the Mercure hotel, giving participants and instructors the opportunity to socialise together and reflect on a memorable weekend of training and friendship.
Acknowledgements
The England Taekwon-Do Association would like to extend its sincere thanks to all participants for travelling to Bedford, to the organising committee for their hard work, hospitality and professionalism, to the staff of Bedford International Stadium for providing first-class facilities, to the visiting Grand Masters for their support and especially to the ITF Technical and Instruction Committee for delivering an enjoyable, educational and inspiring International Instructor Course.
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