There is no doubt that these past few years have been difficult for everyone around the world due to
the pandemic, Taiwan was not an exception. Regardless, we continued to work hard to bring better
Taekwon-Do programs to our members on this island. We endured the pandemic with indomitable
spirit, which is what characterizes us as practitioners of this beautiful art. The President of ITF Chinese
Taipei, Mr. Howard Hu, in collaboration with the main instructors of the Dojangs in Taipei and New
Taipei City, dedicated themselves in promoting the ITF (and the art itself) through organizing courses,
seminars (some taught by the members of the ITF Technical Committee), tournaments, and the
participation of online courses/workshops.
Besides that, we closed 2022 with the Master Roberto Webster’s visit (VIII Dan) to Taiwan. We went
through a lot of silent work and sacrifices to successfully bring a Master to Taiwan. It was not the first
time ITF Chinese Taipei received a visit from Masters or Grand Masters.
The visit of Master Roberto Webster was official and endorsed by the ITF, with the objectives of organizing major events (including an International Black Belt Examination and seminars that took place between November 10th and November 13th). Master Roberto Webster is Founder of the “Union Taekwon-Do Nicaragua”, and the former International Representative of the Nicaraguan’s National Association. Having over 35 years of experiences in teaching, examining, umpiring, and practicing Taekwon-Do, Master Webster truly inspired the participants and candidates in Taiwan.
A great tie united Master Webster with ITF Chinese Taipei, since one of his students, Mr. Carlos Machado, is the acting chairman of the association in Taiwan. The exams were held on November 12th and 13th with the participation of 15 candidates (including teens, adults and seniors from different categories). Master Webster examined the candidates with extensive amount of pedagogies and methodologies. He knew how to communicate with many students despite the culture and language barriers with his charisma and sense of humor, while still maintaining his strictness during the exams.
Master Webster stressed that it is essential to carry on the legacy of General Choi by using of Korean terminologies during training. In addition to the passion for the art which unites us, the Korean language must be the universal language among all Taekwon-Do schools around the world. According to Master Webster: “You don’t have to become Korean, but you have to embrace the culture and all the aspects that this martial art offers us”.
Also, we seized the time of Master Webster’s visit to train us in the technical and theoretical part of
various movements from the color belt patterns. It must be admitted that we have a lot of work to do in
Taiwan on the technical part, and that is the work that instructors like Ms. Lin Yu-Shih (Katia) and Ms.
Sze-Wing Chong (Reko) in the main dojangs. Women’s presence in Taekwon-Do is getting stronger on
the island, thanks to ladies like these instructors.
Finally, an Umpire Training was also held on November 11th, with the desire to hold our championship
with children and teenagers for next year. Master Webster focused primarily on the disciplines of
Individual Patterns and Individual Sparring; hand signals, scoring, and criteria to take when refereeing a
match. Participants were also introduced the proper protocols to follow during competitions, such as
greetings and formal clothing to be worn by the competitors, umpires, and coaches.
Much knowledge was gained and refreshed during Master Webster’s visit. That should remind us that
we must maintain constant training in both theoretical and practical aspects of the art. ITF Chinese
Taipei appreciates the unconditional support Master Roberto Webster had brought toward the
development of the association during his visit. His advice was very well received and it ranged from the
administrative aspect to the educational development of the Kids Program, Harmony Program, and
many others here in Taiwan.
Thank You Master Roberto Webster for showing us the patience to practice, the courage to fail, the
spirit to keep trying, and the wisdom to keep the association and the art on the right track. We shall
continue to try our best to train the members wisely and spread the art throughout the region.
ITF Suriname was awarded for its commitment to the country and its people
