Test Hall of fame

Place and date of birth: Capital Federal, Argentina, 04/03/1985.

Year the practice started: 1990, when I was 5 years old.

Detail of her sports achievements.

Junior World Cups:

• Korea 2000.
  • Bronze in Sparring.
• Puerto Rico 2002.
  • Gold in Sparring.

Adult World Cups:

• Poland 2003.
  • Gold in Pattern.
• Germany 2005.
  • Gold in Pattern.
• Canada 2007.
  • Gold in Pattern.
• Argentina 2009.
  • Silver in Pattern.
• New Zealand 2011.
  • Gold in Pattern.

Other achievements and recognitions:

• 4 times Pan American champion in Patterns and Sparring (2004-2008-2010-2012).
• In 2008 and 2010 Overall, the Best female competitor.
• 13 uninterrupted years member of the Argentine National Team (2000-2013).
• In 2015 I received the Outstanding Personality Award as a Competitor for the ITF Hall of Fame.

Who was your coach?

Master Edgardo Villanueva.

What was the training routine like?

I prefer not to talk about routines because they were all different. I was always lucky enough to classify in all disciplines (Pattern and individual Sparring) and integrate the team (Pattern, Sparring, Special Techniques and Power Test), so I trained a complete Taekwon-Do.

I remember that for each World Cup I trained 7 hours a day (5 continuous hours with all the modalities of the team), plus another 2 hours at night, for the individual competition.

What was the best moment in a world cup?

Although all the individual podiums have a significant weight, I am left with 2 moments:

The first of them, when winning the gold in the Adult World Cup in Poland 2003, while still young; and the second, when in New Zealand 2011 I won gold in Patterns for the fourth consecutive time (which was a world record in the women’s category).

What was the worst moment in your professional career?

I do not know if it qualifies as the worst moment because a Silver medal is not a small thing, but I would have liked to win the final in Argentina 2009, climb the highest step of the podium in my own country and celebrate the victory with my people.

Nobody is a prophet in their own land.

Who was inspired by? Who was your competing idol?

I did not have an idol, but I remember that when I went to see the World Cup in Argentina in 1999, at the Luna Park stadium (very famous place), it marked me forever. I was fascinated, and I said to myself: “I want to be there, representing my country in a World Cup.” And the following year, when I was 14 years old, I qualified for my first youth world championship in Korea.

Sacrifices What was the biggest effort you had to face to achieve your sports dream?

It is known that all Argentines have to have two jobs to be able to face each trip and the previous selective tournaments, in addition to a “25-hour day” to train to be at the height of a world cup.

After those two jobs and sometimes, also, after studying, teaching and losing 9 kg. to maintain the weight of a category, it happened that each World Championship was more sacrificed than the previous one. The latter, not only due to the depreciation of the Argentine currency, but also due to the academic and labour obligations that add up as one grows.

What are the Taekwon-Do values ​​that most contributed to its development?

Undoubtedly, Perseverance and the Indomitable Spirit.

I think there is no world champion who is a talented born. All who reach the top are made of sacrifice and hard work, of fighting even, against their own physical limitations.

In my opinion, if there is a talented person who arrives, it is a coincidence, and surely, he or she does not value that achievement as much and does not maintain himself or herself over time as the one who had trouble achieving it.

What are your main recommendations for future practitioners?

Phew!!! Today it is difficult to make recommendations to a teenagers. Although they show that they are getting better physically, as I said before, that makes them work less on themselves and on a mental level, even less.

We live in an age where at the touch of a button on a screen, you have what you want. So, we talk to them about effort, sacrifice, commitment and discipline and they quit.

In this way, it is difficult for them to fight for their dreams.

Miscellaneous

To conclude with what I said earlier about how difficult it is for young people today to commit to a discipline or to their own goals, to self-discipline and to work long-term for what they want, I developed the “Meditan-Do – Martial Meditation” aimed not only to Competitors but also to practitioners in general, as a means of helping them to take each practice as a challenge.

Through the exercises that I propose and using Meditation, Visualization and Mental training as a basis, the practitioner will learn to know how he or she works under pressure, how to achieve the pleasure of competing or simply training, as well as how to motivate himself or herself, “activate”, self-discipline, how to control emotions at key moments, how to redirect negative thoughts and how to connect with his or her desires and goals.

“Meditan-Do – Martial Meditation” is, then, the result of so many sacrifices, self-improvement, emotional strength and mental focus to achieve each of those achievements and medals that I mentioned above.

Netherlands

MASTER LAZAROS TSILFIDIS

President of All Russia Taekwon-Do Federation – Outstanding Country – Russia

Place and date of birth: Talar de Pacheco, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 7, 1982.

Year the practice started: I started practicing Taekwon-Do in 1988 because at school I suffered an attack by a classmate, who caused me a face injury.

Detail of her sports achievements:

• Canada 96, Pan American champion youth individual Sparring.
• Russia 97 (Saint Petersburg), World Cup n ° IX.
  • World silver in individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Bronze in Team Patterns.
• India 98 (New Delhi), Youth World Cup.
  • Gold on Special Techniques.
  • Bronze individual Sparring more than 60 kilos.
  • Bronze in individual Pattern I give.
  • Gold in Team Pattern.
  • Gold in Team Special Techniques.
  • Silver in Team Sparring.
• Argentina 99 (Buenos Aires), Adult World No. X.
  • Gold in Team Special Techniques.
  • Silver in Team Sparring.
  • Silver in Team Pattern.
• North Korea 2000 (Pyongyang), World Youth Championship.
  • Gold individual Sparring more than 60 kg.
  • Bronze in individual Pattern I DAN.
  • Bronze on Special Techniques.
  • Silver in Team Sparring.
  • Bronze for Team Special Techniques.
  • Bronze in Team Pattern.
• Italy 2001 (Rimini), World Cup adults no. XI.
  • Bronze in individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Bronze on Special Technique.
  • Bronze in individual Pattern I DAN.
  • Bronze in Team Sparring.
  • Bronze for team Special Techniques.
• Uruguay 2001 (Punta del Este), Pan American.
  • Gold in individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Gold in Special Techniques.
  • Gold in Power Test.
  • Silver in Pattern.
  • Overall Female. Best Female Competitor of the Pan American.
• Poland 2003 (Warsaw), Adult World Cup n ° XII.
  • Gold individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Silver in Team Sparring.
• Argentina 2005 (Mar del Plata), Pan American.
  • Gold in individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Gold in Special Techniques.
  • Gold in individual Pattern.
  • Silver in Power Test.
  • Overall Female. Best Female Competitor of the Pan American.
• Argentina 2009 (Mar del Plata), XV World Adult Championship.
  • Gold in individual Sparring up to 70 kilos.
  • Bronze in Team Sparring.
• Argentina 2010 (La Plata), Pan American.
  • Gold in individual Sparring up to 75 kilos.
  • Gold in Team Sparring.
• New Zealand 2011. XVII Adult World Cup.
  • Bronze in individual Sparring more than 70 kilos.
  • Bronze in Team Sparring.
• Chile 2012. XI Pan American.
  • Gold in Team Sparring.
• Jamaica 2014, World Cup.
  • Bronze in Sparring more than 75 kilos.
  • Gold in Team Sparring.
• Paraguay 2014, XII Pan American.
  • Gold in Team Sparring.
  • Silver in Power Test.
• Argentina 2016 (Buenos Aires), XIII Pan American.
  • Gold in individual Sparring.
• Ireland 2017, World Championship.
  • Gold in Power Test.
  • Bronze in individual Sparring.
  • Women’s Overall, Best Women’s Competitor of the World Cup.
• Germany 2019, World Championship.
  • ITF Outstanding Personality Award for the Hall of Fame.

Other achievements and recognitions

• US Open World Cup 2016.
  • Silver in Sparring.
• US Open World Cup 2017.
  • Gold in Sparring.
• US Open World Cup 2018.
  • Gold in Sparring.
• National champion (Argentina) in color belt and Dan category for 17 years.
• South American and Pan American, 23 medals in the form, fight, power break and skill break specialties.
• Prize for the Best Competitor, Punta del Este, Uruguay 2001 and in Mar del Plata, Argentina 2004.

Who was your coach?

Until 2006 it was Ernesto Figueredo and, from 2008, Marcos Favalli.

What was the training routine like?

At my best moment of competition were twice a day, 6 days a week. I trained with the national team and later, individually, with my Master and I also did physical preparation.
During the last three years of high school, I could only train the days off since they did not justify my training with the National Team and that caused me absences.

What was the best moment in a world cup?

My mom had never been able to see me participating in international competitions because she had difficulty walking.
At the 2009 World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the opportunity was given when she was able to be present and I was able to give her the satisfaction of being a champion !!! So I ran from the area to where I was to give her the biggest hug I had ever given her before !!!

What was the worst moment in your professional career?

In 2005, the ITF division affected my sports career because I cannot participate in the selective championships.
A month before traveling to the World Cup in Germany 2005, my Master chose one of the ITF lines and I decided to follow it. In this way, my uninterrupted participation in World Cups was cut, paradoxically when I was at my best. The latter led me to a crisis with Taekwon-Do, moments of anguish and many questions that were not answered.
In 2011, during training with the national team before traveling to the South American, I broke my knee ligaments and menisci, an injury that took me four years to fully recover.

Who was inspired by? Who was your competing idol?

Noemí Prone, for being a complete competitor in all items.

Sacrifices. What was the biggest effort you had to face to achieve your sports dream?

The biggest efforts were always to save money.
My dad abandoned us, my mom worked tirelessly as a cleaning lady to pay for my training, my tournaments and my trips. My teacher organized raffles, events and bingos to help me and my mom meet my goals.
I didn’t always win; I wasn’t always good. It took me many years of training and training more than others, with nothing in my pockets but money for the bus to go train.
You always had to choose. I didn’t have a 15th birthday and I didn’t go on graduate trips, but I don’t regret it because I always chose well, I chose Taekwon-Do.

How did the values ​​of Taekwon-Do influence your preparation?

I can say without a doubt that Taekwon-Do saved me!!!
I lived in a humble neighborhood where bad habits are easily acquired. I could have chosen the wrong path and strayed, but I never had free time to be bored. 24/7 thinking about Taekwon-Do, new goals, tournaments and, above all, training!
My Taekwon-Do friends never had bad behavior.
Whenever I was away from home, I thought I should be an example because I trained Taekwon-Do.

What are the values ​​of the TKD that contributed the most to its development?

Perseverance is my favorite word.
It was not by far the best in my class, but my hard work ended up beating the talent of others.
Also discipline. Be disciplined, ready to learn from everyone.

What are your main recommendations for future practitioners?

Let them be ambitious.
May they have a strong desire to outdo themselves!!!
That they defend their dreams and that, in this way, the results will be perfectly proportional to their efforts.
That they believe in themselves, that they believe that they can make a difference with hard work.
Taekwon-Do class has to be synonymous with joy and happiness.
Keep in mind that Taekwon-Do is a friend that never left me alone; Taekwon-Do will always be there for us when we need it.

Grandmaster Pablo Trajtenberg became acting President of the ITF following the tragic passing of Grandmaster Trân Triêu Quân in 2010. He was subsequently elected as ITF President at the ITF Congress in New Zealand in 2011 and was re-elected for a 2nd term at the 2015 ITF Congress in Jesolo, Italy. Prior to this GM Trajtenberg served as a board member of the ITF since 2003, holding the position of Senior Vice President prior to his election to the role of President. He also served as a member of the ITF Technical Committee along with Grandmaster Marano and Grandmaster Bos, visiting all continents to teach and standardise the techniques of ITF Taekwon-Do and placing an emphasis on the teaching of the ‘Do’ to carry on the mission of his predecessor GM Trân.

During his tenure as President of the ITF our federation enjoyed a period of rapid growth across all continents. GM Trajtenberg worked closely with the ITF Board and committees during his two terms to ensure the ITF focused on offering a greater number of services and courses to our members and instructors, helping to introduce new programmes such as the ITF Kids programme and the ITF Harmony Programme for training older adults. GM Trajtenberg placed a focus on helping to professionalise the teaching of ITF Taekwon-Do and was passionate about enabling our instructors to earn a livelihood from teaching our wonderful martial art.

A Brief Biography of GM Trajtenberg

Grand Master Pablo Trajtenberg took up his Taekwon-Do practice in 1968, while seeking to learn Karate. He found the class he liked most and as he watched he said to himself: “I shall become a black belt,  no matter what it takes“. One week later  he was given his enrollment card and thought there must be some mistake as it read “Taekwon-Do”, but when he told the secretary he was informed that this was Korean Karate, the best!. From that moment on his practice has been non-stop.

His Teacher was Nam Sung Choi, one of the Taekwon-Do pioneers in  Argentina, who had arrived one year earlier, in 1967. This master left cherished memories and profound gratitude is owed to him for the passion he transmitted class after class.

Then came Grandmaster Trajtenbergs first meeting with General Choi  Hong Hi during his early journeys to Argentina, where he became mesmerized by his personality, thus turning into an ardent Taekwon-Do student. He obtained his black belt degree in 1971, although back in those times certificates took a long time to arrive and it was not polite to point this out to the Master. His enthusiasm then lead him to tuition, a successful endeavor judging from the many students who attend his courses.

In 1973, together with a fellow student, he hosted a luncheon at the Sheraton hotel to honor the General on one of his trips and was given a photograph with the following dedication “To a serious Taekwon-Do student, with my best wishes”.

These were the years of division within Taekwon-Do and Master Nam Sung Choi was compelled to join WTF, which led Trajtenberg to a painful choice that separated him from his Master and it is so that in 1978 he began corresponding with some Argentine black belts and the General supported this move, which consolidated with the arrival of pioneer Master Jon Chang Kim as a delegate to promote Taekwon-Do in Argentina.

In 1977 Trajtenberg gave up his university studies for good, only one year short from graduating as an electronic engineer, with the goal of devoting himself full-time to the teaching of Taekwon-Do, his overruling passion, and in 1980 he opened the “Centro Argentino de Taekwon-Do”, which would become a classic, together with Héctor Marano, his fellow and friend since White Belt times.

In 1981 he actively collaborated with the organization of the World Championship held in Argentina, headed by World Champion Javier Dacak, a dear friend, and he became closer to General Choi Hong Hi when he travelled to visit him and train under him. The General generously lodged him at his daughter Sunny´s home and thus he gained access to the very source. This was a difficult sort of journey but the General´s teaching vocation always reserved room for those genuinely interested in learning, as his case was.

There was a difficult time upon General Choi´s visit Argentina as there was a military dictatorship and the Korean embassy accused ITF of being communist sympathizers, which forced Trajtenberg to shelter  General Choi in his own home for protection, while transferring his family elsewhere.

During these years Trajtenberg visited Master J.C. Kim and also Si Ki Choi, Park Jong Soo and other great masters.

His main students were formed during this period, who are at present 7th and 8th Dans, several of them with international stature. Consequently Argentinean Taekwon-Do developed in parallel with its participation in World tournaments and global activities.

While attending ITF´s first IIC in Vienna as the Argentinean delegate he obtained support for his country, which in 1986 permitted the foundation of the Taekwon-Do Federation for the Argentine Republic – thus gaining autonomy from Korean predominance, and in this institution he has acted as Secretary General to this day.

He travelled abroad to introduce Taekwon-Do to Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay; Brazil being the country where he was faced with the biggest obstacles to expand Taekwon-Do. A lasting friendship was born between Trajtenberg and Tran Trieu Quan while sharing countless experiences impossible to summarize herein. He also developed a great friendship with Wim Bos and with Clint Norman, all of them brethren united by their common passion.

In 1993 he concluded an intense task in collaboration, namely the translation of the condensed Encyclopedia into Spanish, following the guidelines and corrections from Taekwon-Do´s Founder.

In 1994 he was bestowed, in Malaysia, with one of the most important awards that the General conferred to only 9 of his Western disciples, the “Prize for Loyalty”, which he regards proudly as one of his top achievements.

Together with Tran Trieu Quan he actively participated as ITF delegate, therefore occupying a position of great responsibility upon the General´s death.

The rest is recent history and it may be claimed that he is now a happy man as President of ITF, always surrounded by good friends, Great Masters and Instructors and above all proud of his students, many of whom have become Masters. His closest circle is made up by Sonia and Vivian, his two sisters,  and a wonderful wife: Liliana Ferreiro, with whom he has shared his life for 35 years and who has given him three sons: Alejandro, Luciano and Kevin. As he himself likes to point out, there is nothing else he can ask from life.

Grand Master Hector Marano

Argentina

Inducted on: 26-05-2015

For leading, at the time of induction, the biggest affiliated National Association in the ITF with the biggest number of plaques and black belts.

Place and date of birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 9, 1977

Year the practice started: 1986

Detail of her sports achievements:

Sports achievements in women’s individual combat:

• Russia 93, junior world champion.
• Poland 1995, junior world bronze.
• Brazil 1998, Pan American champion.
• Uruguay 2000, Pan American champion.
• Italy 2001, Silver world champion.
• Poland 2003, senior world champion.
• USA 2004, Silver World Cup.
• Paraguay 2004, Pan American champion.
• Spain 2006, champion World Cup.
• Italy 2008, bronze World Cup.
• Brazil 2008, Pan American champion.
• Argentina 2009, bronze senior World.
• Argentina 2010, Pan American champion.
• New Zealand 2011, bronze senior world.
• England 2012, World Cup champion.
• Argentina 2012, Pan American champion.
• Spain 2013, senior world bronze.
• Paraguay 2014, Pan American champion.
• Italy 2015, senior world champion.
• Member of the Argentina National Team from 1993 to 2015.
• Outstanding personality in the Hall of Fame, 2017.

Who was your coach?

Master Edgardo Villanueva

What was the training routine like?

2 daily workouts from Monday to Saturday and Sunday, 1 shift only.

1 physical training in the morning lasting 1 hour, and 1 Taekwon-Do in the afternoon, lasting 2 hours.

Also, once a week we did psychological work.

What was the best moment in a world cup?

The best moment was the day I retired from my career as an individual competitor, in Italy 2015, where I won 5 combats in the 68 kg category and at my best level.

It was a dream retreat, at 37 years old, showing that if you have a dream you can fulfill it with work and passion, accompanied by my family, my friends, colleagues and my Master.

What was the worst moment in your professional career?

There were 2 bad times.

One was not being able to qualify for the World Cup that took place in my country, Argentina, in 1999 and having to watch it from the steps.

The other was crying nonstop on the Italy 2001 podium for losing the final. Even today I am ashamed of not having been able to celebrate a silver medal in a World Cup after 5 wonderful fights.

Who was inspired you? Who was your competing idol?

The first thing that always inspired me is the Argentine flag. To think about my flag, was to think that there were hundreds of people pushing me and saying: “come on you can! Don´t give up! You’re here, enjoy it! ”

As an idol I have one that is not from Taekwon-Do. He was an athlete named Jesse Owens, he was black and Jewish, and at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, he put Hitler in check as he won 4 Olympic golds and was Overall, the best athlete. Of course, Hitler refused to present him with his prize.

But the participation of Owens, despite all the prejudices against him, was a way of confronting and protesting against Nazism with elegance.

Sacrifices. What was the biggest effort you had to face to achieve your sports dream?

In Argentina, always the most difficult thing was collecting money to travel. The rest was pure pleasure, because I am passionate about Taekwon-Do and training.

How did the values ​​of Taekwon-Do influence your preparation?

The values ​​of Taekwon-Do, along with the education my parents gave me, were always present in my sports career, as they are now in my personal life.

Of the principles of Taekwon-Do: integrity, perseverance and an indomitable spirit are those that I have in mind the most.

What are your main recommendations for future practitioners?

That they follow their dreams, that they become passionate about themselves and greatly enjoy each practice, each step of the journey that will lead them to live it. The day they meet they will realize that the best thing of all was to walk the road, the people they met while they were walking it and, perhaps, they will be their friends for life or at least, they will have a earned place in their heart.

Miscellaneous:

Today, 5 years after my retirement, I continue to practice Taekwon-Do with my Master Edgardo Villanueva, 3 times a week, I have my own school of students with 10 instructors in charge and, among other things, I was chosen to integrate the first Women Committee of the ITF,  which focuses its efforts on achieving equal opportunities and promoting the development of women within the Federation.

In addition, I am the director of the ONG Taekwon-Do Solidario, a Foundation that carries art martial to children in the most marginal neighborhoods of Argentina, activity that we develop with a group of teachers who work ad-honorem.

This Foundation already has 6 venues, with more than 300 boys practicing for free, taking their exams for free and participating in national and international tournaments.