Yet again, this year’s Tukido Camp proved to be a memorable experience for members from all clubs who came together to camp, cook, train, compete, grade and socialise in the idyllic setting of Wiston Lodge. While the weather was a mix of rain and sunshine, this definitely did not put a dampener on the students spirits, two of which have provided their camp experience.

Alan Buchan, 2nd Dan Black Belt

Lying on my back in the wet grass at Witson lodge with rain hitting my face and soaking my clothes while doing abdominal exercises I thought to myself “I would not want to be anywhere else”. Tukido camp 2017 was an experience that was not only filled with excellent training and instruction from Grandmaster Teh but was full of laughter and the development of new and the strengthening of old bonds and relationships between instructors and fellow students.

With many preparing for grading’s, nursing injuries or experiencing their first Tukido camp everybody was supportive and encouraging throughout. I was personally nursing a calf injury and was frustrated that I couldn’t train at my normal intensity but Grandmaster Teh and the other instructors understood I needed to be sensible and encouraged me and lifted my spirits which resulted in me taking part in my 3rd Dan grading. The determination and effort put in by all students taking part at the coloured and black belt grading’s was inspirational.

It’s difficult to write a brief piece or pick a single moment from such a brilliant training camp full of so many highlights but my lasting memory will be the training sessions, the supportive atmosphere, amazing cooking from Mr Waters and the camp fires in which all the students and instructors from all the Tukido clubs talked and laughed about the days exploits. I can’t wait for the next Tukido training camp.

Derek Steven, 1st Grade

The week before camp I turned into the unofficial weather forecaster, I was really looking forward to going to camp after hearing all the stories about previous camps. When arrived on the Thursday at 11am the weather was wet and windy as we put up our tents, which we did as quickly as possible to provide ourselves with some shelter from the elements. At about 5pm we all heard the horn been blown and everyone started to get ready for our 1st training session at 5.30pm Grandmaster Teh. When he arrived he started to get everyone motivated from the very first words that came out his mouth and no one cared about rain or lying on the wet grass.

Camp to me was a chance to get to know other students and instructors on a more personal level, instead of just the brief chat before and after classes, and in the process I have made new friends out with the Motherwell Club . I was also looking forward to learning new techniques and improve my fitness levels which camp definitely delivered.

Additionally, I was sitting my black belt grading at camp and because we had been training for the couple of days before the grading I didn’t feel as nervous as I think I would have been. It gave everyone participating in the grading an opportunity to receive specific advice training under Grandmaster Teh on areas to brush up on to produce our best performance on the day.

Overall the camp to me was a great experience and one I didn’t think I would have enjoyed as much we had a great group of people and I will definitely be going to the next one at Wiston lodge.

We are pleased to announce the winner of this year’s Tukido Photo Competition, chosen by Grandmaster Teh, is Grant Hutcheson of Glasgow Tukido Club. Congratulations Grant and to all who took part in this year’s competition.

 

After an estimated twelve years since the last Tukido seminar taking place, there was much excitement building up to the event last Sunday (21st May 2017). With a great turnout from all clubs, over all grades, many students were able to relish the opportunity for a longer, more in depth Tukido session. Students received advice on performing their warm up exercises correctly, improving technique for basic movements and sparring forms, and strategy for free sparring (all as seen in the photos below). After their marathon Tukido session students enjoyed some soup and sandwiches and were able to catch up and discuss what they’d learnt at the event. Thanks goes out in particular to Master Tonner and Grandmaster Teh for organising such an excellent event for all the students.

Event Photos

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In 1983, Grant Hutcheson joined Tukido, while still at school. Training at the then King’s Park club, he quickly established himself as a talented martial artist and formidable opponent in the Tukido ranks. He was a dedicated Tukido member attending classes many nights a week. His commitment, tenacity and natural ability were suitably rewarded: he achieved his Black Belt 1^st Dan. After achieving this incredible feat, he left school and began a new career, a new path that unfortunately led to a hiatus from Tukido, in 1989. However, this was not the end of Grant’s passionate interest in Tukido, he returned to the sport, in 2009. More driven than ever, Grant has established himself as one of the most respected members of the Tukido family, admired for his dogged spirit in sparring, his magnanimity in victory, and his respect for others. While he admits to having tried other martial arts during his time off nothing was quite like Tukido – explaining “one thing that stands out about it is, it’s practical, it works, it really is the art of skillful combat.”

In an effort to find out more about Grant’s experience training for and achieving his 2^nd Dan Black Belt we delved into his training, mindset and motivation. The following questions reveal much about Grant and our terrific sport.

What was your main motivation for attempting the grading?

My motivation for attempting the grading was to conquer some of my own demons after coming back after such a long time away, I realized I wasn’t as fit or flexible as I was when I was younger and I found myself living in my own past I had to do this to move on and start a new chapter.

What did you enjoy most about training for the grading?

What I enjoyed the most about training for the grading was the support shown by everyone who trains and being able to train regularly under Grandmaster Teh is just inspiring.

What did you find most difficult when training for the grading?

The most difficult part of the training for me was avoiding injury I mean I’m no spring chicken anymore.

How did you feel during the oral examination prior to the grading?

During the oral exam I went in calm and confident and came out a wreck second guessing my own name.

How did you feel on the day of the grading before it began?

Before the grading (the first attempt) I felt OK and confident and we know how that ended. The Second time I was a bag of nerves and well that turned out better.

What did you enjoy most on the day? What did you find most challenging on the day?

What I enjoyed the most about the gradings was is the destruction. The biggest challenge of my grading was my fitness the grading doesn’t last as long as a class but it brings it’s own intensity because you will put your all into it and if you make a mistake and have to reperform it takes a lot out of you.

How do you feel about having passed?

Relieved and more importantly re-energized I can’t wait to learn new forms and challenge myself!

Now that you’ve passed, what’s your focus for your Tukido training?

My focus for my training now is to look towards becoming an instructor.

Click here to read “A long road home but Eddie’s picking up where he left off.” (Hearne, J, 2017) featured in The Kirkintilloch Herald on Wednesday 29th March.

Find the locations and class times for Kirkintilloch Tukido Club here.

John Crawley of the Motherwell club and  Robert McPhee of the Glasgow club both successfully sat their 3^rd Dan Black Belt Gradings in December 2016 and were presented with their new belts and certificates by Grandmaster Hock Aun Teh in March 2017.

What was your main motivation for attempting the grading?

John: There were events happening in my life that were negative and out of my control and I felt that I needed something to focus my energy and mind on and the Tukido 3rd Dan grading was perfect for it.

Rob: I have been training in Tukido for 25 years and I wanted to achieve my 3rd Dan before the end of the 25th year. I also wanted new challenges and to push myself so the time was right to undertake the additional training.

Although I have never been in any rush to grade over the years, I have got a renewed enthusiasm to progress and continue on my journey through Tukido as far as I possibly can and continue to enjoy the many challenges that come with it.

What did you enjoy most about training for the grading?

Rob: When I decided to commit to the grading, I really enjoyed the support, encouragement and professionalism of the Tukido Instructors who coached me throughout the process. I enjoyed pushing myself and even though I was very enthusiastic, I knew I was nowhere near ready and had a lot of work to do with Sparring Forms and power tests.

Over the ensuing months I slowly but surely started to see progress. I enjoyed the inspiration that I got from the Instructors and fellow students – who gave me so much encouragement. Their enthusiasm for me to do well inspired me, lifted my spirits and kept me going. The inner drive and determination that I had learned through all my years of training kept me motivated to work hard. I also trained on my own, out-with normal class time so that I could video my Sparring Forms to see what I needed to work on. This really helped to highlight my strengths and weaknesses and was valuable to the overall preparation.

John: Whilst training for the grading, I found myself more focused in and out of the classes. This helped me to overcome personal goals outside of Tukido as well as passing my grading.

What did you find most difficult when training for the grading?

John: Injuries were easily the most difficult parts of the training. Just as I felt I was improving, I would injure myself that could set me back weeks.

Rob: The most difficult and frustrating thing for me was trying to perfect the combinations and techniques and sometimes it was just not working out the way I had hoped. It was hard work training for at least 4 nights a week and towards the end of the 10 month process, I was finding my energy levels diminishing slightly. Naturally there are some occasions you are not in the mood or frame of mind but the Indomitable Spirit of Tukido tells us to get on with it.

How did you feel during the oral examination prior to the grading?

Rob: I enjoyed writing my essay on “How Tukido Changed my Life” and being asked to comment on that was enjoyable. I am always keen to express my love and admiration for Tukido and the essay allows students the chance to take time to express our thoughts on Tukido.

The thing that is most difficult about the theory test is trying to remember numbers of movements / techniques. In hindsight, I should have given myself more time to prepare for the theory test. The reality of a Grandmaster Teh interview though is that you never know what you are going to be asked and trying to formulate answers to questions and put it into words on the spot is sometimes difficult. You know what you want to say but trying to express the words is sometimes difficult.

John: Even although I had practiced numerous times and experienced the oral examination on several occasions, I was still nervous.

How did you feel on the day of the grading before it began?

John: I was nervous whilst warming up and then when I entered the hall I became more focused on the actual event and did not let anything distract me from doing my best.

Rob: On the day of the grading I was more concerned about how to manage my energy levels, what to eat, when to eat, etc., so that I had sufficient energy at the right time for my performance. It’s all about the timing. Grading nerves will always be there at every grading but I guess if you know your Sparring Forms well and have built up sufficient stamina and fitness, then this should allow some confidence during the grading. I also felt a strong determination to do well and was very positive on the day that I actually passed.

What did you enjoy most on the day?

Rob: I enjoyed the team spirit. The students always want each other to do well and we all feel part of the same Tukido family. This is really evident during a grading – where we give each other support and encouragement to do well.

I had been having some difficulties with some of the more advanced power tests in a previous grading attempt but as a result of regular practice, I managed to deliver the correct technique on the day to secure the breaks I needed. I felt that at the end of the actual grading there was a real positive buzz around the hall. I felt I had done enough to pass and was delighted that I gave a decent overall performance with maximum energy and to the best of my ability.

John: I was very proud of my power test technique – front kick/turning kick without landing. I also enjoyed the sparring forms on the day.

What did you find most challenging on the day?

John: Twin flying side kick, I’m still annoyed that I did not break it on the day.

Rob: The most challenging thing on the day of my 1st attempt at the grading was trying to find sufficient space to warm up. I was expecting a Black Belt grading with fewer students and found myself surrounded by Coloured Belts. Although I should be able to perform anywhere, this threw me a little and I wasn’t prepared mentally when the actual time came to perform and I felt rushed. This was not the case on the day that I actually passed the grading. I felt a lot more comfortable and determined on that occasion as I had more time to prepare physically and mentally.

How do you feel about having passed?

Rob: Given that it took me several attempts to pass 3rd Dan, I was initially relieved to have received the letter telling me that I had passed. Once the news sank in, I was extremely proud to have passed and achieved my goal of passing my 3rd Dan before the end of my 25th year of training. I was also feeling excited about learning the new 3rd Dan Sparring Forms.

John: I was very happy about passing the grading. I was also very relieved at the same time. I felt I had worked hard and had performed at my best on the day of the grading.

Now that you’ve passed, what’s your focus for your Tukido training?

John: Right now my focus is on recovering physically and learning the new Sparring Forms.

Rob: Even though I am required to wait a specified interval prior to sitting the 4th Dan grading, I am already looking forward to the preparation of it and mastering the 3rd Dan sparring forms. I am still highly motivated and continue to be inspired by this great art and our Grandmaster, Hock Aun Teh, and I want to continue to work hard and maintain a good level of fitness. Tukido has been a big part of my life for the last 25 years. I still love it and I’m very proud to be part of it. My hope is that we will have another chance to return to either Malaysia or China in 2018 and train there to further enhance my Tukido journey and experience.

Monika Bednarek of the Glasgow club, Ian Young of the Glasgow club and Kirk Oswald of the Motherwell club all successfully sat their 1^st Dan Black Belt Gradings in December 2016 and were presented with their new belts and certificates by Grandmaster Hock Aun Teh in March 2017.

What was your main motivation for attempting the grading?

Monika: I am not really sure. When you are a White Belt you think that Black Belt is the ultimate goal, and you will be like a martial artist in the movies fighting hooligans on the streets, ha ha! But reality is far from that. I guess it was just natural progression for me, I had been preparing myself for it for nearly two years and I just decided that I would never really feel ready so I just went for it.

Ian: I’ve taken my time going through the grades and felt that I was performing to the best of my ability. I wanted to consolidate everything that I’d learned so far and move on.

Kirk: I didn’t pass Black Belt first time round, so I was motivated by this to give a better performance in my second attempt.

What did you enjoy most about training for the grading?

Kirk: What I enjoyed most was training with Grandmaster Teh. Knowing what I had to do and what Grandmaster Teh was looking for really helped me on the day.

Ian: I went to several other clubs to get extra training and the encouragement they gave me was amazing. All the extra effort that the instructors put in to make sure I was ready was really appreciated and made all the preparation much more enjoyable.

What did you find most difficult when training for the grading?

Ian: It’s hard to keep going practicing things over and over. Stamina plays a big part along with fitness. You know that you need to perform to the best of your ability on the day and that can only happen if you are at your best physically and mentally.

Monika: Not pushing myself too hard. You never feel you are working hard enough, and the one thing that I love about Tukido, the fact that we all work to our own abilities, was the hardest – I could not compare myself to anyone and say ‘I am better/worse than her’ because this is not what we do. Plus Grandmaster Teh always knows what we are capable of, and then pushes us even further, so any such comparison would be moot.

Kirk: I had problems performing my Sparring Form. Perfecting it to the standard required was the most difficult aspect for me.

How did you feel during the oral examination prior to the grading?

Ian: Very nervous (as usual) however Grandmaster Teh was very reassuring and did his best to try and relax me. You get very little feedback if your answer is right or wrong and this started making me unsure about the responses I’d given as a lot of things I’d revised went completely out of my head during the examination. There is no time limit so you don’t feel under any pressure to answer quickly however the examination felt like it was over in minutes.

Kirk: I was more nervous about my interview than the actual (physical) grading. Sitting in front of Grandmaster Teh. I couldn’t stop shaking!

Monika: Stressed, like I was back at school.

How did you feel on the day of the grading before it began?

Ian: Not as nervous as at Coloured Belt gradings as I didn’t feel that I was performing in front of anyone that didn’t know me. Everyone that had helped me train for the grading was there (as they had said they would be) and I felt like they were all behind me having done everything they could to get me ready for this day.

Monika: I guess I was fine – we were all too busy giving each other pep talks to worry about ourselves, sort of camaraderie at its best.

What did you enjoy most on the day?

Kirk: I was proud in how I performed in the destruction (power test) techniques. I was nervous about attempting the brick but was so happy when I broke it.

Monika: When I broke the brick with my jumping side-kick. I had never tried it before, but when Grandmaster Teh suggested I try it, I just went for it. I was so proud of myself!

Ian: I had never done a chop to a real brick before the grading and this was worrying me. I repeated the technique I’d been practicing and I fully committed to it. My hand went through the brick like butter and I looked at my hand is disbelief checking to see if it was damaged even though it wasn’t sore in the slightest.

What did you find most challenging on the day?

Ian: Sparring forms back to back in free direction with additional jumping techniques. You need to put in every bit of effort that you can but also pace yourself to get through them all. I was going over and over the routines in my head and starting to get confused however when I started to perform them it all came naturally from memory. I was so pleased when I heard that I had nothing to re-perform.

Kirk: Having to re-perform my Sparring Forms was the most challenging for me.

Monika: Staying calm.

How do you feel about having passed?

Monika: Bit sad to be honest. It has been such an amazing journey. But I am ready for the new challenge of learning new sparring forms, one of which consists solely of 37 kicks, I feel that will take my fitness to another level.

Ian: Pleased, relaxed, proud, grateful, honoured. Looking forward to the next chapter. Hoping I can represent and uphold everything that a Tukido Black Belt should be.

Kirk: I feel a great sense of achievement. Having only started Tukido 3 years ago, I still feel new to it! I’m also happy for my fellow students who passed on that day too!

Now that you’ve passed, what’s your focus for your Tukido training?

Kirk: My focus now is to keep my training up and to keep learning. I feel it’s a new start in Tukido for me. I would also like to keep progressing through the grades.

Monika: I really don’t know! ????

Ian: I truly believe that black belt is a starting point and not a destination. I now want to improve on all the techniques that I have learned and learn how to use them more effectively. I want to increase my fitness and stamina and specifically work on things that I know I struggle with. I hope that I can also offer help and encouragement to other students going for their black belt.

In March this year, Tukido’s Founder and Chief Examiner, Grandmaster Teh, was extremely pleased to announce the promotion of Master William Davie to Black Belt 7th Dan. Teh’s Institute of Tukido has now been established for over thirty years, and Master Davie is only the second member in its history to have been accorded this honour, the first being Master Lee. Promotion to 7th Dan is a rare honour and reflects the extremely high level of contribution made to the organisation by both Master Lee and Master Davie. Many of these contributions may have gone unnoticed by Coloured and Black Belt students training hard every week in Tukido classes. However, there are many, often complex processes which happen in the background which allow Tukido as an organisation to function, and thus to provide students with the highest level of quality possible, whether that be in weekly classes, seminars, gradings, competitions, international training courses or summer camps. The award of 7th Dan reflects not only involvement in the front line of coaching, umpiring and examining, but also years of diligence and energy being placed into the many aforementioned tasks being conducted in the background. Thus, for those newer members, who may currently be asking themselves the question “Why has an Instructor whom I’ve never met been awarded such an honour?”, keep reading and you will soon understand why.

Master Davie joined Tukido in late August 1984, training at the Kingspark, Glasgow and Gourock clubs. Immediately displaying a passion and dedication to Tukido, he quickly progressed through the ranks to achieve Red Belt Black Tags at the beginning of 1986. On that occasion, he obtained an ‘A’ pass meaning he could sit his Black Belt grading after 3 months, rather than the normal time period of 6 months. Receiving an ‘A’ pass when attempting the grade of Red Belt Black Tags was then, and still remains, a very unusual achievement due to the high level of performance it requires in a range of Tukido skills. Following this success, Master Davie continued to show a tireless dedication to training, and three months later, passed his 1st Dan Black Belt grading with flying colours. Thus, his journey from first stepping into a Tukido class to achieving his 1st Dan was completed in the record time of only 21 months.

However, this did not satiate Master Davie’s hunger for Tukido challenges. After obtaining his Black Belt he applied to become an Instructor, and started his role as a trainee Instructors at Glasgow City Halls under Mr Leong Teh, honing the skills he was learning from Mr Teh by performing duties as an assistant coach at the Livingston and Coatbridge clubs. It did not take Master Davie long to successfully face all the challenges presented by the Instructors’ Training Course Examinations, and he successfully earned his Instructor’s certification in 1988. From there, Master Davie moved onto the various other targets in his sights, and within only a few years, achieved the grades of 2nd, 3rd and 4th Dan successively with his by now customary aplomb, as well as completed the stringent training and tests required to qualify as an official Teh’s Institute of Tukido Examiner. It is worth noting that during this time Master Davie was running his own Tukido clubs, as well as coaching at a variety of others around Scotland, including sometimes covering classes for Grandmaster Teh when he was travelling internationally. In addition, he was raising a young family and working full time in a job which often involved very long hours. It was often the norm for Master Davie to arrive bursting with energy to teach or train directly after having just finished a ten or twelve hour shift. Thus, his continual, extremely well earned grading achievements are even more impressive.

By the mid-1990’s, Master Davie was one of the key figures in British Tukido, so much so, that he was given the rare honour of being ‘sparred with’ by Grandmaster Teh during the filming of the BBC’s ‘My Britain’ television documentary.

The phrase ‘sparred with’ being used here, since even a 4th Dan with a wealth of championship medals and a meteoric rise through the ranks of Tukido was still left overwhelmed when faced with attempting to touch gloves with Tukido’s Grandmaster. This was the same year as the very first International Tukido Tournament, for which a team of UK students were selected to travel to Malaysia to take on the best of Malaysian Tukido. As always, Master Davie was at the fore and was a key player in the overall success of the event.

Pick a Tukido event from the 1990’s and early 2000’s and the chances are Master Davie will have been in attendance. Visit a Scottish Tukido club during that time, and the chances that Master Davie will have trained or taught there at some point. In fact, look at any set of photos from Tukido events during that period and the chances are you’ll see Master Davie posing with his usual happy grin in at least one of them.

However, behind each smile in each photo, there was often large amounts of hard work being done and unseen by the majority of Tukido students. For example, for many of the British Tukido Championships, Master Davie was in charge of collating all the application forms, developing competitor lists, designing seeding tables, and creating score charts. An extremely time consuming and complex series of tasks with strict attention to detail required. He was also often tasked with ensuring a qualified first-aider was present during the event, as well as being responsible for ensuring the less-senior Instructors were all fulfilling their various duties on the day, be that setting up the hall, sorting out the medals, bringing in the all the power test materials, or sorting out the various documents which had been prepared. Another example would the Tukido Summer Camps which were at that time held annually on a remote area of the Scottish coastline near Cambeltown. Anyone who had the good fortune to attend one or more of these week

long camps will remember seeing Grandmaster Teh upon his custom built platform, bursting with energy and vigour, taking the students through their paces whether he was being scorched by the sun or pelted with horizontal icy- cold rain. Less of the attendees may remember that Grandmaster Teh’s platform was built for him by Master Davie. Even fewer are likely to know that Master Davie would actually take a truck up to Campbeltown a week prior to Camp to drop off the sections of the platform, and then, one week after the Camp make the trip up again to bring the sections back to Glasgow, since it was impossible for him to keep the truck there for the duration of each Camp. Glasgow to Cambeltown is a minimum six hour round trip each time, not to mention the time and effort required to load and unload large amounts of cumbersome scaffolding material.

Our organisation is extremely blessed in that its Chief Instructor and Founder, Grandmaster Teh, is so visibly active in coaching, examining and umpiring. This is an extremely rare occurrence in the world of martial arts, and it means that almost all Tukido students, either Malaysian or British, will at some point have had, or will have, the honour of training or grading under Grandmaster Teh and being infected by his endless positive energy and dynamic spirit. Master Davie has clearly attempted to emulate this spirit, and has provided positive encouragement to a countless number of Tukido students, be they Yellow Belts still scared of their own shadows, or students aiming for their 3rd Dan certificates. The influence has not stopped with students, and Master Davie has frequently been a source of sound, patient and positive advice when fresh trainee Instructors or Instructors of decades experience have had questions or concerns. Even when some of these questions have come via sudden phone calls late at night!

By the late 1990’s, Master Davie’s career was taking him further afield, at one point seeing him stationed in northern England. However, this did not reduce his involvement in Tukido, still travelling up to: act as Examiner at gradings in Grandmaster Teh’s absence; help organise championships; or even on occasion, suddenly appear in Glasgow mid-week after having made a three hour drive up, in order to attend classes under Grandmaster Teh.

By the early 2000’s, his job had brought Master Davie, by now 5th Dan Black Belt, back to Scotland again, although still requiring him to frequently travel to east, south, west and north of the country. Almost immediately on his return he resumed his previous routine of teaching and training in a variety of the Scottish clubs, proving one of the main pillars in Scottish Tukido. At this time, a club was running in Ireland and Master Davie would even make trips over there to act as Examiner at gradings and to take classes. He continued to prove a positive force among Instructors and students alike and a cornerstone in the planning and organisation of Tukido events. In addition to this, he also took an increasing level of responsibility during Grandmaster Teh’s then frequent extended absences from the UK. This level of diligence and contribution did not go unnoticed, and it is during this time Grandmaster Teh decided that Master Davie had earned the title of “Master”, his 6th Dan certificate (at that time, only the second ever to have been awarded, and up until now only the second of three in total), and his accompanying black shoulders.

In 2009, Master Davie’s career developed again, this time taking him to Dubai where he continues to live and work. Since his move to Dubai, he has continued to practise Tukido regularly and has maintained constant communications with Grandmaster Teh, being constantly involved in discussions and plans regarding Tukido. In addition, during his return visits to the UK, whenever possible, he will participate in classes under Grandmaster Teh, assist with the training of Instructors at Umpire Training Courses, attend gradings or help with the organisation and running of the British Championships; his dedication and enthusiasm never waning.

Hopefully it should now be clear that achieving the grade of 7th Dan in Tukido requires a huge level of commitment and an immense contribution to the organisation, both of which Master Davie has over his thirty years membership clearly demonstrated via his assiduous hard work and tireless reflection and promotion of the spirit of Tukido.

Many congratulations to you Master Davie from all the Tukido members!!!

After many years of commitment to Tukido Sergey Jakovsky has achieved the well-earned position of Regional Instructor. Joining at the age of 15 Sergey Jakovsky has come to know Tukido very well; from his early passion and unique talent he rose through the ranks becoming an inspiring member of Tukido encouraging those whom he trains with at Pollokshaws club to excel to his own high standards. After many gradings passed, championship medals won and many summer camps spent lying on the grass doing half jack-knives he has studied hard and pulled together all his knowledge and experience to become one of Tukido’s Regional Instructors.

As a student Sergey has achieved the grade of Black Belt Second Dan which requires many years of training and dedication. And despite the nature of his work, meaning he sometimes misses periods of training, has always shown devotion to his Tukido training and the indomitable spirit to continue pursuing his next challenge be it a grading, competition or his Instructor’s Training Course.

As many of you may remember Sergey has been awarded Overall Black Belt Champion at the Tukido British Championships and has excelled in many categories competing over the years. Amongst the many great performances, Sergey has provided skilled displays in the special techniques contest with exciting destruction demonstrations, combined his excellent technique with agility to excel in the flying side kick competition, and has always been creative in putting together captivating compositions to music full of life and energy to dazzle the audience.

Additionally he has also performed self defence demonstrations which he expertly choreographed to highlight the practical uses of Tukido, wowing audiences and inspiring the students to think more about the use of the techniques they practice in class routinely.

Overall, Sergey’s determination, knowledge and experience has helped him achieve such a distinctive level of success in Tukido and gaining his Regional Instructor qualification is a great means for him to pass this on to new students.Out with Tukido Sergey has shown his indomitable spirit elsewhere taking on multiple cycling challenges he set himself to raise money for charity. Firstly cycling from the most southern point in the UK, Lizard Point in Cornwall up to Dunnet Head Lighthouse at the northern tip of Scotland – over 900 miles in only 13 days! After successfully completing this epic venture, he got back on his bike at Dunnet Head and took on the North/West coast of Scotland in just two weeks.