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All members of International Taekwon-Do in New Zealand (ITKD) pay an annual registration fee. This along with grading fees and grants are the main ways the organisation is funded. By paying the annual fee, registered members have access to many benefits and opportunities. This page summarises these benefits for both club members and instructors.
Training & grading syllabus
ITKD developed its own training and grading syllabus that is used throughout the Country. All members receive a handbook with the complete syllabus. This makes for a uniform training programme across all clubs, as well as a standardised grading system. Most countries do not have this.
ITKD has also developed a highly successful "Mini-Kids" Programme for 5-10 year olds, which is freely available to our instructors to use. ITKD is also the sole New Zealand licensee for the new "Taekwon-Do Kubz" programme for 3-5 year olds. Only ITKD members have access to these programmes.
Qualified Instructors
All of our instructors are internationally certified black belts of at least 18 years of age, and have completed an Instructors' Induction course. They must also be first aid certified, be police vetted, and then approved by their region as well as the Technical Advisor. These very strict requirements ensure all members are being taught by Instructors with the necessary experience and qualifications. All qualified Instructors are listed on the ITKD Website along with their personal profile.
Training in towns throughout New Zealand
We have around 65schools nationwide, and all ITKD members are welcome to visit and train at most of the schools at no extra charge. This unique benefit of belonging to the organisation is well utilised by our members especially while on holiday or visiting other parts of the country. In the bigger cities members regularly visit other schools for extra training.
Assurance of quality
New Zealand won BEST COUNTRY at the 2011 ITF World Championships and have regularly been in the top three countries for many years. So from the sporting angle there is no disputing we have quality athletes and a mature competition structure. On the technical front, our Masters and senior instructors are well respected throughout the ITF world for their ability, knowledge and instructing experience. Being a member of ITKD means you are part of a quality martial arts organisation.
Safety
All clubs have first aid trained instructors. Competitions are conducted under our tournament rules including the use of the correct safety equipment with specialist first aiders always present. This is backed up by a thorough "Standards & Discipline" and a range of other policy documents to ensure all members are treated in a fair and safe manner. All our regional and national events are also protected by a public liability insurance for the safety of the members and organisers.
Qualified Examiners and recognised gradings
All gradings are conducted by examiners who are at least a 4th dan International Instructor, who have successfully passed an ITKD examiners course, as well as one year of practical training. Furthermore, all examiners are moderated by our Masters and must attend an examiners refresher course every two years. There are no higher standards for examiners in any martial art in the world.
All gradings conducted by our examiners are automatically recognised and certified by ITKD, and black belts also receive a certificate from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). The grades received from our examiners are recognised throughout the world.
EventsAccess to events
Dozens of events are held in all regions throughout the year such as:
All events are listed on our website Calendar and in the Events Section of our website.
www.itkd.co.nz/events
Access to overseas expert instructors and courses
National Awards
At the National Tournament each year ITKD runs a Awards evening, where our Instructors, Students and Schools are acknowledged. We also have a "25 Years in Taekwon-Do" award and a "Life Membership Award" for our most dedicated members. We feel it is important to recognise the great work done by so many around the Country and this night is the time to celebrate with them.
NCEA Level 3 Year 13 Physical Education
ITKD members who take Physical Education at Secondary School have the chance to earn credits through their sporting achievements with International Taekwon-Do. The International Taekwon-Do Sparring component was made available as a Level 3 NCEA Achievement Standard in 2012.
Access to information
Our members have access to hundreds of documents via our website essay library and other member only sections provide learning resources in written and video format. We also have an on-line video library for our members.
High Performance training and funding
For those interested in furthering the sporting side of Taekwon-Do, ITKD offers a High Performance (HP) Programme to all members. High Performance coaches run regular classes leading up to international competitions where members receive specialist training. Coaches and Management have also received funding from HP New Zealand for many years making it possible for them to upskill and attend international events. Umpires and Coaches have their own pathway for development as outlined in our High Performance Programme document on our website.
Umpire training
A specialist team of trainers provide courses so that our members can learn how to be umpires for tournaments. These courses are run on a regular basis and we now have many umpires with international experience who regularly officiate at the World Championships.
Members section of the ITKD Website
ITKD members have access to their own passworded section where they can register for gradings, seminars and events, as well as having access to a special downloads page.
Socail Media
We have astrong social media presence including a public Facebook Page and a member only private Group. We use this group to update members about news, events and important information. We are also active on Youtube.
eTalk
ETalk is our own email newsletter delivered direct to members' inboxes. It contains news, updates and communication from the Board. Archives eTalk newsletters can be viewed in the members only section of the website.
Taekwon-Do E-magazine
All members now receive our world renown magazine called "Taekwon-Do Talk" in digital form.
Being part of the Original Taekwon-Do
We are the original Taekwon-Do organisation in New Zealand with our first club formed in 1970, and the organisation became incorporated in 1981. The Founder of Taekwon-Do, Gen Choi Hong Hi, visited New Zealand many times and gave great praise for the way we operated as well as our technical standard. We are also the largest martial arts organisation in New Zealand and partner with Sport New Zealand and High Performance New Zealand. With our long history, we have nine Masters of 7th dan level and five 8th dans. Our members get regular opportunities to train and learn from these Masters.
See the key dates in our history here.
Each area in New Zealand has a "Regional Director" to organise events and provide support for Instructors. Regular meetings are held where any concerns can be raised or issues thrashed out. Communication is encouraged and all members of the Board and Staff invite instructors to provide their feedback.
Apart from the formal structures outlined above, Instructors also regularly chat via regional meetings, email, phone, Zoom meetings and various private Facebook Groups for ideas and support.
Events
Each year we also run Instructor Update Courses where instructors train together under the Technical Advisor and other guest instructors. This is where instructors receive any syllabus or technical updates, as well the chance to train together.
Our most senior Instructors have access to events such as the annual "Stripes 1 to 1" Seminar and the Master Summit.
Newsletters
ITKD Instructors are kept up to date via technical emails. As well as being emailed to instructors, archives of all the newsletters are available to download from the Instructors Only section of the website.
Regional Directors
All clubs are supported by a director in their region. They are there to assist clubs by providing advice and to help co-ordinate events.
Fundraising Opportunities
Not only are ITKD Schools not required to operate under any particular financial structure, they are also free to run fundraisers and have them promoted to the public and other members via the website. Recently there has been various tournaments, stalls and raffles to raise funds for members traveling overseas. As part of a large organisation all clubs have access to these kind of opportunities.
Club advertising and marketing.
ITKD provides brochures, posters leaflets and digital materials including advertisement templates ready for schools to use. These are all provided free of charge.
ITKD Website
The ITKD Website receives over 25,000 visitors each month. Many of these are prospective members surfing the Locations Page to find a school to train at. Our Instructors receive the benefit of being listed on our website at no charge to them or their school.
Manage events and registrations on-line
The database system of the organisation has been custom written for instructors. We have spent many years refining and improving a system we are very proud of.
Our database capabilities include many useful tools for instructors such as:
Dedicated group of staff and volunteers
ITKD has a dedicated team of people working within the organisation. We have a number of part time paid staff plus a host of volunteers including the Board of Directors, Advisor Groups, Regional Directors, Database & Computer Systems Developers, Regional and National Coaches & Managers. The valuable input from these people in terms of their time and expertise is key to our organisation functioning well on a day to day level.
ITKD governance to support our Art.
The organisation operates under a strong structure encompassing the "Governance" and the "Art" sides of Taekwon-Do. The Board have developed a Strategic Plan to which they operate under, with the CEO and other staff carrying out the day to day management. The Advisory Panel, made up of three of our most senior Masters, oversee all the other Taekwon-Do areas. A hugely busy team, comprising mainly volunteers who all put in a tremendous amount of time, make this a successful organisation.
