AIMAA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010

A.I.M.A.A Director Master John Kirkwood, hosted the 1st A.I.M.A.A European Championships on the 2nd of May, 2010 in Blantyre.  The event attracted over 500 nationalities from Scotland, Ireland, Jersey, England, Wales, Madeira and Poland! The full day was full of inspiring patterns, sparring, one-step defence and team patterns, much to the delight of the many spectators watching!  A full report and listing of winners is now up on AIMAA SCOTLAND.COM , this also includes many photographs of winners and action shots!

From the Glasgow Cho's Taekwondo school, student Mr Stephen Gallagher took part in the event, and had some pretty hard fights in the Men's - 80kg (Red-Black Belt) division! Although he has not competed long in big events, Stephen did an outstanding job and took bronze in his division! Well Done Mr Gallagher from all at A.I.M.A.A Scotland!

MR JAMES LAWSON RECEIVES AWARD AT "STUDENT AWARDS 2009"

A.I.M.A.A Scotland International Instructor, Mr James Lawson was honoured by Master Kirkwood at the recent "A.I.M.A.A Scotland Student Awards Ceremony" held in Hamilton on the 27th of February 2010.

The award was in recognition of his dedication and loyalty to A.I.M.A.A, and his recent promotion to 5th Degree.  Mr Lawson sat his 5th degree in Ireland at the International testing, in front of Grandmaster Hee Il Cho and the A.I.M.A.A Masters.

As the co-founder of A.I.M.A.A in Scotland and Senior student of Master Kirkwood, Mr Lawson continues to ensure the growth and prosperity of our association in Scotland and is dedicated to the students he teaches.

A.I.M.A.A SCOTLAND INTERCLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS 14TH MARCH 2010

A.I.M.A.A Scotland holds its 1st Interclub championships of 2010 in Blantyre. This event will cover children and adult point sparring, patterns, and team events. If interested in taking part in this great event then simply speak to your Instructor of contact Master Kirkwood at A.I.M.A.A Scotland HQ.  All participants will receive a medal and there is trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Event starts at 9am and finishes at 2pm.  Please speak to Mr Lawson if you wish to attend. 

A.I.M.A.A SUMMER CAMP 2010 INFORMATION

This "Summer Camp" will be like no other as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of A.I.M.A.A and our Grandmasters 70th Birthday in the sunshine city of Washington DC.  You will undertake classes with A.I.M.A.A. Masters, International Instructors and guest Instructors.

Camp location: Trinity College which is a beautiful college situated in downtown Washington. 

The International Testing in Washington DC will be on the 11th of July 2010. If you are planning to test in Washington then please speak to your Instructor now and ensure you know what is required of you.

MASTER AMERIS TO TEST FOR 8TH DEGREE AT SUMMER CAMP

Master Phillip Ameris will be testing for 8th Degree at the International Testing in Washington DC in July 2010.

This will be the first time a Master within A.I.M.A.A has undertook this testing at this level and this testing will be history in the making.

All of A.I.M.A.A Scotland wish him the very best with his training and we cannot wait to see him in action next year in summer camp. What a camp this will be with all the celebrations of the 30th Anniversary of A.I.M.A.A, Grandmaster Cho's birthday and of course the gathering of all our A.I.M.A.A family members worldwide.

A.I.M.A.A SCOTLAND NATIONAL BLACK BELT TESTING

Master John Darcy joined Master John Kirkwood in Scotland, on Saturday the 18th of October for the A.I.M.A.A Scotland National Black Belt testing. There was 20 students testing including three National Instructors.

Mr John Kirkwood Jnr, who recently opened up a new school of Cho's Taekwondo, was testing for 3rd degree. It was Mr Kirkwood's school that hosted the National Black Belt testing. Mr Kirkwood was joined by fellow Instructor Mr Kevin Mc Lear who owns Cho's Taekwondo in Bellshill and Mrs Tracey Belgacem who teaches alongside her husband, was testing for 4th degree.

The testing was held over 3 hours and covered the AIMAA Curriculum, as well as self-defence, breaking, one-step and free sparing.  Master Darcy and Master Kirkwood commended all those who participated in the testing.

A.I.M.A.A SUMMER CAMP 2008

The Action International Martial Arts Association gathered together under the watchful eyes of its founder and president, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho 9th Degree. Masters, International Instructor and students participated in a five day training camp, that incorporated cardio keep fit classes, self defence, weapons, point sparring and the A.I.M.A.A curriculum in depth.

European Director Master John Darcy, taught traditional forms with a twist. He took the forms and broke them down to their fundamental elements, showing them in their basic form and the application of the move, which produced powerful and applicable self defence. The class was outstanding, informative and inspiring. It left the student thinking more about their pattern/form, as more than a set of moves.

Master Philip Ameris took students through self defence, breaking down grabs, take downs and holds. He also taught knife fighting to students, the complexities of fighting with a knife, so that the student could identify attack modes so that they could learn how to develop skills to defend against this type of attack. Within the camp we had Master John Kirkwood who took a 2 hour class in point sparring, from attack to defence. Using single moves to complex combinations. As this class was taking place Master Peter Byrne, was taking students through one-step, which again was an awesome class, breaking each move down to its simplest move. 

All Masters within the camp also undertook additional classes with the children at the camp, from one-step, patterns and cardio workouts. International Instructors Mr Declan Dermody, Mr Daniel Farrell undertook fun and fitness classes with the A.I.M.A.A children. Mr William Power and Mr Paul Healy put students through their paces with their hard hitting, hard pumping fitness cardio classes, not for the faint hearted! International Instructor Mr Robert Fernadnez, who had travelled from Jersey also took students through a hard class as did Mr Gerry Long from A.I.M.A.A Ireland. Both Instructors taught exemplary classes are highly thought of within A.I.M.A.A.

The Highlight of the week was Grandmaster Cho's class, which was a 3 hour seminar, utilising high power kicking, punching and floor work.  The seminar was awesome and inspiring as students witnessed the incredible power, speed and unfaltering skills of someone who is obviously in their prime at the age of 67 years old. It is has taken years of dedication, training, inner strength and Kama that has produced the World's greatest living martial artist. The accumulation of skills is president in today's martial arts and to be in Grandmasters midst, not only inspires ones self to push themselves a bit harder, but humbles one.

The camp was a most exciting and exhilarating experience, seeing young and old challenging themselves, pushing one another and forging a unification never seen before within any other martial arts association. The future generations have a lot to look forward to within AIMAA and we have not got long to wait before we come together again in 2010.