This weekend saw over 1000 of the best Tang Soo Do Korean Karate competitors from all over Europe travel to Cardiff for the 2019 UK International Open Championships.
Limerick based Karate school Munster Martial Arts represented Ireland winning an impressive 10 medals.
The Irish team which is coached by Limericks Master Pat Forde was comprised of father and son Con & Dean Fitzgibbon, father and son Mike and Robert O Grady, Dace Irbe and her son Ralf Garklanas, brothers Sean & Dylan McGarry, brother and sister duo Sean & Rachel Conway,
Caitlin McKinney, Ben Norris, Eoin Scully, Peter Purcell and Eoin Adams.
The team competed against competitors from all over the UK and Europe with competitors competing in traditional forms, weapon forms and sparring in what was a very tough competition.
This isn’t the first time the local club has achieved such outstanding international results as instructor Pat Forde has been training students to compete at top international level for many years and his students have achieved over 100 international medals in the past 10 years.
Commenting on this result Master Forde stated;
“I am very proud of everyone that worked together to help achieve our result at the 2019 UK Open. I have been instructing students for international competition for a long time and every year have seen the standard of international competition get better and better.
This year the competition was especially tough and this result represents a significant amount of hard work, effort, learning, coaching development and the courage to put ourselves out there and learn regardless of whether we win or lose. It is a joy to see how our teams function together, support and help each at such tough competition.
Most importantly we had lots of fun too and lots of new friendships have been made. ”
The local club under Master Forde enjoyed further international recognition for the work of Master Forde and other senior ITO Masters by Grand Master HC Hwang the son of Grand Master Hwang Kee the late founder of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.
Master Forde has classes in the city in Delta Sports Dome and also around the county in Newcastlewest, Bruff and Hospital.
For more information on classes for kids and adults see MunsterMartialArts.ie or contact the club through Facebook .
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