Alan Steeper of Boston Taekwondo has attained 8th Grand Master Dan grade at the Kukkiwon in Korea.

British Taekwondo Instructor and Master Alan Steeper from Boston Taekwondo, travelled to South Korea to take the high Dan promotion test in the spiritual home of Taekwondo in Seoul earlier this year.

Alan undertook a day’s full training and high Dan grading with the highest Taekwondo master panels in the world on the 14th June.

Well done Grand Master Alan!

Ahead of the trip Alan submitted a thesis on ‘Teaching in Taekwondo’ to be marked as part of the grading process.

Alan said “This was my first visit to Korea, and I enjoyed my time there. It was interesting to go there and to get immersed in the Kukkiwon.”

Speaking about the best parts of his trip to Korea and the grading, Alan said “Being on the floor at the Kukkiwon was the best part. Meeting new people, including the four other people testing alongside me, was also a really nice aspect.”

He added “Being able to sit outside the Kukkiwon, taking in the scene, seeing the culture, noticing people going about their exercise routines, was something completely different and added to the whole experience.”

Alan’s 42-year Taekwondo journey began when he was 18 years old. He had done other martial arts before and has done others since. In that time he has seen the sport side of Taekwondo grow and change dramatically. There are also a lot more young people and juniors involved now. “When I started there was only one junior in the class. It used to be a Martial Art for adults.” he commented.

Alan added “International opportunities were more limited in the past and it’s great to see improvement and growth that area too.”

Now more focussed on the Martial Art and Poomsae, Alan says he enjoys the camaraderie of Taekwondo. He enjoys gradings and seeing progression taking place.

Speaking about the positives of Taekwondo and why Taekwondo is the activity for him, Alan said “Taekwondo is excellent for your health, fitness, competition, mental health, and camaraderie. It helps you build up strength, your balance and core, and helps give a positive mental attitude.”

He added “Taekwondo is different to other martial arts, with good kicking and striking movements. There are lots of aspects and people can find an area that is the right fit for them.”

You can find out more about Taekwondo belts and promotion in the Martial Art – Gradings section of the website.

Visit the Boston Taekwondo website for more information on Grand Master Steeper and the club.

Photo: submitted

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