By Marc McGowan
VICTORIAN Taekwondo Academy Berwick enjoyed a sensational debut performance at the Victorian Junior Taekwondo Championships this month.
The club was established in October and is run out of Berwick Fields Primary School.
It already has a Brighton base, but the majority of its pupils in Berwick were new to the sport when the club opened.
This makes the effort to score four gold, five silver and two bronze medals even more impressive.
Coach Berty Collinson was ecstatic at his club’s medal haul and believes it bodes well for the future.
“Because it was the first time I didn’t expect much, but all of them did well,” he said.
“It was excellent. You don’t know whether they’ll cry, say they can’t do this or won’t perform on the day.
“Most of them were fighting and smiling at the same time.
“It was a bonus doing well because they were having fun.”
Collinson said the first-up state tournament usually served as a test to see whether the competitors would stick with the martial art.
“My theory is everyone experiences it at least once and then it will make or break whether they want to do this,” he said.
“They did this and are now looking forward to the next one.
“You have the nerves and a person kicking at them – it’s not unusual to crack under the pressure and say next time that they’re not interested.
“But everyone said, ‘Yes, I want to do it again’.”
Collinson said while fighters could train as often as they liked, there is nothing like the real thing.
“It’s about developing themselves. Watching them fight, we know what we have to work on. It is the stepping stone to the next generation of fighters,” he said.
“It’s like playing football. You can practise the drills, but that’s not playing the game. By competing, you get to feel it and see what it’s all about.”
Collinson doubles as the owner of the club alongside his brother Jean, while other individuals involved in the program include David Black, John Kotsifas and Daniel Trenton.
Trenton is in charge of the Australian taekwondo team which will be heading to the Beijing Olympic Games next year.
Berwick currently boasts 16 juniors and four seniors, and the numbers have steadily grown since the club’s inception.
“We’re trying to achieve fun and fitness, but we are also interested in developing fighters for world cups and world championships,” Collinson said.
“We’re trying to develop a family-based club where everyone interacts and we have lots of family functions.”
As with any martial art, teaching self-defence is of prime importance to the coaches.
“As I said, it’s about fun and fitness, but most of all about protecting yourself,” Collinson said
“If anything happens in the street, this is what it’s all about – controlling your nerves, focusing and reacting as quick as you can.”
The first three lessons at Berwick are free and anyone interested in gaining further information about the program can contact Berty Collinson on 0414 990 815.
