No matter what we do as Instructors, wewill always produce bad apples in the

club - just like an apple tree, rothappens. These are the students that are

committed with their lip service whilethey are attending yet, because they

leave the club or are simply removed forbad behaviour or conduct, they try and

damage their Instructor and the club theywere once a member of. It is for this reason

that, when members leave, we cancel theirFacebook connections to protect the clubs and the L.T.S.I.

So, if you get a student sounding off about us, it isnormally because we removed them, not that we taught

them badly. Personally I think it shows their truecharacter, but it’s hard to spot this.

We kick together - We stick togetherTwo years in the making...

I think it is now time to let you all know why wefeel that the L.T.S.I. has come on leaps and boundssince re-joining the real I.T.F. in September 2009.

Since returning home after a five year stint away,we are back with what many now claim is the‘Original I.T.F. Group’. I can vouch that, for me,this group is the real deal. There are NO pettye-mails coming from the I.T.F. due to stuff beingplaced on your web sites and newsletter contenteither.

We have access to I.T.F. England which, as recentlyas a few weeks back, our senior coach Mr.Snow was placed as one of I.T.F. EnglandExecutive members on their web site.We also have access to I.T.F events,other I.T.F. groups events andEuropean and World Championships.

We are fully plaqued up and are partof another group called theAssociation For Tae Kwon Do (A.F.T.)which, by all accounts, is doing well.

Regarding the I.T.F.-C group - don’t get me wrong,I respect G.M. Choi and many of the other Mastersin the other I.T.F. group but, for me, the adminjust had too much say in things, hence ourdeparture.

We are more than stable now as a Martial Artsbody. There are political issues in the I.T.F.’s andMartial Arts groups but, nowadays, we walk alonewith a number of Masters that we know have greatintegrity. Some from our past that we trusted, wenow have seen their true colours, so we stay awayfrom them as we don’t need them harming usfurther.

As an organisation, we remain under the radar nowwith NO interest in other groups who try to causeus problems, or the hearsay from those proclaimingto be our friends and informing us what they haveheard. This approach is taking us into the future.

As they say, the future for L.T.S.I. Is brightespecially as we will not get tangled in politics now:0)

● 2nd Oct - Black Belt Exam

● 4th Oct - Herts. Area 1 Exam

● 30th Oct - Senior Training T.B.C.

● 12th Nov - U.K.T.A. Opens

● 19th Nov - L.T.S.I. Awards Night

● 4th Dec - Instructor Course/AGM

● 6th Dec - Herts. Area 1 Exam

● 16th Dec - L.T.S.I. Xmas recess.

All schools closed until 2nd

January 2012.

L.T.S.I. Editor: Tracey LeonardWeb: www.uk-ltsi.com

Publish Date: 03/09/2011Released Bi-Monthly

We are doing a major drive to get more of you on board forNational and International service. If you are a blue belt andabove, you can train twice a month for three hours with some ofthe best practitioners in the world and Masters for just £10 asession. If you are good enough and are chosen to represent theU.K. as a team member, you could get part sponsorship fromthem and from us.Never before have we had an open door where you can all get thechance to try out for ‘TEAM U.K.’ - all you need is commitmentand be prepared to work hard. However, there is one rule if youwant us to back you - you MUST attend all official L.T.S.I.events to qualify for part sponsorship from the L.T.S.I.So, we have made the arrangements - it really is up to you tomake the next step. Contact your coach for further info.

Removal of bad apples...Chris told me recently that he is often askedhow he has stayed in an art so long. He said theanswer is simple.... focus! There have beentimes when he has thought “Why bother”,especially when those senior to him havecaused hassle in his life, yet he has focused, sethis goal and gained it in the time set.

It is easy to say “I’m tired, I cannot be botheredto go training tonight”, but a little bit of focusin your life can change everything! If you usefocus to motivate yourself to go training whenyou can’t be bothered, you can also use thesame method in your daily life, like for schoolprojects that need to be finished or getting upfor work in the morning (which we all hate!).Focus, set the goal and go for it.

2012 sees many changes in L.T.S.I.In 2012, the following changes will be made:

� Bi-Annual Kick-A-Thons to return� Annual Training Day to return� Team L.T.S.I. to restart� New Inter Club tournament to be held� New tournament score system to start� New umpires course to be run� Pre-Black Belt test added to calendar

The future is bright - the future is L.T.S.I.

Help required.......It’s that time of the year that all Martial Artsclubs go into overdrive to get NEW recruitsand we are no exception! We ask that allmembers collect 20 leaflets from theircoaches and deliver them to your street, workor school mates. If people join up, we willgive you a reward. It also has to be said themore recommendations you give us, themore chance your school has to survive.

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Focus is key in Tae Kwon Do.....

© Copyright L.T.S.I. 2011

I.T.F. ENGLANDNEEDS YOU!

Black Belt criteria change...

We must point out that, 8 months back,all students of 1st Kup and above wereinformed that they must attend variousevents and courses, or they would not bepermitted to take future gradings. Also,to clarify, if you want to grade, youMUST have an unbroken training record(i.e. be at class a minimum of once aweek, or no promotion will be allowed).This rule WILL NOT be bent for anyone.Some have requested to grade, but theywill be refused due to not following theabove rule.

Welcome back from summer!OK, so some of you have not trained for four weeksat all - well, it’s now time to get back on the floorand tone up them muscles! We had some really lowattended classes over summer (which was souldestroying for those hardcore coaches), but we dounderstand why. We hope that you will now allrefocus and aim for that Black Belt, or your nextgrade. Attitudes have to change and we have to getbusy if we want to get the results we all desire.Those of you that are serious, you have the chanceto train with the best and all for a mere £10 persession. Please note, it will cost £15 until you areregistered.

Senior examThere will be a senior exam in March 2012and the following people will beattempting their 3rd Degrees: Mr. Pearce,Mr. M. Pearce, Mr. I. Smith and Mr. A.Smith. Any 1st Kups and 1st Dans thatmissed the October Degree test can alsoapply for this grading too.

No National Training DayWe cancelled this years training day for variousreasons (I.e. the economy crash etc.). Next year, itreturns and so will our fund raising ‘kick-a-thon’,which is held every two years. We are back on trackand ready to move forward.

Editor: Tracey LeonardWeb: www.uk-ltsi.com

Publish Date: 03/09/2011Released Bi-Monthly

TOURNAMENTS

In 2008, we created a fantastic team of exponents that went to events around the U.K. and competed onour behalf, winning many accolades. Sadly, five of the eight have now left us.

We had a situation unfold whereby we paid 50% of all funds for four students to go abroad to Croatia tothe I.T.F.-C Europeans and things did not go well. The four that went away failed to make contact with uson their arrival and parents were concerned whilst they were out there. However, when the four picked upmedals, we got a text but this was on the last day - as you can imagine, we were annoyed that we hadfunded them, yet they had not made contact to say they were fine. We changed our structure after toensure this would never happen again. After this situation, the four of them also had bad attitudes and,eventually, they all left. I think they were annoyed at our response but, to be honest, there was fault onboth sides as we should have insisted they keep us informed. We then cancelled the team and put it on aback burner for 12 months.

Now we plan to re-introduce it. From 2012, we will buy you a Team L.T.S.I. suit once you have done fourL.T.S.I. tournaments one after another. Once you have met this requirement, you will be put on theNational Team called ‘Team L.T.S.I.’ - this also means you will get FREE admission to L.T.S.I.tournaments for the following twelve months. However, these uniforms MUST NOT be worn in class orat courses. So, take part in tournaments, get yourself noticed and become part of the ‘Next Generation forTeam L.T.S.I.’.

Did you know that St. Albans, London Colneyand Hemel Hempstead Tae Kwon Do offer afantastic Martial Arts Birthday package like noother. The package costs just £250 and you getthe following included:

35 minute mini Tae Kwon Do class 25 minute Martial Arts games 60 minute disco and buffet Free birthday cake Free Party Bags

All associated costs are included, including the hall hire, DJ and Instructors that run the class. Thepackage cost of £250 covers up to 25 children, with extra guests charged at £10 per head. These aresuitable for up to 15 year olds, as the drills work for everyone. If you are interested, contact either Mr.Snow or Mr. Smith who are running the parties in the above areas.

We stick together - We kick together

L.T.S.I.Next

Generation forTeam L.T.S.I.starts 2012

© Copyright L.T.S.I. 2011

Over the last two months, Mr. Snow has been busy! As most should know, he is a web designer by tradeand he is now putting this to good use. He has created a few new businesses that are opening in thenext few days.

The first is a small business directory called www.hertsbusinessdirectory.com which advertises smallbusinesses for just £25 a year - a real bargain if you look at the format of it.

The second is a web store called ‘Pulse Martial Arts Supplies’ - you can get access to this via ourNational Site, as a link will appear there soon.

Another site you can view is www.chooseadj.co.uk which is a DJ service he and his nephew havestarted recently. They charge £175 and are fully insured and pat tested.

Most of Chris’ businesses are part time and all web based. He has a number of web sites he is buildingfor clients currently. If you’d like to get a site done go to www.dynamic-webdesigns.co.uk. Weguarantee you will not get a better price anywhere, especially given the quality of his sites.

Editor: Tracey LeonardWeb: www.uk-ltsi.com

Publish Date: 03/09/2011Released Bi-MonthlyL.T.S.I.

Tournament scoring changes....

In 2012, the L.T.S.I. will flex its muscles as it getsback to basics. Many changes for the best willhappen. One such change is that we will now run aFREE umpires course for all 1st Kups and above inJanuary and open the door to all that intend onattending our events in the future. This will begreat for those that would like to spar and dopatterns in a test environment.

A ‘new to us’ system will be unveiled but, toexplain it further, we will give you brief details onhow it works here.All judges will each receive a white A4 board, penand clicker. The practitioner will perform his or herpattern and the judges will click all mistakes made,record on the board and show their score given.

Yellow to Green belts for instance will be given amark of 3 to 5 - each marking represents 10 points.

Mistakes made will reduce the score, so Mr.Example (a green belt) performs a pattern andmakes 12 mistakes - his score would be 3.8.

What does this mean then? Well, simply, you haveto know your patterns inside out technically. Thetop three scores in the division will be the winnersor, in the case of a draw, will play off to get theirposition.Judges use the boards to mark what they haveseen, as what is on their clicker is what theydeduct.

We believe this system is better, as it willeliminate the problems of others saying what weheard on Sunday at our opens - that a pattern isfloored if one move is not performed.We have used the same system for 7 years now, butalways envied the B.U.T.F.’s way as it is the fairestway to move forward and will enhance our patternsand make them much fairer for the future.

On Saturday 24th September, one of the biggest moves inthe L.T.S.I.’s history took place as the L.T.S.I.tournament moved across St. Albans to its Head Officevenue - it was decided recently that the group would movefrom the old complex to the new recently built multi millionpound complex 500 yards from where senior coach Mr.Snow teaches. As you would imagine, the venue is clean,modern and very well heated. The arena took three hours toset up with three 7 by 7 meter matted rings. We chose onlyto use this size as it was, compared to most we hold, asmaller event with 110 in. Here is a brief report on whathappened:

They said it would be packed out! They said it would be thebest move we ever made but, in reality, it was an eye opener and one that made us realise the L.T.S.I. are not really‘pure’ I.T.F. Since 2001, we have been part of the I.T.F. and will be affiliated as long as we exist, but reality struckus on the 25th September as we realised that only 20% of our group are pure I.T.F. practitioners. We also realisedthat we had made a massive mistake trying to support the I.T.F. by running a pure I.T.F. event. Our problems startedas we saw many of our friends boycot our event, as they believed that I.T.F. rules would not favour them in any way.

The event started at 9.30am - the arena was bulging with spectators this year, but we had more than enough seating.All officials were called to the officials room and, as best as we could, we informed them that the event would run onA.E.T.F. rules (even if some rules were hard to understand).

Up first were the children who were diddy, to say the least! We witnessed many standards overall and some that hadnever attended an event freeze from crowd scare, but the officials did their best to get them performing which wasgood to see, especially as some were as young as 5 years old.

As I looked around the arena, I spotted an old friend from the B.U.T.F. that I had not seen for 10 years. After a quickchat to get reacquainted, it was like we had only seen each over a few weeks back! As the patterns came to an endand I had witnessed many bouts, I began to wonder about the I.T.F. and realised, no matter what I do, only a few willactually develop into full I.T.F. practitioners.

Sparring commenced and seemed to go in a flash - the crowd got fired up, even one going over the top and having tobe told to quiet down and stop goading the referee. We witnessed some cracking bouts and watched as children aslow as 9th Kup spar 6th Kups which, again, made me disagree with the I.T.F. category system.

At noon, the event switched over to 13 years plus - before this, we witnessed three teams (all L.T.S.I.) fight off anddo a synchronised team pattern. Hemel took gold, London Colney took silver and St. Albans took bronze. It was ashame to see no other group took part, but that’s life.

As the 13’s plus sections rolled out we got a few complaints which, to be honest, drove me mad and did not impressme one bit. It was for this reason that I began to think about the B.U.T.F. system and decided it is now time toimplement their system as it is, in my opinion, the best system in Europe. One coach made it his mission to say “Ifyou get one move wrong, the pattern is flawed”. Well, anyone who is qualified under the I.T.F. understands that thatis just one point deduction and it depends on 5 elements when scoring I.T.F. patterns - balance, power, breathcontrol, sharpness and fluidness (the ironic thing is the guy has not done an I.T.F. umpires course, yet he stillcomplained!).

I watched eagerly as many of my students picked up medals and saw on the score board that the Hemel L.T.S.I.school was zooming up the leader board and overtaking us. It was clear that Learn T.K.D. was dominating thetournament and were on line to win the area title, which they did with an amazing 32 point lead over all groups.Adults and teens alike came to win and we saw some explosive bouts in the sparring divisions, especially the BlackBelts. The one great thing was the fact that everyone shook hands after and had theutmost respect for each other.

Too many issues came up with this event and we have now faced the fact that we are justaffiliated, not pure I.T.F. Yes we have an I.T.F. syllabus, yes we wear an I.T.F. suit, yeswe follow the I.T.F. to the letter, but the reality is we operate and run as an affiliategroup of the I.T.F. so future events will be classed as ‘I.T.F. styled’ (which is our forte).This is great news for the independents, but bad for the I.T.F. family - then again, we didnot get their support at the first pure I.T.F. event, yet our hundreds of independentfriends have supported us since day one (13 tournaments) so we must be wise andsupport them as they supported us. All in all, it was a great event, but not for us as far asI.T.F. rules go. We thank all that supported our event (including new groups like ThoreeT.K.D., Chesham B.U.T.F. and Ford T.K.D.) and hope that you will attend our I.T.F.styled events in future years. We thank parents that brought their kids to the event andthose that worked tirelessly during the day to make it a success.

I.T.F. OPENS