Basingstoke Tae Kwon-Do (TAGB) Club was founded in 1990 by Mr Raymond Gilbert. One of Mr Gilbert's first students is now the club instructor Mr Green.
On Monday 2nd September Mr Gilbert came out of Tae Kwon-Do retirement, travelling from his place of work in Afghanistan, to take one lesson which would be his final one. Mr Gilbert wanted to show how there are more than 24 patterns in Tae Kwon-Do and began this seminar by explaining that there is always an opposite in life. He showed a image of Yin and Yang, the Chinese philosophy that every light had a dark, and how each opposite complements the other.
Mr Gilbert demonstrated the pattern Gae Baek (44 moves) with Mr Green. As Mr Green started the pattern so Mr Gilbert performed the mirror image. These mirror images were one of Mr Gilbert's specialities and in the early days at the club he would teach students how to do patterns like this. It really tested you as a student!
The seminar went well and everyone enjoyed it and it opened their eyes to extra training drills, and showed they needed to know how to do techniques flawlessly with both hands and arms. You never know from which side an attack might come, so students need to practice and be open to anything.
Mr Gilbert will now return to Afghanistan. With one final noble gesture Mr Gilbert presented Mr Green with his dobok (training suit) which he wore in the club. This dobok was purchased in California for a special training session with Grand Master Hee Il Cho 9th Degree who used to grade students in the TAGB black belts.
I would like to thank Mr Gilbert for his time, thoughtfulness and amazing dedication to Tae Kwon-Do over the years (especially at Basingstoke) and wish him all the best for the future.