Charyu Taekwondo (Pontefract)
Pontefract Sports and Social Club, Chequers Close ,
Pontefract
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The club was initially formed in June 1993 by Colin Blackburn (now retired) and Tony Harding. They trained under the umbrella of Master Bill Harrison Ji Do Kwan (Korean Karate) and the British Karate Association (BKA).
During 1996 the club nearly folded due to financial pressures, there had never been an intention for the club to make any profit, both Colin and Tony wanted to run the club because of their passion for martial arts and to offer a service to the community. However, when keeping the club going started to mean personally funding the club to a large degree something had to change. In order for the club to survive they decided to create their own school. This meant leaving the BKA and affiliating to another governing body.
The new school now Charyu Taekwondo was formed under The National Association of Karate and Martial Arts Schools (NAKMAS). From here the club started to develop its own identity. Both Colin and Tony had a history in other martial art forms before finally concentrating on Taekwondo and it was obvious that these would influence the style. Hence Charyu is termed a freestyle Taekwondo.
Colin had started his martial art career in the late 1960's training in Shotokan Karate. In October 1981 while training towards his first black belt, Colin’s martial arts career was nearly permanently ended. He suffered horrific injuries in a motor bike accident and was unlikely to walk again without great difficulty, let alone achieve a first Dan black belt. However, he was not to be put off and after a gruelling two years Colin proved the doctors wrong and returned to martial arts training; now studying Taekwondo. Colin graded for his first Dan under Master T K Loh in October 1987 and just 6 years after his accident became a black belt.
In 1997 on affiliating to NAKMAS Colin gained his 4th Dan and through continued effort and service his 5th in 2002.
Tony began studying martial arts in March 1983, as a student of Lau Gar Kung FU. In February 1985 he also started to train in WTF Taekwondo continuing with both styles until leaving the area to go to University in September 1986. Whilst at University he then studied Shotokan Karate until 1990. On returning home in 1990 he started a Masters degree travelling daily to Sheffield, he was now not able to train and it looked as if he would never get his Black belt. However, having finished his MSc in 1992, he found out that Colin was now a black belt in Taekwondo. They trained together on an ad hock basis for a while before Colin suggested starting the club under the Ji Do Kwan umbrella. This spurred Tony into formal training again, this time under an ITF influence, to achieve his first Black belt.
Since then the club has been running welcoming new menbers all the time.
