The Port's longest serving marital arts exponents has been awarded one of the International Taekwondo Federation's (ITF) highest and most prestigious awards.
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Grand master (GM) Robert Frost, an 8th dan black belt from Raymond Terrace, was presented with the coveted Pioneer Award - excellence in taekwondo at the ITF's inaugural awards night held in Brisbane recently.
"I was very honoured to win the award in recognition of the lifetime of teaching the Korean martial art," he said, after receiving his award from GM Kong Young Il, one of the original 12 Korean masters who spread the art of taekwondo around the world in the 1960s.
"This year marks the 60th anniversary of my introduction to martial arts, the past 42 years studying taekwondo and 40 years of continuous teaching."
Students training with GM Frost and Toogee Martial Arts can be assured they are getting the best possible Instruction. "I insists all of my instructors complete an annual accreditation course. The two-day course covers the theory as well as the physical aspects of teaching martial arts."
To be eligible all instructors must also hold a current first aid certificate, a current 'Working with Children' clearance, they must complete a child safe sport workshop and complete an online anti doping course. "They must also complete units from the special needs coaching and mental health first-aid course."
GM Frost oversees a chain of 35 Toogee Martial Arts clubs around Port Stephens, Newcastle, Upper Hunter, New England, Central Coast and Sydney regions plus clubs in Queensland and Papua New Guinea.
At almost 68 years of age, the grand master still travels around four months of every year presenting seminars for students, black belts and instructors courses and conducting grading examinations both in Australia and Internationally.
He also spends a month each year overseas furthering his own training.
GM Frost is the chairman of the board of the International Martial Arts Training and Accreditation Council and his Toogee martial arts organisation is affiliated with the ITF, World Taekwondo Oceania, Kukkiwon Australia and International Special Needs Taekwondo.
After 40 years of continuous teaching (in some cases third generation students) in and around Port Stephens, including at Nelson Bay, Medowie, Fern Bay, Seaham, Tea Gardens and Mallabula, GM Frost can still be found most afternoons teaching students at his full-time Dojang at 78 Port Stephens Street , Raymond Terrace. The Port Stephens Summer Grading will be held on Sunday, December 15.
The centre offers three cardio kickboxing classes per day, 'mums with bubs' classes, women's self defence, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and grappling, Muay Thai as well as taekwondo. Call 0418 686 241 to book a free trial class.