Instructors Accredited with Gongkwon Yusul Australia
This is the current list of accredited instructors for Gongkwon Yusul Australia, the official body representing Gongkwon Yusul International in Australia. As there are many current candidates on the instructors training program this list will be updated regularly.
Please note that Gongkwon Yusul and associated logos are registered international trade-marks, so only instructors certified with Gongkwon Yusul International are permitted to market services as Gongkwon Yusul or use of Gongkwon Yusul related logos and trademarks.
If you would like to check that someone claiming to teach Gongkwon Yusul is officially accredited with GKYS Australia please don't hesitate to contact us at GKAustralia@gmail.com.
Vincent Bacon: Chief Representative for Gongkwon Yusul Australia.
Commencing his Gongkwon Yusul training under Master Kang during his Australian tour in 2007, Vincent traveled to Korea to undertake the instructors' training course at the Gongkwon Yusul headquarters in Seoul. He subsequently became the first Australian to be accredited as a Black Belt instructor in Gongkwon Yusul (and only the second non-Korean in the world to earn a black belt in GKYS).
In April 2008, Gongkwon Yusul founder, Master Kang, appointed Vincent as his Chief representative in Australia for the International Gongkwon Yusul Association.
As well as being Australia's first Gongkwon Yusul Instructor, Vincent has been actively involved in martial arts for over 25 years. He holds Black belts in Hapkido, Taekwondo (WTF) and a style of traditional Ju-Jitsu. He has graded to an advanced level in Wing Chun Kung Fu and is also a qualified Thai-boxing instructor with the Australian/US Thai boxing Associations. His other martial arts experience includes over 10 years of study with Australia's leading instructors in Bruce Lee's art of Jeet Kune Do and the Inosanto system of Filipino Kali/Escrima/Silat.
In December 2004 Vincent's first marital arts gym was officially opened by Guro Dan Inosanto. Internationally, as well as training in Korea he has also spent time at the prestigious Inosanto academy in California and also Thai boxing in Thailand.
Beau Forwood
Beau Forwood has an excellent background of 10 years experience in traditional-style Moo Moo Kwan Hapkido. Discovering Gongkwon Yusul has been a natural evolution in his personal development as a martial artist and instructor.
Prior to his involvement in Gongkwon Yusul his martial arts career highlights included holding the position of Technical Director for the entire organisation of Hapkido International Australia (H.I.A). On two occasions he captained a team of H.I.A students who travelled to Korea to compete in Hapkido championships coming first place on both occasions. In 2006 he was a judge at the World Hapkido Championships on the Gold Coast. During his years as instructor for the H.I.A. he was privileged to train up many black belts and will continue to do so under his new affiliation.
Beau founded the first Gongkwon Yusul gym in Australia, outside of Melbourne, in Launceston, Tasmania in early 2008. In introducing the new martial art of Gongkwon Yusul to his club, he has had a great response from his students, new and old, who find it a very practical system for real "no-nonsense" training. He finds that it blends very nicely for students who already have Hapkido experience. The two together compliment each other.
He feels that Gongkwon Yusul has an extremely bright future and looks forward to being a key part in building the organisation and developing the art of Gongkwon Yusul in Australia.
Joel Borgeaud
Joel is the Gongkwon Yusul instructor for the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Originally training in ITF Taekwondo from a very young age he went on to earn not only black belt in this art but also black belt rankings in both a free-style and World Taekwondo Federation, Taekwondo. A very active competitor he has had successes in Queensland regional and state level, both in Taekwondo and open all styles tournaments, a career high point being a 2nd place at the 2007 Australian Taekwondo Nationals. This success has seen him qualify for Queensland state and high performance programs for athlete development in the sport.
Seeking a 'complete' martial arts system that would broaden his skill base, Joel joined the Gongkwon Yusul Australia in 2008 -- immediately becoming 'hooked' on the broad scope of the art and its intense training. Joel has gone on to found the first official branch of Gongkwon Yusul in Queensland. As well as Gongkwon Yusul, Joel continues to further his skills in Taekwondo, Hapkido and Haidong Gumdo.
Gary Jennings
Gary started training in Martial Arts in Judo as a child in Townsville and then later gravitated to Tae Kwon Do for the destructive, free flowing techniques and aerial aesthetics. He graded to 1st Dan in Sept 1986 under Rhee Tae Kwon Do he then taught as an assistant Instructor in Townsville for many years.
Moving to Brisbane Gary recommenced training in Tae Kwon Do with South Pacific Tae Kwon Do in 1996. During his 13 years under Master John Ivanov, he was promoted to 2nd Dan in Sept 2001 and then 3rd Dan in March 2008 thereafter being appointed a Senior Instructor in charge of the Brisbane & Gold Coast regions for South-Pacific Tae Kwon Do. Gary has also trained in Tohkon-Ryu Ju-Jitsu for the last 8 years achieving the rank of 2nd Bar Brown, and is always trying to expand his knowledge by continuing to cross train with Masters in Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Kali, Ju-Jitsu and other disciplines.
In April 2009 he became one of the first generation of Australians to be graded to 1st Degree black belt in Gongkwon Yusul under Master Kang Jun.
Gary feels by offering the varied disciplines of Gongkwon Yusul and the conceptual forms of Tae Kwon Do in his new school it will allow him to distill all his experience and learning within the one gym. Gary believes that the individual's search for knowledge in martial arts (no matter what style) should be encouraged and not scorned. To quote Bruce Lee, "All kinds of knowledge, eventually becomes self knowledge"