My name is Kenny Walton and I hold a 7th degree black belt. I am area representative for the North of England and help with running schools, setting up schools and work for the expansion of the T.A.G.B. into areas where we don't yet have any schools.

I'm also a grading examiner and I regularly meet with other grading examiners to talk over technique and standard in order to make sure the standard is uniform.

As national team coach I have to maintain our high standard and encourage new blood.

I started tae kwon-do in early 1973 at my home village of Thorne. I joined the U.K.T.A. and within the first month I was training five times a week under my first instructor, Tony Quigley. Tae kwon-do took a hold of my life! I also did some judo, kung fy, Wado Ryu and boxing, always looking for things I could use. I got my first dan in 1975 after only two years, though I was putting in the correct hours of tuition.

One of the earliest things I remember was in 1977, losing after two extensions to Ron Sergiew, and one of Ron's instructors – Bob Howe – coming over to me and saying "You never lost that Kenny – we want you in the Squad now." That set me off on my international career. I also remember sitting in a room listening to our chief instructor telling everyone that I didn't really do tae kwon-do, even though on that same day I'd won the pattern, breaking and sparring competitions. I remember sitting there and thinking, "Why am I sitting here taking all this ridicule?"

I went to the world championships in 1978 in Oklahoma and there I lost to a guy named Don James. I'd already beaten him in the team match, but I was just 18 and he was 29 years old. I asked him for information about training routines and he told me he went to ballet, so straight away I enrolled in a local dance and ballet class. This helped a great deal.

I'm very open minded and as a competitor I always believed I had the ability to go into any kind of system, whether it be points, full contact, semicontact, or W.A.K.O.. I've won the U.K. Open points tournament, and the F.S.K. pattern event. I've also fought full contact fighters and won semi-contact and breaking. That is what tae kwon-do is about – the ability to take part in a competition of any format and do well.

I believe I have promoted tae kwon-do through my entering these different competitions. I may not always win, but you don't see many other people coming out of their little shelters and trying a different system, do you? If you have the ability, then you've got to put your head on the line.

When we formed the T.A.G.B., we were planting the seeds of what would later grow and flower, and look at what we've got now compared to anybody else! We are largest and we try to be the best.

For me, membership of the T.A.G.B. offers a national curriculum, so no matter where you train, you will have the same things to do and the same high standards to achieve.

I like the way all the members of the T.A.G.B. work together in trying to promote it. They all have the same aim and that is for the T.A.G.B. to become better. We don't have one chief who tells us what to do – we discuss everything democratically. Sometimes you may not get your point through, but next time who knows! The T.A.G.B. is a big happy family. We can fall out, but we'll never split up.

The T.A.G.B. wants its students to better themselves and become stronger, fitter and more confident. It isn't necessary to become a champion – self improvement is the key. Things like gradings help people cope with stressful situations and promotion helps their self image and character. So through tae kwon-do, they climb a little further up the ladder.

I want to see T.A.G.B. on satellite T.V. so people have more to aim for than we had. With Tae Kwon-do International, we have people throughout the world working for the same aims.

My personal message to new students is that you will improve in some way through practising a martial art, whether mentally or physically. Whichever, we in the T.A.G.B. will help you!