Grandmaster Anthony Manning IX Dan
As of January 2021, we wish to proudly announce the promotion of IX Dan Grandmaster A. Manning. With this achievement, Grandmaster Manning joins the ranks of a select few to have truly earned the distinction of Grandmaster of the Art of Taekwondo.
"You don't have to see the peak of the mountain – just take the first step." I took that first step in the 1970s. As I have climbed towards the top, I can now see there are still many mountains, many more peaks, and many more steps to take; this is not the destination...the journey continues — Grandmaster Manning IX Dan
Grandmaster Manning commenced his training in October 1977 under the instruction of Mr. Tiru Maniam 2nd Dan from Malaysia. Mr. Manning, as he was then, had an outstandingly successful tournament career as a colour belt student in the elements of sparring and destruction. He gained his Black Belt in the August of 1980.
He continued his tournament success in the black belt divisions – in those days they had no weight categories – Grandmaster Manning winning World, European, British, Welsh, and Scottish titles in many different styles as well as ITF and WTF Tae kwon do styles. Grandmaster Manning feels this has been a key part of his learning and being able to share and demonstrate different aspect of techniques.
A low point came when his instructor left the UK shortly after Grandmaster Manning progressed to 2nd Dan. Being left without an Instructor he spent a period of time training on his own and entering all styles tournaments: full contact, Thai boxing, Karate etc. He then joined the TAGB under the instruction of Mr R Dennis 4th Dan, who encouraged and supported him in opening his first school in Hemel Hempstead in March 1986. The dedication to his chosen art saw him travelling a total distance of 200 miles every week to train under his adopted Instructor Mr Dennis, who was based in Northampton and Coventry.
Grandmaster Manning joined the BUTF as a 4th Dan in August 1990, along with 17 of his students who he had nurtured to Black belts status under him.
Adopting Grandmaster Choy 9th Dan as his mentor in Tae Kwon Do, he continued to proceed up the ranks. Though his commitments as a successful Instructor meant that his competition involvement had to be drastically scaled down, he still managed to add yet another European Sparring title to his trophy cupboard.
Grandmaster Manning continues steadfastly his dedicated service as a pivotal member of the BUTF family and is part of its hierarchy. More importantly, in keeping with the aspirations of one of its most dedicated Instructor’s, and in continuance of the never ending quest of maintaining the quality that the BUTF is renowned for, he continues to produce quality Black Belts. Countless numbers of them.
He is another of the wondrous band of BUTF human enigmas who is able to continue his Taekwon-Do achievements despite having to pack it into an overflowing program of activities such as Family life; father of two, Profession; Human Capital Leader of a national company.
Education: BSc., MSc., MA, and FCIPD (fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development). Religious; Director of Music at his local Church; he is a session guitarist, playing all styles.
Though excelling in the field of competition, both Nationally and Internationally, by gaining the ultimate in all the elements at various stages in his career, his legacy in this his chosen art will lie in his schools, through which he continues to perpetuate BUTF ideals of teaching pure, unadulterated Tae Kwon Do by producing students of impeccable credentials.
