Dear Union Members,
RE: 5th New Zealand Martial Arts Hall of Fame Awards 2009.
The Union is proud to announce that two of our senior Masters, Mike Hannah and Matt Ransom were recently inducted into the NZ Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Held in Wanganui on the 7th November, Master Hannah and Master Ransom were part of a special ceremony that included 14 other inductees from a wide range of martial art styles
throughout New Zealand. These included Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Aikido and both WTF and ITF Taekwondo.
The New Zealand Martial Arts Hall of Fame is a non-profit organisation that recognises the contribution of Kiwi martial artists and the support of their families. With links to both the Australasian
and World Karate Union Halls of Fame, this award and induction helps to promote various long-serving Masters and their styles amongst the wider New Zealand Martial Arts community.
Inductees are first nominated by previous inductees and have to meet a strict criteria before their nominations are voted on by the Hall of Fame Board members.
This is the first time that WTF-style Taekwondo Kiwi born and bred Masters have been inducted into the Hall of Fame which has been chiefly dominated by both Karate and ITF Taekwondo.
Both Master Hannah and Master Ransom have pledged to become active members of the Hall of Fame and will fully support it's objectives and continue to ensure that Kiwi's who practice martial
arts throughout our communities are recognised for their contributions along with that of their familes and students.
The Union congratulates both Master Mike Hannah and Master Matt Ransom on their recent induction. A more detailed story will be published in the next issue of the Union Times.
Nicole Tulett
Secretary
TUNZ
