Master (Sahyun-nim) Brannon Phillips was born in Johannesburg in South Africa and now lives in the United States but still continues to practise his Taekwon-Do and still has an active role for Taekwon-Do in the African continent.
Master Brannon started his ITF journey in 1992 at the age of 12 alongside his older brother and lifelong training partner, Master Jaren Phillips. Having grown up in martial arts and being the third generation of black belts in his family, he started karate at the age of five.
In his early teens he became intrigued by Korean culture and developed a desire to find a Taekwon-Do dojang. At the time, neither him nor his parents knew there was a difference between ITF and WT, but he’s grateful to his father for finding ITF Taekwon-Do. You could say it was destiny.
“I’ve always aligned my ITF journey with goal setting. Your goals always change, but it’s essential to set short-term to medium-term (micro) and long-term (macro) goals. However, I’ve always set the long-term goals first and worked backwards. If you know the destination, it’s easier to define the pitstops along the way to help sustain, grow and motivate you. Once you achieve your long-term goal, then you have to re-evaluate your life as a whole and reapportion energy and time to accommodate ITF training so you can sustain your balance between life and training.”
” When I was younger, my body recovered more quickly and my priorities in life were different. As I grow older, and now I’m in my 40s, my body is changing and with the knowledge I’ve attained through training and studies, I must adjust my regiment accordingly.” Master Brannon said.
Training with General Choi Hong Hi in 2000 Malaysia over a three-day International Instructors seminar, was a huge highlight for Master Brannon. Also, his training in Korea at the ITF Taekwon-Do Palace for almost two weeks, four to six hours a day has made an impact on his journey.
“Every instructor and even my students have been my teachers along the way, have made an important imprint on my life, my foundation however will always be accredited to my first instructor, Mr. Neil Muir (3rd Dan).
I have been very blessed to train with ITF’s most esteemed Grand Masters, Masters, and Instructors. Each occasion has been part and parcel of the overall journey. “
“What kept me motivated during the many years of training, are these kind of reminders: “Be true to yourself. Know that your only opponent is yourself, but always honour your teachers and training colleagues. They’re just as much part of your journey as you are of theirs. Feed one another’s flame – this helps sustain the collective. Always be humble, always be honest.”
Other highlights for Master Brannon are; watching a student overcome their obstacle. And ” Seeing Bosabum-nim Fenias Claudio from Mozambique receive his prosthetic leg that the ITFSA members and ITF global community helped raise the financial aid for.”
” What I love to do is traveling for Taekwon-Do and meeting with fellow students from all over the world. The smiles and laughter shared along the way. So many memories and stories to tell and the learning I have done, about other cultures through training abroad, is unmeasurable.”
“Dependent of your goals, you’ll always be able to manage your time if you plan in advance. But it does help to add your training days and or teaching slots to your weekly calendar and share that calendar with your spouse or family. Diet is also key to sustain reserves to meet your weekly outputs. Training requires energy, so avoid diminishing your diet with too many stimulants, refined sugars and lack of adequate sleep. Equally, rest and recovery should be part of your overall composition. Family and friends also form part of this so also afford some time in this regard. And of course, always make time to feed your spiritual path. We’re part of a much bigger narrative then just ourselves.”
When Master Brannon was asked: “whats the best advice to give to any student? he answered :
“Be honest, have humility, respect your body, and have fun along the way. Martial arts training is more than the physical so take the time to learn about moral culture. It’s at least 50% of your training!”
“Diet needs to be a responsible one, to endure the intense and consistent training. What you put in is what you get out, so eat and hydrate well and minimise stimulants, alcohol and refined sugars. Smart watches are useful to measure your calorie burn so you know how best to replenish.”
“If you’re competing, and have the resources, I also suggest doing blood work to get accurate results to pinpoint what you’re lacking. Cortisol levels should be monitored as well, and in some cases where you have an autoimmune disease, excess levels can be detrimental to your performance and recovery. And vitally important to look after is, one’s mental health!”
Master Brannon received the OUTSTANDING Instructor Medal at the ITF Taekwon-Do Congress in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 2020, for paving ways for the next generation of students, in order to have a great Taekwon-Do platform and future, and not forget to mention, all the amazing work he has done in the background, for ITF Taekwon-Do in the world.
“In order to become a Master, one must love every aspect of the art, but most importantly, love the training! Taekwon-Do is first and foremost a physical martial art. Never give less than 100%, and never tire of striving for perfection!”
“My vision for the future of Taekwon-Do? Embracing technological innovation while not disregarding the essence of Korean culture. Personally, I believe the future of Taekwon-Do is dependent on Tong-il (Yes, go google it 😉
And the “Tong-il” within ourselves too!”
ITFSA: Blog 