The Pacific International Taekwondo Story
Inspired by the indomitable Martial Art - Tae Kwon Do
When Pacific International Taekwondo Founders Trevor & Margaret Dicks first saw a flyer for a Taekwondo class in 1973, they had no idea that this was fate. A casual decision to head upstairs and take a look at this unique and unfamiliar self-defence artform was a spark that would evolve into their life’s work.
While on a working holiday in the UK, the young couple spotted a flyer and went to check out a Taekwondo class in action. Captivated by the energy and discipline of the men training, they signed up on the spot.
Training under the instruction of Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha was tough. Margaret remembers the Grandmaster’s force and the way his power seemed to fill the room. The kicks, punches and blocks taught were so powerful that the students had no choice but to learn to become agile and move fast to avoid them. That was both the challenge and the excitement!
Taekwondo World Masters 1976
It was a Taekwondo World Masters Demonstration at Kelvin Hall in 1976 that inspired Trevor and Margaret to make Taekwondo more than a recreational interest and on their return to Sydney, they enrolled to study Taekwondo under the instruction of Master Rhee Chong Chul at Rhee’s Taekwondo.
Later that year, with drive and enthusiasm that far outweighing their budget, they packed their belongings and headed to Brisbane to start their own Taekwondo school. Working in the days to pay the building lease and renovating what would become their studio at night, Trevor and Margaret opened the QLD headquarters of Rhee’s Taekwondo in July 1976 to a slow trickle of students.
Our First Taekwondo School
Later that year, with drive and enthusiasm that far outweighing their budget, they packed their belongings and headed to Brisbane to start their own Taekwondo school. Working in the days to pay the building lease and renovating what would become their studio at night, Trevor and Margaret opened the QLD headquarters of Rhee’s Taekwondo in July 1976 to a slow trickle of students.
Realising they needed to boost enrolments, and with no advertising budget, an ingenious and somewhat unconventional marketing stunt was devised. One Saturday, the pair climbed out a third floor window to paint signage on the sloped roof of their building. The makeshift sign couldn’t be missed when looking down from every high rise office building in the area- literally thousands of people could see it- and the students started to flood in.
In 2020, 47 years on, Taekwondo is accessible to all and Pacific International Taekwondo actively encourages everyone to come along and give it a go. The positive and supportive trainers (still led by Trevor and Margaret) aim to build confidence and discipline – working with every student to achieve a robust defensive skillset, a positive outlook and an appreciation for fitness.
Committed to sharing the confidence, strength and sense of achievement that comes with learning Taekwondo, Trevor and Margaret worked tirelessly through the next two decades to motivate their students to train hard and guided them in achieving their 1st Dan Black Belts. Their commitment extended into training high quality coaches from their students who then went out and opened new branches of the school. Even today, they continue to produce quality instructors and assistants who share their dedication and desire to impart their knowledge and passion for Taekwondo upon a new generation of students.
As most things do over time, the old methods of instructing Taekwondo evolved and by 1997, the Dicks’ had formed their own independent school – Pacific International Taekwondo.
With multiple locations around Brisbane, this new school focused less on the competitive components of what had by then become a popular Olympic sport and more on the traditional art of self-defence and the personal growth of their students.
