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Niilo Van Steinburg

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Rank: 2^nd Degree Black Belt  ITF  Taekwon-Do (UITF C-2-7)

"Day" Job: Software Quality Assurance Analyst, AlarmPoint Systems

What strengths do you feel you bring to Sandalwood? :

I am obsessed with technical perfection. Taekwon-Do can be a very precise art, and I like to be a walking source of technical information for our students.

What do you feel are your weaknesses? :

I feel that I have many weaknesses, large and small, but I know the greatest weakness of all is simply being ignorant of one's faults. This is why I rely not only on my instructors, but also my students to help identify where I need to improve.

Competition highlights:  (Click here to view complete listing)

It seems every new tournament brings another major 'highlight'. These moments come when I am a competitor, coach, or simply an observing (and, often, nervous) instructor.

I love being challenged in the ring and having the honour of facing tough opponents. It’s also great to be in someone’s corner and to make a difference in their match. And nothing’s better than witnessing a student overcome adversity, internal or external - something that happens often in a competitive environment.

Other recent personal accomplishments:

Though it's not exactly personal, a major accomplishment for me was being part of the successful execution of a highly intense summer of training for the Sandalwood Seven. To me, that is the best thing that came out of the 2006 World Martial Arts Games.

What are your competition goals? :

Just to keep competing and keep pushing myself to new levels.

What are your Martial Arts goals (other than competition)? :

To never stop improving, as a martial artist and as an instructor/coach/trainer.

What is your favourite thing to do in Taekwon-Do? :

It's hard to put anything in the favourite category, but I definitely love patterns. There is so much involved in executing a crisp, accurate pattern, and it's great how you can work up a sweat by performing them with the intensity they deserve.

What was your favourite Taekwon-Do moment? :

Life at Sandalwood can be described as a continual parade of wondrous and unforgettable moments. I think the one that sticks out, and probably will for some time, is the moment Albert and I completed our black belt testing under Grandmaster Hwang on June 11, 2005.

What is your favourite pass time outside of Taekwon-Do? :

There are a lot of things that I like, and I have a long list of past activities, but Taekwon-Do is my focus now. 

Favorite Quote:

I have many favourite quotes, but I'll mention an old one as well as one of my own (which I’m sure paraphrases similar quotes out there):

"Just being yourself, being who you are, is a successful rebellion."

"Success doesn’t happen at the finish line."

  

A few pictures from my "pre-Sandalwood" days.