Codner's Taekwondo Moodukkwan Int

16/09/2026

Looking at this photograph brings back a beautiful memory from another time.

This was my Master's school, and I was honoured to be one of his students. My Grandmaster Hock Lye Ooi once described me as one of his best ever students. Those words filled me with great honour, but also with a responsibility that I have carried with me throughout my life.

We were deeply honoured to have Grandmaster Hwang Kee, the founder of Moo Duk Kwan, and his wife, Cho Kyung Kap, visit the school.

I remember Grandmaster Hwang Kee's words about my Master's London school being one of the founding and best Moo Duk Kwan schools in Europe. Those words meant a great deal to us then, and they remain a very special part of the history and memories I carry today.

Standing there in that photograph were people from a generation of martial artists who shaped so much of our lifes.

Grandmaster Hwang Kee.
Cho Kyung Kap.
My own Grandmaster Hock Lye Ooi.
And my martial arts uncle, Grandmaster Meng Kwong Loke.

So much has changed since this photograph was taken.
Grandmaster Hwang Kee and Cho Kyung Kap have both left us. My own Grandmaster Ooi, my master and martial arts father, has also left us. Thankfully, my martial arts uncle Grandmaster Meng Kwong Loke is still with us and well.

Although we are apart now, I still honour you all.
I hold you in my heart, together with the Moo Do spirit you gave to us.

Looking at this old photograph also reminds me of what martial arts meant to us back then.
It was about martial arts — not sport.

It was about discipline, hard work, self-defence, perseverance, character, courage and the lifelong search for knowledge and understanding.

It was about learning to face difficulty, to keep going when things became hard, and to develop the ability to protect ourselves and others when necessary.

And for me, it is still the same today.
The years have passed. The old school days are gone. Many of the faces I knew have disappeared from this world.
But the spirit has not disappeared.

This photograph is more than an old picture to me. It is a moment in the history of my life, my Master's school and the martial arts family that came before me.

I was only one student among many, but I was fortunate to have been given an honour and responsibility that I have never forgotten.

I don't look at this photograph with sadness alone.
I look at it with gratitude.
What a beautiful moment it was.

To my Master, my elders, my martial arts brothers and sisters, and those who came before us —
Even though we are apart, I still honour you all.

Your memory lives within my Moo Do.
And I will carry it forward.

photograph 1980

15/09/2026

Whether you're a white belt or a Master, one thing never changes — we still have to do our best.

51 years later, I'm still trying.

Master Codner jump back kick.
photograph 1981.

09/09/2026

Words: Master Trevor Codner

Photograph: shared for historical appreciation; credit to the original source/photographer.

07/09/2026

Martial arts training is supposed to be hard.
It should challenge you.
It should put you under pressure.
There should be moments when you're tired, uncomfortable, afraid and unsure of yourself.
Because when the pressure becomes real, you have nowhere left to hide.
You have to look within.
You have to speak to yourself.
Can I do this?
Can I go further?
Can I keep going?
And sometimes, that's where you find the answers.
Not from another person.
Not from another belt.
Not from another certificate.
From yourself.
With every challenge you face, your physical skills may grow — but something else grows with them.
Your courage.
Your confidence.
Your ability to remain calm under pressure.
Your understanding of who you are.
Perhaps this is why so many people spend years looking outside themselves for strength, answers and direction, when some of what they are searching for can only be discovered by looking within.
The body is being trained.
But something deeper is being forged.
And that is where the real journey begins.
Stay young in spirit.

18/08/2026

https://youtu.be/XAWQM_liCyE?si=sgx_XlnK6q-7Dc6V

Keep Martial Arts Real

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING — REAL VIOLENCE
The video accompanying this post contains real-world violence. It is not being shared for entertainment, shock value or to glorify violence. It is being shared because I believe martial artists must understand the difference between training, sport and the reality of violence.

We live in a time when everything seems to be getting dumbed down, and sometimes we are handed fool's gold and told it is real gold.

So let's keep Martial Arts real.
Martial means combat, war and preparedness.
Art means skill, knowledge, practice and mastery.
Put them together and you have Martial Art.
I don't train because I want violence. I train because I understand that violence exists.

I don't wear a seat belt because I want to crash. I wear it because I know crashes happen.

Self-defence is the same.
The beautiful values of Martial Art—discipline, respect, humility, confidence, health, friendship and character—are all important. But don't let those values become an excuse to forget the reality of the word martial.

When you step outside your front door, you enter the real world.
It isn't a swimming pool.
It's the sea.

You don't have to be afraid of the sea, but you should respect it.
A tiger doesn't have to be frightened to be alert. While we are looking at our phones, the tiger is watching its surroundings.
Awareness is not fear.

Preparation is not aggression.
Peace is not helplessness.

And self-defence is not looking for a fight.
Don't walk around boasting about who you can beat or how many people you can take on. If you have a family waiting for you at home, your job is not to go down in a blaze of glory.
Your job is to get home.

Master what you know. Learn to adapt. Stay humble. Stay alert. Avoid violence whenever you can—but never be naïve about its reality.

Because when real danger comes, titles, trophies and Dan grades don't make you invincible.

Knowledge must become understanding.
Understanding must become ability.
And ability must be controlled by wisdom.
That's why we train.

Keep it real.

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10/08/2026

SOMETHING HAS BEEN TAKING SHAPE...

I've been quiet for a while, but I haven't been standing still.

I've been working on something very important to me — a two-volume Moo Do reference work, being developed in both English and Polish.

This is not intended to be simply another martial arts book.

I want to create something substantial.

Something that contains knowledge, history, experience and philosophy — but also something that can be held, felt, studied and treasured.

The books, their presentation and every detail that goes into them are being considered carefully.

There is still a long way to go, but I thought it was time to give you a first glimpse of what has been taking shape.

This is only the beginning.

The Codner Standard.

Don't claim excellence. Strive to create it.

More to come.

— Grandmaster T. Codner

08/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me birthday wishes, messages, and kind words.

I truly appreciate every one of them. It means a lot to know that I have shared moments, memories, and friendships with so many wonderful people.

I am grateful for everyone who has been part of my journey, and I wish you all health, happiness, and success.

With sincere thanks and respect.

Master T. Codner

06/07/2026

Today has given me time to reflect.

I have reached 68 years of age, and as I look back over my life, I realise there was a time when I never believed I would live this long.

As a young black boy growing up on a council estate in the East End of London, raised by my mother, I grew up in a world that often seemed filled with poverty, racism, violence and hatred. There were days when I believed those things might one day define my life.

Thankfully, they didn't.

One person refused to let them.

My mother.

She never gave me riches, because she never had them to give.

What she gave me was far more valuable.

She gave me her love.
She gave me her belief.
She gave me her support.
And one day, she gave me the money for my very first martial arts lesson.

Neither of us could have imagined where that one lesson would lead.

For the past 51 years, I have simply tried to honour that gift.

I have never measured my life by money, titles or possessions, because those things can appear and disappear more than once during a lifetime.

I have experienced success.

I have experienced failure.

I have had seasons of comfort.

I have known what it feels like to lose almost everything and have to begin again.

Life has been my greatest teacher.

People know me today as Grandmaster Trevor Codner.

But the truth is...

Inside me still lives the same young boy who wanted nothing more than to become a true martial artist and, more importantly, a decent human being.

If there is one lesson that over half a century of martial arts has taught me, it is this:

A black belt is not found around your waist.

It is found in your character.

It is found in how you treat people who can do nothing for you.

It is found in keeping your word when nobody would know if you broke it.

It is found in standing back up after life has knocked you down one more time than you thought you could bear.

People often see the victories.

Very few see the sacrifices behind them.

Very few see the disappointments.

The loneliness.

The doubts.

The times you quietly question yourself.

Yet you continue.

Because quitting would mean becoming someone you were never meant to be.

Over these fifty-one years I have tied thousands of white belts around students' waists.

I have watched frightened children become confident adults.

I have watched generations of families grow together.

Those moments have been worth more than anything money could ever buy.

Today, I still carry dreams.

Some may never become reality.

Some may take longer than I hope.

But I have learned that dreams are not measured by whether they happen quickly.

They are measured by whether they are worthy of giving your life to.

Life has taught me something very simple.

If you can dream it, you can begin to see it.

If you can see it clearly enough, you can begin to build it.

And if one day you build it... never forget those who believed in you before anyone else did.

Dreams are never built by money alone.

They are built through faith.

Sacrifice.

Discipline.

Perseverance.

And the courage to keep walking when the destination is still hidden beyond the horizon.

As I grow older, I find myself wanting fewer things.

Not more success.

Not more recognition.

Not more titles.

I simply hope that when my own journey finally comes to an end, those whose lives crossed mine will be able to say,

"He tried his best."

"He treated people with respect."

"He never stopped being a student."

"He left the world a little better than he found it."

To my late mother...

Thank you for believing in a little boy before he believed in himself.

To my late Master...

Thank you for teaching me that martial arts is not simply about learning how to fight.

It is about learning how to live.

To every student who has ever walked through the doors of our dojang...

Thank you.

You have taught me just as much as I ever taught you.

I remain a student.

Always.

The learning never ends.

The journey never ends.

And while I still have breath in my body, I will continue striving to become not just a better martial artist...
..but a better human being.

With Respect Always,

Grandmaster Trevor Codner

Strength of Spirit. Purity of Heart. Eternal Respect.

"In life, I have learned that if you can dream it, you can see it. If you can see it, you can build it. And if one day you build it, never forget the people who believed in you before anyone else did.

16/06/2026

Martial arts must build respect, discipline, and unity—not ego.
Discipline doesn’t mean we are perfect. It means we strive to be so. See less.

14/05/2026

In martial arts, I have always believed one simple truth:
We are human beings first — before we are grandmasters, masters, or instructors.
No rank removes our responsibility to remain humble, respectful, and aware of our humanity.
Students are not slaves, and they are not possessions. They are individuals with their own lives, families, struggles, and journeys. They deserve respect, understanding, and guidance — not control.
Loyalty is not something that can be demanded. Loyalty is a gift. And like all gifts, it must be earned through character, consistency, and integrity.

I have been in martial arts for over 50 years, and I still believe this:
A true martial artist is not measured only by skill, rank, or titles — but by how they treat others when pride, disagreement, or emotion enters the room.

We are not gods. We make mistakes. We learn. We grow. We sometimes fall short. But from those moments we must take knowledge, not ego, and strive to improve on our mistakes.
I will continue to live by this principle:
to show respect first,
to lead by example,
to accept responsibility,
and to remain a student of the way for life.

I have dedicated over half a century to preserving the true spirit of martial arts — not watered down for ego, politics, or modern trends, but rooted in discipline, honor, respect, and warrior character.

This is the way I was taught.
This is the way I teach.
And this is the way I will continue to live.