[Muleta] is an 8th dan Master Instructor and Senior Administrative member (under Secretary) of the International Taekwon-do Federation. Muleta is the President & Technical Director of United ITF Australia and Managing Director and resident instructor at the ITF Centre of Excellence.
Michael Muleta is an 8th Degree Black Belt Master Instructor, as well as A Class International Umpire. Master Muleta currently holds the official post of under Secretary General of the International Taekwon-Do Federation.
He is the Founding President of United ITF Taekwon-Do Australia Inc, with 30 years of ITF experience at the highest level as a competitor, coach, umpire and administrator. Michael has with an extensive Taekwon-Do and education background. His informative seminars are some of the most highly regarded domestically and internationally.
Michael’s involvement in martial arts is extensive and diverse, where he has gained respect across other styles and organizations. In 2018, he was inducted into the Australasian ITF Hall Of Fame for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Taekwon-Do. Michael is currently the Director of the Arnold Classic Taekwondo for the Arnold Sports Festival Australia and also has been the Martial Arts Convenor for the Australian Masters Games since 2013.
Competition Record[]
A multiple national champion (7 x – including Best Overall in 1997) and World Championship competitor himself, as well as coaching several ITF World Champions (including the 2010 best overall senior female – Korea).
Master Michael Muleta is a 3 x Martial Arts Hall of Fame nominee, and was an Australian Sports Medal Recipient in 2000. Before shifting his focus to leading the National Organization, and raising a large family, Michael’s led his school Thoroughbred Taekwon-Do to unprecedented results. Thoroughbred Taekwon-Do won the “Best Overall Club” trophy for Best Team at ITF Oceanic Championships (1999), Master Choi Cup (2003, 2005), ITF Australasian Championships (1995, 1996, 2001,2004), ITF Australian Championships (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005,2006), ITF Victorian Championships (1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,2006,2007, 2008, 2009).
He personally trained the Best Overall Female winner at the 2010 ITF World Championships, held in Korea. Joanne Barwood, of Thoroughbred Taekwon-Do Melton, won 2 Gold and 2 Silver medals in that event.
World Championships Coach[]
Michael Muleta was selected in the National Team for the 1994 World Championships (Malaysia) but due to petty politics, withdrew from the team. He took up an coaching consultant position with the New Zealand national team instead.
Michael went on to coach the Australian National Team at the 1995 (Poland) and 1996 (Czech Republic) ITF World Championships, before returning to compete at the 1997 World Championships (Russia). This was his last opportunity to compete at the World Championships as the rules of the day did not allow International Instructors to compete.
World Championships Umpire[]
In 2002, Michael was appointed a member of the ITF Umpire Committee. At the 2007 ITF World Championships Michael was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding ITF Umpire’ medal.
He has Umpired at World Championships in Italy (2001), Argentina (2002) England (2007), and was an ITF Tournament Committee member from 2002-2014. In this role, he assisted in the running of the ITF World Championships in 2007 (England), 2010 (Korea), 2012 (Canada) and 2014 (Italy).
Michael hosted and organized the World Championships in 2006 (Australia)
ITF Master Instructor[]
Master Michael Muleta has conducted multiple training seminars across the World including New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Italy, Sri Lanka (military), Nepal, South Africa and Puerto Rico.
In addition to serving as ITF Technical Director in Australia for close to a decade, overseeing Australia’s most successful international period. Michael has also been Technical Director for Sri Lanka, Nepal and New Zealand.
In 2010, Michael had the honour of being chosen as one of 4 of the World’s leading ITF Masters to conduct the first ITF Seminars in Korea. He also went on to conduct be the first overseas guest Master instructor to lead the ITF Tul tour in Korea. In all, Michael taught in the Taekwon-Do homeland of Korea on 3 separate visits.
Taekwon-Do student[]
Michael has personally trained with [Choi Hong Hi] (dec) on 9 occasions, and Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa (9th Degree) on 15 occasions and is well versed in the genuine and authentic Taekwon-do techniques and teachings.
Michael has trained with many other Taekwon-Do Grandmasters, Masters and International Instructors both in Australia and abroad. These include Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha, Grandmaster Charles .E. Sereff, Grandmaster Paul Cutler, Grandmaster Nestor Galarraga and Master Robert Wheatley (8th Degree).
Additionally Michael has acted as a leading assistant in seminars with [Choi Hong Hi], Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha and Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa across Australia and New Zealand.
Michael has also trained for varying amounts of time in a variety of other martial arts systems including Ju-Jitsu and boxing as well as training in many seminars. These included Dan Inosanto (Jeet Kune Do), Professor Wally Jay (Ju-Jitsu), George Dillman (Pressure Points), Dr. Julian Lim (Hapkido). Michael also spent some time in a China Institute of Mining and Technology, during 1989 training in Wushu and tactical response with a police rookie squad.
Michael has appeared on the front of Australasian Taekwon-Do magazine twice. He is the only Australian ITF instructor to appear on the front cover and feature interview of the Taekwon-Do Times magazine in the USA in 2011.
He started ITF training in 1986. As a student, Michael Muleta trained with many schools, often simultaneously. These included Lai Taekwon-Do, Il Shim International Taekwon-Do, Melton Taekwondo (WTF), Golden Kicks Taekwon-Do (WTF) and on many occasions with ITFNZ (New Zealand). He attended the ITF World Camp in 1991, as the only Australian in attendance, he led a Plyometrics seminar with around 80 participants.