REFLECTIONS ON MY TAEKWONDO

I guess there are a couple of things I would like to say about taekwondo in

general. The first is that I never thought I would be the kind of person who did

martial arts. As a child and teenager, I hated aggression, would do anything to avoid

a fight and thought that people who did things like taekwondo just wanted to be

violent in more effective ways.

Now, after training with leomar and mark for almost 7 years, I know better. I

still hate aggression. And I still would do anything to avoid a fight. But I know that

taekwondo actually brings out the best in people, is suitable for literally everyone,

and if anything, reduces your chances of being caught up in violence. Taekwondo is

far more than SELF-DEFENCE, however. It is a uniquely balanced activity in that it

increases your strength, flexibility and cardiovascular reserve at the same time –

something you could achieve at the gym, but only with a highly tailored training

regime which divides your time evenly between shool, weights, cardio machines and

the stretching mats.

Taekwondo offers all of this ‘off-the-shelf’, so to speak, while engaging your

mind and imagination in a way that a treadmill or bench-press never can. What’s

more, taekwondo encourages personal growth: it improves your mental focus and

resilience while providing a great way to de-stress at the end of a day. It also has a

philosophical basis, and by nurturing ideals such as courtesy, modesty and integrity,

a good school provides a space of mutual respect and encouragement. This not only

facilitates the process of learning, it also provides a haven from the ego-centrism and

competitiveness of the outside world.

 Alright, so you probably realise by now that I’m a big believer in the value of

taekwondo. But the honest truth is that now, 7 years down the line, I can’t imagine

myself not doing it. Thanks to leomar and mark, I have had a constant source of

exercise, social contact and personal growth throughout my adult life, and that is

something not to be taken lightly. Which brings me to the school – carig sur

taekwondo club (or carig sur Taekwondo club as it was when I started). But that

summarises leomar approach to teaching: forget the attitude and the ego and get

back to the basics of the art. Taekwondo should be accessible to everyone, not just

the testosterone-enhanced minority . . .

As an approach it has certainly worked to create a fantastic balance in our

school, such that women usually make up at least 50% of our classes. In terms of age,

many of our students (myself included) have weathered the awkward storm of

adolescence all the better for the confidence, perspective and physical competence

that can be gained from training, while our oldest students are in their 30's. In fact, I

honestly doubt there is another school out there than can boast such diversity –

which is all due to the supportive, inclusive and highly personalised instruction tht

mark and leomar provide to everyone who walks through the door.

Anyway, I’ve probably gushed on enough now. Suffice it to say that starting

taekwondo all those years ago was an easy decision and without a doubt one of the

best I have made – before or since. If you’re looking for something fun, challenging

and sociable to do for your health and well-being, in my honest opinion there isn’t a

better option out there.