FOR TAEKWONDO: Kim (left) together with Tan (right) and taekwondo students pose for a photo call in the KRP gymnasium.
MIRI: A South Korean taekwondo master was in Miri recently to impart some of the latest development in the martial arts sport to local students here.
“I’ll be here for about one week to teach the latest techniques – poomsae and taerobic,” said Master Kim Tae Ho who hails from Boryeong City in Chung Cheong Nam Do state of South Korea.
Kim is a member of the Boryeong Taekwondo Association and the chairman of Chung Nam Division Taekwondo Association (CNDTA).
CNDTA represented by Kim and others three years ago, signed a sister club agreement with the local Petroleum Recreation Club (KRP) in Lutong here.
“In the past, taekwondo has been accused of being dangerous, especially to children and beginners. So there is a trend to make the art of self defence safer and more interesting,” explained Kim who came over with 12 students and five other trainers during their summer school holidays.
At KRP, Kim came with four junior and a senior taekwondo students to join the KRP exponents in training.
Incidentally, Kim was a former student and graduate of Curtin University Sarawak Malaysia in the English language faculty back in 2002 where he studied for about two and a half years.
After returning to South Korea, Kim continued to be actively involved in the country’s passion with taekwondo, including helping out with the South Korea national Olympics team in London this year.
In South Korea, taekwondo is very popular and is widely taken up by students.
This is indicated by the frequency of senior black belt upgrading sessions conducted every two months as compared to only once a year in Malaysia, and there are easily 4,000 exponents attending upgrades in every state.
Senior upgrading for black belt holders range from one to nine “dan”, while junior upgrading of coloured belts for beginners is held every three months here.
Meanwhile KRP coordinator and former taekwondo coach Vincent Lee informed that the KRP’s taekwondo club was formed some six years ago and currently has about 48 students.
“The taekwondo rules changes every year, so we need to catch up with the amendment and upgrade ourselves in the sport,” said Lee who has been the club’s coach from 1999 to 2005.
Future plan calls for at least two local students to be sent to South Korea this year for two months’ training stint there.
“It will help prepare our students to participate in Hamadan taekwondo competition in South Korea, and perhaps next year’s World Taekwondo Competition there,” he added.
KRP taekwondo coach Master Tan Kim Yeo put her students through their paces in learning the new techniques from Kim and his team.
Taerobic is a new, fun way of mixing taekwondo moves with aerobic dancing to the beats of music, so that beginners and the audience will not find it too boring while poomsae is a more straightforward display of the martial arts moves.
Tan is a well qualified coach with her own gym and is the taekwondo instructor of North Star Taekwondo Club in Krokop here.
The KRP taekwondo club is opened for taekwondo classes every Saturday and Sunday 5pm to 6.30pm except for public holidays.
Those interested in taekwondo can contact Tan at 019-4898618 for more information.