The Rose Knight
05-21-2007, 10:31 AM
I coppied this from the Dojang Digest. I thought that some of us here might enjoy it. Hope so!
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S Korea's taekwondo grannies shatter myths about ageing
by Jun Kwanwoo
Fri May 18
INCHEON, South Korea (AFP) - Their friends may settle for a stroll in
the park but
South Korea's taekwondo grannies are made of sterner stuff when it
comes to exercise.
Shattering stacks of roof tiles with a single powerful punch is part
of the daily training routine for the formidably tough members of the
Grandma Taekwondo Federation demonstration team, aged in their 60s and
70s.
In white robes about 20 women -- including 12 proudly sporting black
belts -- practise various chops, kicks and other sparring techniques
at a gym in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul.
Sharp yells of "Ha!" "Hap!" or "Pasha!" resound through the
second-floor matted gym during the gruelling two-hour workout.
One black-belted granny dexterously cruises past her peers who hold
rubber target boards at different angles. She knocks them down in the
blink of an eye with a series of graceful kicks and punches.
"All these women have won black belts through an official test at the
Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters)," said Yoon Yeo-Ho, a
taekwondo master and founder of the team which was launched in 1989.
"They use actual roof tiles and wooden boards to break for public
demonstrations. They practise a lot and harden their bones enough to
smash them (the boards) into pieces."
The team's 22 members are aged between 58 and 78, with 16 of them in
their 70s. They make it a rule to exercise at least two hours a day
and six days per week under Yoon's guidance.
"At the beginning, it was a simple idea that taekwondo could help
these grannies improve their health and that uniforms would look good
on them," Yoon said.
The team now performs 16 times a year on average at various ceremonies
or festivals at home and abroad -- in China, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and the Philippines.
At the start of the session the team recites "Hello" in Japanese,
Chinese, English and Thai to prepare for future foreign tours.
The tours fit the aims of the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
"As the nation where taekwondo was born, we're responsible for making
the sport enjoyed and loved by men and women of all ages," WTF
President Choue Chungwon told AFP.
"What matters is how we can let taekwondo take root in the world, not
how many medals we can earn from global competitions."
At the Incheon gym, each grandma seems full of confidence, satisfaction and fun.
"If any punk gets drunk and tries to do something stupid, I think I
can knock him out in a single blow," said Park Yeong-Ja, 72, a
second-grade black belt practitioner, clenching her fists in a mock
offensive gesture.
-- More than just exercise, taekwondo is a way of life --
She is the team's "smashing ace" who successfully broke a stack of 10
wooden boards during the latest public demonstration.
"Is my husband afraid of me? No. As I am healthier than I used to be,
he likes it. He even brags about it to his friends," Park said with a
smile.
But Park said her main delight was bringing her weight down from 80 to
67 kilograms (176-147 pounds) over several years.
Ji Bok-Yeon, 75, team leader and one of the best roof-tile smashers,
said taekwondo is not just a hobby but therapy for her rectal cancer.
"Doctors first saved my life by giving me a 30-month anti-cancer
treatment and taekwondo then gave me a cure. I no longer take
anti-cancer medicines after a nine-year workout," Ji said.
Ji is a serious enthusiast. She has had a photo taken of herself in
her taekwondo robe for use at her funeral and has asked teammates to
attend in uniform.
The exercise is also a social occasion at which grannies can chat,
joke and gossip over coffee or tea during a break or after training.
"I was formerly a shy person but now I feel like a totally different
character," said Lee Jeong-Suk, 68, who also holds a black belt and
took up the martial art to overcome depression after her husband's
death.
Taekwondo, an Olympic event since 2000, is practised by some 60
million people in 182 countries across the world, according to the
WTF.
The federation in 2004 launched reforms to bolster its status as a
global sport as the IOC reviews all 28 Olympic events. Some may be
dropped in future.
The federation says its reforms focus on making taekwondo more
commercially successful and more interesting.
The grannies fit the bill, attracting increasing public recognition.
"Once out in a park after appearing on a TV show, we were all
surprised to see kids scrambling to get our autographs," said Yoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
S Korea's taekwondo grannies shatter myths about ageing
by Jun Kwanwoo
Fri May 18
INCHEON, South Korea (AFP) - Their friends may settle for a stroll in
the park but
South Korea's taekwondo grannies are made of sterner stuff when it
comes to exercise.
Shattering stacks of roof tiles with a single powerful punch is part
of the daily training routine for the formidably tough members of the
Grandma Taekwondo Federation demonstration team, aged in their 60s and
70s.
In white robes about 20 women -- including 12 proudly sporting black
belts -- practise various chops, kicks and other sparring techniques
at a gym in the city of Incheon, west of Seoul.
Sharp yells of "Ha!" "Hap!" or "Pasha!" resound through the
second-floor matted gym during the gruelling two-hour workout.
One black-belted granny dexterously cruises past her peers who hold
rubber target boards at different angles. She knocks them down in the
blink of an eye with a series of graceful kicks and punches.
"All these women have won black belts through an official test at the
Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters)," said Yoon Yeo-Ho, a
taekwondo master and founder of the team which was launched in 1989.
"They use actual roof tiles and wooden boards to break for public
demonstrations. They practise a lot and harden their bones enough to
smash them (the boards) into pieces."
The team's 22 members are aged between 58 and 78, with 16 of them in
their 70s. They make it a rule to exercise at least two hours a day
and six days per week under Yoon's guidance.
"At the beginning, it was a simple idea that taekwondo could help
these grannies improve their health and that uniforms would look good
on them," Yoon said.
The team now performs 16 times a year on average at various ceremonies
or festivals at home and abroad -- in China, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and the Philippines.
At the start of the session the team recites "Hello" in Japanese,
Chinese, English and Thai to prepare for future foreign tours.
The tours fit the aims of the Seoul-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
"As the nation where taekwondo was born, we're responsible for making
the sport enjoyed and loved by men and women of all ages," WTF
President Choue Chungwon told AFP.
"What matters is how we can let taekwondo take root in the world, not
how many medals we can earn from global competitions."
At the Incheon gym, each grandma seems full of confidence, satisfaction and fun.
"If any punk gets drunk and tries to do something stupid, I think I
can knock him out in a single blow," said Park Yeong-Ja, 72, a
second-grade black belt practitioner, clenching her fists in a mock
offensive gesture.
-- More than just exercise, taekwondo is a way of life --
She is the team's "smashing ace" who successfully broke a stack of 10
wooden boards during the latest public demonstration.
"Is my husband afraid of me? No. As I am healthier than I used to be,
he likes it. He even brags about it to his friends," Park said with a
smile.
But Park said her main delight was bringing her weight down from 80 to
67 kilograms (176-147 pounds) over several years.
Ji Bok-Yeon, 75, team leader and one of the best roof-tile smashers,
said taekwondo is not just a hobby but therapy for her rectal cancer.
"Doctors first saved my life by giving me a 30-month anti-cancer
treatment and taekwondo then gave me a cure. I no longer take
anti-cancer medicines after a nine-year workout," Ji said.
Ji is a serious enthusiast. She has had a photo taken of herself in
her taekwondo robe for use at her funeral and has asked teammates to
attend in uniform.
The exercise is also a social occasion at which grannies can chat,
joke and gossip over coffee or tea during a break or after training.
"I was formerly a shy person but now I feel like a totally different
character," said Lee Jeong-Suk, 68, who also holds a black belt and
took up the martial art to overcome depression after her husband's
death.
Taekwondo, an Olympic event since 2000, is practised by some 60
million people in 182 countries across the world, according to the
WTF.
The federation in 2004 launched reforms to bolster its status as a
global sport as the IOC reviews all 28 Olympic events. Some may be
dropped in future.
The federation says its reforms focus on making taekwondo more
commercially successful and more interesting.
The grannies fit the bill, attracting increasing public recognition.
"Once out in a park after appearing on a TV show, we were all
surprised to see kids scrambling to get our autographs," said Yoon.