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Taekwondo, towards mental and physical discipline
Yap! A spirited shout echoes within the walls of the Virlanie Foundation each morning. This sound has been a signal that Taekwondo class has begun!
Mino, a Korean voluteer from KOPION is a sabunim (“teacher” in Korean); he was Taekwondo master in 2008. The children loveD him, and he did an incredible job of instructing them in this ancient art!
The Sunbeam: How long have you been teaching at Virlanie, and what is your work, specifically?
Minho: I have been with Virlanie for three months. I lead a Taekwondo class two times a day. The training consists of stretching, pumsae (the connective motion of kicking and punching), kicking and sparring.
SB: What is Taekwondo?
Minho: Taekwondo doesn’t teach how to fight well. Taekwondo is a 2,000-year-old Korean martial art that was designed to achieve a disciplined mental and physical health.
The practice also stresses the importance of courtesy, so the children who are learning Taekwondo can develop respect and consideration for each other and their elders. Through this daily exercise, they’ll also build self-esteem and self-dependence.
SB: Many of the children in your Taekwondo class suffer from physical and mental problems. What is your special way of caring for them?
Minho: Before coming to Virlanie, I heard about what the children went through, that they didn’t all have good influences in their families. I want to teach them how to live together. In my class, manners are the most important thing. So they can be altruists helping each other in this society, not being egoists.
SB: What do you think are the most positive effects of Taekwondo?
Minho: I don’t let children give up during exercise, so they can learn how to be patient when they meet suffering in their life. And after working out hard, the children can feel their abilities are promoted, in this process; they get passion and a sense of accomplishment. I hope it will bring a positive change to the children’s lives in the future.
After class, Mino always visits his students’ homes. When he first arrived from Korea, he experienced culture shock. It was difficult sometimes to understand the children and so maintaining his class was a challenge. Now, however, after getting to know the children as both their master and their friend, he has a better understanding of the way they think and the reasons for their behavior.
Taekwondo is now the most popular class at Virlanie!
Report by Ji Hye Lee / Sunbeam / June 2008
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