Sports
THE Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria (KCCN) has graduated 60 Taekwondo practitioners in Korean Taekwondo training class in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the practitioners who comprised children and teenagers graduated, while some were graded and promoted to their respective belt levels on Wednesday in Abuja.
The belt levels included white belt to yellow belt, yellow belt to blue belt, blue belt to brown belt, brown belt to red belt and red belt to black belt.
Some that were not promoted from one belt colour to another, or from junior to senior level, were urged to train more to enable them to change the colour of their belts.
Speaking at the graduation /promotion ceremony, Coach Gbolohan Ogunmuyiwa, Head of Taekwondo training KCCN, said the event focused on graduating practitioners who had registered for the last term of the year.
Ogunmuyiwa said practitioners were graduated after assessing their capabilities on their termly programme that runs three times in a year, including summer.
According to him, the programmes come up in the first term, second term, third term and summer, adding that this was the third term and the last term of the year.
“So the students have been training for the past three months, they just officially wrapped up the term reason for this ceremony.
“For the entire term, we trained 30 students every term, we have almost 140 trainees including adults that are trained termly as well,” he said.
He explained that promotion in Taekwondo was based on consistency of training, as well as the rate at which the person comprehends the skills taught.
“But above all, the person`s character is put into consideration. No matter the skills, brilliance and how endowed you are, if there are character defaults and deficits there is a limit to what it can be like,“he added.
He said that parents are always encouraged to allow their children to compete because it is good for them.
” Competition is part of the requirement for promotion. In Taekwondo, it is a scheme of work because this is space for theoretical education.
“In theoretical education, there is what we call tenets of Taekwondo. We have a Taekwondo textbook, courtesy, Integrity, perseverance, self-Control and indomitable spirit.
” Those five tenets can be expanded because they are the basic principles that guide the conduct of Taekwondo practitioners.
” We always encouraged them to be empathetic, because what we called friendship is more important than winning the trophy,” he said.
He urged parents to observe their children’s instructors based on the person’s lifestyle, as a parent you have to entrust your child to a responsible person, especially your girl child.
Mrs Preye Madaki, a parent, said she wanted her children to have self-defence, confidence and also to be disciplined.
According to her, Taekwondo teaches the children the right choices and better character.
“Taekwondo is a good sport that gives our children confidence. When I say confidence, it is not just about defending themselves, but wherever they find themselves they can stand out,” she said.
Another parent, Mr Okpozu Otse, a businessman and contractor, said the hunger to learn behavioural traits motivated him to bring his child.
Otse said that he wanted his child to be well prepared and focused, because he has not been able to focus on his social skills.
“I want to ensure that he will be able to have a curriculum that will help him focus on achieving particular tasks because my child has a big emotion.
“I try to make sure that by the time he finishes the programme, he will be able to break through struggles and handle them a bit better,” he said.
He added that their coaches had taught them not to use what they learnt to harm their friends and family members.
“It is only for training and self-defence should the case arise, but not to harm somebody else,“he said.
Master Lawal Barkindo, a student of Noble Height Academy Karu, FCT, said he had been training for the past 10 years with numerous experiences.
Barkindo said Taekwondo has made him have self-confidence, which he also uses for self-defence, but not to fight or bully people.
NAN reports that the highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of awards of consistency to a 13-year- old boy, Barkindo and a 10-year-old girl Iyoralhi Ogugua.(NAN)
5th December, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria
