Thu. Nov 7th, 2024
By Priscilla Osaje
Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria (KCCN) has promoted 25 students to different belt levels in the 2024 Korean Taekwondo training class in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taekwondo is a Korean martial art  and combat sport  involving punching and kicking techniques.
It has five tenets which includes; courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit.
The students, who comprised of children and teenagers were graded and promoted to their respective belt levels on Thursday in Abuja.
The levels included whites 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.
While some were promoted from junior to senior level as they retained the same colour of belts.
Speaking at the promotion ceremony, Coach Gbolohan Ogunmuyiwa, Head of Taekwondo training KCCN, said  the event  focused on promoting  taekwondo students based on what they had learnt in 13 weeks.
Ogunmuyiwa, who is also the master instructor  of taekwondo class, said it was a way of assessing the students capabilities on their termly programme that runs three times in a year  including summer.
According to him, assessing the students will help the coaches to know their area of weakness and strength and such will enable them to know the area to concentrate  in their next class.
He further said that  taekwondo training class focused on grassroot and community development, adding  that their attention was  on grassroot because they want to develop it at the community level.
” Taekwondo has a lot of benefits for the children and  number one benefit is to develop their  character in the process of  drilling them.
” No matter how good you are in spying, fighting, winning others, if you have a bad character you can not be promoted.
” Taekwondo helps the children to develop  their  self worth,  morale and  value, by making  the children to  stand shoulder high by  commanding respect in their various environments,” he said.
He urged their parents to be patient but not to see the programme as a wasted  effort or investment.
The head coach commended the parents of the children for fostering unity  in their various families by  coming to stay with the children  through out their  training class.
Also speaking, Mr Bunmi Olaniyan, KCCN Taekwondo coach,   said students being able to showcase a bit of what they were taught facilitate their promotion to their next level.
Olaniyan said taekwondo has  helped  the children to overcome fear,  because parents could not be everywhere to protect their children, rather they were  left with training and opportunities given to them.
According to him, taekwondo is a social  outlet for children from different backgrounds and religions, which teaches them on how  to accommodate and respect themselves better.
” You improve your skills in taekwondo even when you feel you are hurting someone,  reason why you see the children shaking and hugging themselves as a sign of mutual respect.
“I can say this  is the right decision parents have taken to protect their children,  what you give to them is what they will give back to you, because you will not be there to fight for them,” he said.
One of the students, Lawal Barkindo, said taekwondo is a great sport that has made him to be more confident of himself in school and outside the school.
Barkindo, who was promoted from red belt to black belt, said he could defend himself from those that were good at bullying him.
According to him, being a taekwondo student has scared many people away from him especially those that use to bully him in the past.
” When some of my classmates that use to bully me discovered that I am a taekwondo student they were afraid of me.
” Taekwondo has also helped me to upgrade myself by making me to be more attentive in my taekwondo class and in school inorder to comprehend effectively.
” You observed that I was given  a belt with  black and red colour instead  of only black belt,  this is   because I am still a teenager.
Normally I graduated as a black belter because I have attained the highest level of taekwondo, but I  will get the black belt when I  clock  18 years, ” he said.
Barkindo, who is described as ‘a great fighter’ is  set to  represent KCCN at competition at the National stadium, in Lagos soon,  commended KCCN for promoting and improving Taekwondo culture and skills in Nigeria.
Also, Ms Halima Aliyu, who  was promoted from brown belt to red belt, said she was so excited for  the promotion.
According to her, her father is a first black belter  of taekwondo and  has impacted a lot of taekwondo skills on them from childhood.
” I have spent two years in other belts , but I am so excited that I only spent one year on brown belt before acquiring the red belt.
” I want to appreciate our KCCN coaches especially coach Olaniyan, who has helped me through out the training since I joined the taekwondo class.
” Taekwondo has really helped me to overcome the  fear of participating in school competition. It has also  boost my self-esteem and lifted my spirit” she said.
The highpoint of the event was a Taekwondo demonstration staged  fight by selected students, as well as  performance of  different  kinds of techniques such as blocking,  kicking  among others.
NAN also reports that KCCN has been notable for remarkable contributions in the development of taekwondo in Nigeria over the years(NAN)

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