Ansan’s World Taekwondo Academy, “Learn Taekwondo and understand others.”
(Published April 11, 2013)

In The World Taekwondo Academy, located in Migrant Community Service Center of ‘Oulim’ Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province, people from various countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, and China gather and enjoy with others. They are not likely to harmonize with one another, but they become one when learning taekwondo together. They do various activities using taekwondo skills to promote Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and Korea to the world.

“One! Two! Three!” Taekwondo boasts its well-disciplined motions with a shout of concentration. To us, taekwondo is a very familiar sport. Almost all of us probably have memories about the old days when we tried hard to learn Poomsae (specific motions pattern) at the taekwondo studio. Since taekwondo was adopted as an official event in the 2000 Summer Olympics, its prestige has been soaring in the world.

◇ It becomes a place for culture that soothes foreigners’ different feelings, for example, joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, and lets them understand Korean cultures. ⓒ Reporter Kim, Hyun-dong

The World Taekwondo Academy of Ansan City hands down the spirit of taekwondo which values courtesy and enlightenment. It has become a place for culture that understands foreigners’ different feelings, for example, joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, and lets them understand Korean cultures. In addition to foreigners, the place plays a significant role in promoting Ansan City, Gyeonggi Province, and even Korea to Korean nationals through taekwondo. The attendees of the academy are spreading taekwondo to those who have never visited to Korea at a rapid pace by uploading their practices on social networks including Facebook and Twitter

Ansan’s World Taekwondo Academy accepted the first attendees in 2007, and now it has about 860 attendees from 26 countries, gaining a huge popularity. Among them, about 200 people hold a black belt with outstanding skills.

“When I first came to Korea, it was difficult to adapt Korean because I was far away from my family and the cultures were not familiar to me. It was also difficult to make friends in the company as foreigners seek and hang out with the same nationals. However, all the problems have been removed since I started taekwondo lessons. We became one through our common interest, ‘taekwondo’. In short, taekwondo is a tonic for my life in Korea.”

Ismael, a Filipino living in Korea for 5 years, works at one textile company located in Ansan Industrial Complex. After work, he usually rushes to turn toward Migrant Community Service Center of Ansan City, where the World Taekwondo Academy is. He said thanks to taekwondo, he became accustomed to and lived in Korea over 5 years.”

Elmira from Kazakhstan is a marriage immigrant and works as a teacher of multiculture now. She already gained the official second level of black belt and that demonstrates she fell in love with taekwondo. Elmira also resolved a sense of alienation and loneliness from cultural differences by taekwondo. Unlike other sports, taekwondo has sparring time with many friends, which helped her socialize with others and resolve her problems. On the day of class or practice for performance demonstration, attendees usually come earlier than scheduled and hold stretching class by themselves.

Starting in small size, Ansan World Taekwondo Academy has soaring number of attendees as it became famous on everyone’s tongue. More people could attend the class as the place moved to the 3rd floor of Migrant Community Service Center, located in Wongok-dong of Ansan City, from Choji Social Welfare Center in March 2008.

Positive effect on the community

Taekwondo classes of Ansan World Taekwondo Academy are held by 4 or 5 taekwondo masters in cooperation. They are chief masters operating the taekwondo studio in Ansan region, who united with the dedication and commitment of spreading taekwondo.

The academy also tries to spread Korean cultures and manners as well as taekwondo skills. In addition, it seeks their opportunity to work and serve for Korea, although they are foreigners. One of the examples is the voluntary cleaning activity for Multicultural Village Special Zone of Wongok-dong, Ansan City, which started last year. The activity became a good opportunity to give a good impression of foreigners to local residents who once saw them in a negative light.

“When promotion evaluation day or day of practicing performance demonstration comes, our members put on taekwondo uniform and go out to clean the street. Residents, when watching it, admire their cleaning and polite manners. We can say, we teach Korean traditional courtesy, patience and proud to foreigner by means of taekwondo.”◇ Starting in small size, Ansan World Taekwondo Academy has soaring number of attendees as it became famous on everyone’s tongue. ⓒ Reporter Kim Hyun-dong

Master Son Hee-yeon boasts that when the class attendees come across him in the street, they bow deeply at the waist. In this way, the World Taekwondo Academy offers mind training and implants sense of responsibility and pride in foreign immigrants by means of taekwondo. In the end, they realize by themselves the value of helping poor neighbors without getting caught into a fight. They will regularly clean the streets of Multicultural Village Special Zone to make the district clean and pleasant. Also, taekwondo performance team which consists of excellent rank-holding experts often participate in the representative foreigners’ festival Songkran, Danwon Art Festival, and event of Citizen’s Day, and many other events.

They hope to propagate taekwondo in their home country.

Foreigners, who once dabbled in taekwondo, now is moving forward with a new goal. Indonesian Yuli has been Korea for 4 years and has learned taekwondo for 3 years. His initial purpose was to be strong, but now he has another goal; He wants to go back to his home country to become a taekwondo master there. He stated he wants to enter a university in Korea with his taekwondo skills and to be awarded at the international taekwondo championships. Many others have the same desire; like Yuli, many want to run taekwondo studio in their home country. Some of them run the studio in their country in deed.

“Many of the attendees, after finishing their jobs from Ansan, went back to their country and is propagating taekwondo. In Indonesian cities such as the capital Jakarta, Sragen, and Pirajap, the once-taekwondo trainees opened and are running taekwondo studio. Likewise, trainees of different nationals are enthusiastic about promoting taekwondo in their country by working as taekwondo trainers. Various positive results are emerging from taekwondo.”

Indonesia is one of the most affected countries by taekwondo. Indonesian trainees were awarded prizes in many competition including 2012 Korea Open Taekwondo Championships and were invited by other countries many times. The taekwondo performance team go abroad to perform the taekwondo performance at least once per year. In 2011, They delivered the performance in Sragen at the invitation of Indonesian government, and in 2011, they visited Taekwondo Association of Bali, Indonesia.

Ansan World Taekwondo Academy expects if it continuously nurtures rank-holding taekwondo experts, they will propagate Korea in their country. It also expects foreigners visiting Ansan from their home country will vitalize regional economy, for example, by means of jointing training and, in the long term, contribute to promoting tourist industry of the region.◇ Taekwondo classes of Ansan World Taekwondo Academy are held by 4 or 5 taekwondo masters. They are chief masters operating the taekwondo studio in Ansan region with the dedication and commitment of spreading taekwondo. Taekwondo performance team which consists of excellent rank-holding experts often participate in the representative foreigners’ festival Songkran, Danwon Art Festival, and event of Citizen’s Day, and many other events. ⓒ Reporter Kim Hyun-dong

Besides, it plans to nurture taekwondo instructors for foreign countries by holding training sessions and seminars. Master Son hee-yeon expressed a ambitious determination at the end. “It’s time for Korea to deeply consider multicultures. While many people see multiculures negatively, we need an attitude of understanding them. Above all, it’s important to see them as our family and help them absorb into the Korean society without desertion. Taekwondo will play the role at the front.”

Taekwondo classes of Ansan World Taekwondo Academy are held by 4 or 5 taekwondo masters. They are chief masters operating the taekwondo studio in Ansan region with the dedication and commitment of spreading taekwondo. Taekwondo performance team which consists of excellent rank-holding experts often participate in the representative foreigners’ festival Songkran, Danwon Art Festival, and event of Citizen’s Day, and many other events.

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Reporter Yeo Gyung-mi

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201304111109087055C059&s_code=C059