Beyond Football: Taekwondo, an Art

Efe Ikhenaode and Veronica Giwa

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art. The word “taekwondo” (sometimes seen as, “tae kwon do”) consists of three parts: “tae,” meaning foot, “kwon,” meaning fist or hand, and “do,” meaning way of life. All together, Taekwondo literally means, “foot and fist way of life.” This is an apt description because not only does Taekwondo focus on kicking and punching techniques, but also on character development. These aspects of Taekwondo have roots in Korea’s ancient history. Although it involves using the foot and fist, it uses more of the foot.

The Taekwondo philosophy embraces principles such as integrity, respect, and self-control. In addition, Taekwondo practitioners are called Taekwondoin. The sport is categorized into two broad categories which are Kyrougi and Poomsae. Kyrougi is sparring, it is a type of Taekwondo where two practitioners fight using the techniques garnered from Poomsae. Meanwhile, Poomsae is an imaginary self-defence and attack where you pretend to have an opponent while you develop and display your skills.

Taekwondo is one of the approved sports at the University of Ibadan. It has a vibrant community of enthusiasts who train daily under Coach Osita Egwim, the technical director of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation. They train based on the category each player belongs to, coloured belts are used to distinguish one group from another.

The UI Taekwondo community won four bronze medals at the NUGA games in 2022. They have also participated in the FISU trail where they lost. They have participated in Competitions within and outside Nigeria.

Moreso, every new player automatically gets a white belt, but other belts are earned in stages and according to one’s competence. There are different coloured belts one can earn; from the yellow belt to the blue, brown, red and then black which is the highest stage one can attain. Interestingly, the black belt has nine stages to it, one needs to take courses and training to reach the black belt stage. In Taekwondo, practitioners retire when they reach a particular stage to allow upcoming players to flourish.

Some Taekwondoin who finished from the University and are doing well in Taekwondo even after school are Sabon Sunday Akinfaderin, Sabon Tahir Adeitan and Sabon Naomi. They have represented the country in Taekwondo Competitions around the world.

A noteworthy piece of information is that to practice Taekwondo, one must apply traditional Korean martial arts values and practices. These practices are loyalty to one’s country, obedience to parents, honouring one’s friends, perseverance and integrity.

Besides the obvious self-defence that Taekwondo teaches, there are several health benefits for those practising this martial arts form. Taekwondo improves flexibility, balance, posture, strength, and stamina. Muscle tone and physical condition agility and reflexes also improve as a result of participating in this sport. It improves mental health by increasing self-esteem, focus, confidence, concentration, and self-discipline. Taekwondo reduces stress.

Taekwondo is a sport that fosters unity, friendship and perseverance. It also boosts confidence as earlier stated, therefore if you are looking to learn a new sport pattern aside from Football, you should consider Taekwondo.