Bangalore: A National taekwondo clinic organised under the Olympic Solidarity Programme began at Sree Kanteerava indoor stadium here. The week-long programme is aimed at updating the Indian coaches with latest trends in the sport.
The World Taekwondo Federation has sent a Fifth Dan, Choi Se Min to supervise the course. “It is our effort to ensure that our coaches are exposed to latest trends and this programme would go a long way in helping them attain international standards”, said Praveen Kumar, Secretary General of the Taekwondo Federation of India.
About 50 coaches from all over the country are attending the meet and TFI is more concerned with quality of training in smaller centres, where there is enough interest but dearth of coaches had hampered its effort to popularise the sport in such centres.
“It is easy to train coaches than athletes, as they grasp the techniques much quicker and it also helps them to pass on that knowledge to their wards”, said the Korean trainer Choi Se Min.
The sessions are split into theory and on-court demonstrations with Korean trainer himself sparring with the Indian coaches. “We have so far gone through some of the principles governing offence and defence tactics and physical fitness. The trainees would be put through advanced techniques as the clinic progresses”, he added.
The trainer also emphasised on the need to participate in more international events. “It is through good competition that one can improve the skills, and that can be obtained only through better international exposure”, said Mr. Min.
The Karnataka Taekwondo Association, which is hosting the clinic, is among the more active associations on the National scene and it plans to hold a South Zone meet shortly.
Hindu Times
National taekwondo clinic begins
Nepal Army undergoes revolution
More than 200 years after remaining the main prop of Nepal's royal dynasty, the army, dominated by the country's elite and the aristocracy, is
now undergoing a revolution itself with its chief to come from the rank of commoners for the first time in its history.
On Monday, the controversial army chief, Gen Rookmangud Katawal, who opposed the entry of the Maoist guerrillas in the national army and caused the downfall of the Maoist government, goes on leave to be followed by retirement next month.
Prior to that, on Sunday, he will hand over charge to his successor, Lt Gen Chhatramansingh Gurung, the first chief of the Nepal Army to come from the indigenous tribes. In the past, Nepal's army chiefs had always been chosen from the three elite classes: the Shahs, allied to the royal dynasty, the Ranas, allied to the former hereditary prime ministers, and the Chhetris.
Though Katawal himself was a commoner, he had been adopted by King Mahendra, deposed king Gyanendra's father, and had the backing of the palace. Gurung, who has received his military training from institutions in Dehra Dun, the US and China, has a squeaky clean image. He also holds a black belt in taekwondo.
Though Katawal exits next week, his legacy of unrest however lives on through the resumed protests by the Maoists who from Friday began a second blockade of parliament. The previous siege, started in May after Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda resigned as prime minister, had lasted for over two months and caused the peace process to be badly obstructed.
The renewed obstruction, Prachanda has warned, could prevent the new constitution from coming into effect next year. Before he left for London on Saturday, Prachanda also said the Maoist protests would not be assuaged by Katawal's retirement.
"We have asked the government to prove that it puts civilian supremacy above the military," the Maoist chief said. "If Katawal had been removed before going into retirement, it would have been a positive gesture."
Santa Cruz ninja looks to spread ancient teachings online
According to legend, in 14th century Japan, land owners looking to protect their riches began to contract warriors willing to go against the code of the samurai. Assassins trained in the art of illusion and espionage, these men and women practice ninjutsu -- the art of stealth. They were known as ninjas.
Seven hundred years later, just 300 people can truly call themselves ninjas. Mark Roemke of Santa Cruz is one of them.
But while Roemke, 39, is skilled in the art of ninjutsu, he differs in several ways from his ancestors. For one, he's an electrician, not an assassin. Secondly, instead of keeping ninjutsu in its traditional shroud of secrecy, Roemke is trying to take his teachings public.
Roemke has created the Web site Ninja-Learning-Network.com, where martial arts enthusiasts can learn about the ancient art of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu and share their own resources, enhancing the online training experience for both beginners and experts.
It's a modern approach to an ancient art, but Roemke sees no problem with it. He said he believes the art form itself must remain intact, but the methods of teaching have to evolve in order to reach students in the far corners of the world.
"Even today in Japan's own culture, ninjas are often considered to be a myth," said Roemke. "The secret is that it's not a secret anymore."
In the past, only a select few were given the privilege to learn from a grandmaster. That changed about 40 years ago, when grandmaster Maasaki Hatsumi of Noda, Chiba in Japan realized that because of its shroud of secrecy, ninjutsu had the potential to fall off the martial arts map. Hatsumi, the head of the prominent martial arts organization Bujinkan and the lineage holder of several forms of martial arts, decided to unveil the ninja practices to the general public and began teaching.
Hatsumi, whom Roemke refers to as a "revolutionary rebel," was the first to let foreigners in on ninjutsu practices. Today 95 percent of his students, including Roemke, are not Japanese.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Roemke began practicing martial arts at the age of 7, beginning with traditional Korean taekwondo. When he was 18, he witnessed a ninjutsu demonstration, in which weapons such as swords and bo-shurikens [throwing daggers] were used. Immediately, he said, he became enchanted by this legendary, almost mythical, martial art.
Roemke earned his fifth-degree black belt in 2002 by participating in a soke test administered by Hatsumi. During a soke test, the student faces away from the master while the master swings a sword at the student. The student only passes the test if he "senses" the direction of the sword and evades it completely.
Over the past seven years, Roemke has taken Hatsumi's idea and moved it to the Web. From his dojo in Soquel, he conducts live online classes where students can learn from him and ask questions through live webcams. The Digital Dojo via webcam has been up for two months. For the more timid who just want an idea of what it takes to become a ninja, the Web site offers a free curriculum for all belts up to the first-degree black belt.
"Most people still aren't aware that the art form of ninjutsu' or ninja' is accessible to everyone now," he said in a statement. "We started the Santa Cruz Bujinkan Dojo about 10 years ago to get people excited about this form of martial art, but it's only now that technology will let us celebrate it with the whole world."
Roemke's ultimate goal is to create an online community that is fully dedicated to martial arts similar to that of a real-life community in a dojo. Roemke visits Hatsumi in Japan twice a year and said he is always surprised to find such a wide range of students. There, ninjutsu masters from around the world share styles and methods.
"I'm just this mellow Santa Cruz guy, and I'm training with officers from the DEA and Israeli soldiers," Roemke said. "But the thing is, we're all family there."
"Through every encounter," he added, "we reach enlightenment together."
Roemke said this enlightenment is what ninjutsu is all about. That's what he wants to present online for anyone to experience.
Through this, Roemke finds himself at the forefront of the new online ninja revolution, which could bring about a unique opportunity.
Though Hatsumi is said to move like a limber 19-year-old in the dojo, the reality of his age, 79, is that he won't be able to fill his role forever. There is tension on the subject of who will become the next grandmaster of the tradition. For his part, Roemke believes anyone who can find a way to revitalize a dying, ancient art will definitely find himself on the list of potential successors.
But Roemke's not waiting for the promotion to share lessons that long ago would have been kept secret.
"We are really excited to be talking to a local youth group right now about bringing in young people who really need something ultra cool to help them learn about their personal potential," he said in an e-mail. "Under the sort of mentorship that is inherent in ninja study, we can really help them. It's actually pretty easy, too, in a way. It has fewer rules and structures compared to other martial arts, it encourages people to explore their own techniques based on simple concepts."
The trick is to preserve old tradition in a modern frame.
Jason Eisenberg
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Taekwondo What and Why
"One could see from our shock loss to Guatemala in the recent tournament in Egypt that the reserve players are not good enough. I wanted to give every player a chance, but unfortunately this backfired, because we did not have the players from the bench to do the job." - Nigeria's U-20 Coach, Samson Siasia bemoaning the team's lack of quality substitutes on the team's friendly.
"He is just the type of player that we were looking for to complement Grafite and Edin Dzeko. He is not only quick, but he has also proven how dangerous he is in front of goal." - Armin Veh, the coach of Bundesliga defending Champions, VFL Wolfsburg on the purchase of Obafemi Martins from Newcastle.
"Everyone knows what happened but for me it's a little bit more difficult to explain. I am feeling much better now and I want to recover as soon as possible to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari." - Ferrari F1 driver, Felipe Massa after being released from hospital following an accident which resulted in a double head fracture.
"The federation only gave us approval to represent the country. Do you know that I spent ₦700,000 to feature in the tournament? At a stage, some Korean officials asked us the whereabouts of Nigerian officials. I told them we were told to represent the country and they told us that we must provide a coach, player and two delegates." - Taekwondo Coach Raheem Hassan commenting on the neglect of the Taekwondo association in 2006 despite the fact that he funded and represented Nigeria at an international championship in Korea.
"I don't think it is over for us in the competition because the defeat last weekend has further strengthened the team. All we need to do now is to work harder and win all our remaining matches, including going to Mali to beat Stade Malien. It is very possible. All we need is encouragement from Nigerians." - Bayelsa United's defender Chibuzor Okonkwo says that the team will still qualify from the group.
We have the passion to beat every team in Libya, but the stuff of Hakeem Olajuwon is not there yet among these players in the team. We will get there very soon." - John Lucas, newly contracted American coach declared that he was yet to see the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon in the national men's basketball team.
"He played with so much maturity for a 17-year-old and he makes the game looks easy and that is an art. It's something that you are born with and he's going to be a massive talent." - Former Arsenal player, Ray Parlour commenting on the undoubted talent of Jack Wilshire who has broken into the Arsenal first team for the 2009/2010 season.
"In my 23 years working in England there is not a person I would put an inch above Bobby Robson." - Alex Ferguson mourning the passing of Bobby Robson at the age of 76.
Web 234next
An encouraging Night Out for the community
oward County police celebrated its annual National Night Out festivities by opening a new satellite office in the Wilde Lake Village Center Tuesday evening.
The satellite office will join other satellite offices in the Columbia villages of Harper’s Choice, Long Reach and Oakland Mills as well as in North Laurel, Police Chief William McMahon said.
Local residents said the new office might give a boost to a village center badly in need of help.
“This shopping center, it was kind of dying,” said Hamlet Hartoni, of Owen Brown, who was watching his son perform in a Taekwondo demonstration that was part of the Wilde Lake festivities. He noted that the closing of the Giant supermarket in 2006 hurt the village center and said the police satellite office could help rejuvenate it.
“When they closed that Giant, it really slowed down,” Hartoni said.
Kevin Agahi, 36, owner of Wilde Lake Martial Arts Academy, said that during the summer young people congregated in his gym and around the village center.
He said he had concerns for their safety that the new satellite office had helped alleviate.
“It makes it easier,” he said.
As part of the 26th annual National Night Out, police departments across the country sponsored block parties for the public in an effort to foster stronger ties between the police and the communities they serve.
Howard County’s four other police satellite offices also hosted parties, police said, along with about 20 other communities in Howard County.
About 50 law enforcement, local government officials and civilians attended the Wilde Lake kick-off.
Chief McMahon and County Executive Kenneth Ulman addressed the crowd, explaining the new satellite office and extolling the virtues of the National Night Out.
The festivities included the Taekwondo demonstration, and police and civilians milled around eating pizza and chatting.
The new office will be staffed by Officer Anthony Nigro, who will work with local businesses, residents and community associations. Nigro will supplement the patrol officers and will work on long-term solutions for crime problems in the area, McMahon said.
Nigro said he applied for the job because it offered him the chance to work with both patrol officers and the community.
“This office gives me a unique opportunity to assist patrol officers, but also be a resource for the community,” he said.
McMahon said another new satellite office will be opened in Owen Brown within two months.
Kendall Fedor, 52, of Wilde Lake, happened upon the National Night Out event by accident.
“I came around the corner and went, `Whoa!” she said.
Fedor said she was concerned that vacant store fronts could lead to increased crime. “We miss our Giant,” she said. “We really need a supermarket around here.”
Explorehoward.com
Martial Arts Athlete Escaped from Jail
A MARTIAL ARTS athlete yesterday escaped prison by the skin of his teeth when his medical history was brought to the court’s attention minutes before he was sentenced.
Andreas Aristidou, 26, who was found guilty of assaulting and causing actual bodily harm to a Nicosia traffic warden in August last year, was sentenced to 45 days imprisonment suspended for three years.
Nicosia district judge Michalis Ambizas appeared to take into consideration the fact that Aristidou had suffered epileptic seizures in 2004 induced by a brain tumour.
In 2005 surgery to remove the growth had only been partially successful, Aristidou’s lawyer told the court. He said his client had been taking medication three times a day ever since in preparation for a second operation and was under the supervision of the Neurology and Genetics Institute. This tumour had also affected his performance as a taekwondo athlete and explained why he had won no more medals since 2001 when he brought home the bronze during a taekwondo competition in Spain, he said.
The new information was brought to the court’s attention at the eleventh hour. The judge had been due to read out his sentence at 9.30am and was instead forced to review his decision based on the additional facts presented.
The defence lawyer said the information had only been brought to his attention by his client’s mother in the last four days. He told the court his client had not felt it necessary to disclose his personal medical history as part of his defence. Ambizas pointed out there was quite a lot that had not come to the court’s attention until now.
The judge also heard Aristidou had settled out of court a pending claims suit with the traffic warden and that both the latter and the taekwondo expert and had fully resolved their differences. Apparently the plaintiff received €2,170 in compensation which he received yesterday shortly before the morning procedure began.
The court also heard the taekwondo champion, who has represented Cyprus abroad and works for the Cyprus Sports Organisation, expressed his regret “even at this late hour” for his actions.
Aristidou, who is married with a 17-month-old baby and had been held in custody since last Friday when he was found guilty, stood in the dock looking less self-assured. Gone was the cocky half smile during last week’s appearance. There was also a small cut on his forehead above his right eyebrow as he gripped on to the dock railing. Sitting with a long face in the back of the courtroom was his father; his wife and mother were absent.
In light of the new information the judge asked for a 90-minute recess. Ambizas came back at midday with the suspended sentence without first stressing Aristidou’s behaviour had “no place in society”. The judge said what worsened the 26-year-old man’s “unacceptable reaction” to receiving a parking fine from an attendant who had simply been doing his job was the fact that he was a taekwondo athlete and trainer. He said society had come to expect more from people like that who should know better.
Asked later whether he was happy with the final outcome in light of the circumstances Aristidou’s response was succinct: “No.”
The 26-year-old did not elaborate what he meant further and said he was considering filing an appeal.
The incident took place on Themistoclis Dervis Street in August last year when Aristidou parked his car in a handicapped spot and received a fine. The issue quickly escalated into a verbal and physical onslaught, finally concluding with the enraged martial arts expert grabbing the traffic warden by the neck and bringing him to his knees unable to breathe. Thanks to the intervention of eyewitnesses Aristidou was pulled off his victim.
Cyprus Mail
British Open Sees Malta
Members of the Malta Taekwondo Federation (MTF) recently participated in the 12th British International Open Championship, held in Crawley, England.
The Maltese squad, the largest to take part in an overseas taekwondo competition to date, was a mixture of national team members and others from local official clubs.
The British Open attracted over 470 participants from different parts of the world with many countries fielding their best talent.
Despite the strong competition, the MTF members obtained some prestigious results, winning a silver medal and three bronze.
Irina Anastova clinched silver in the senior female category (-47kgs class B).
The bronze medal winners were Kimberly Meli (junior female -55kgs class A), Joel Genuis (peewee male -31kgs class B) and Edward Camillieri (cadet male class B).
Members of the Maltese taekwondo clubs that participated for the first time in this competition also achieved some commendable results.
Mauro Busuttil won a gold medal (senior -72kgs class C) while Megan Maistre Melillo (peewee -35kgs class B), Jamie Maistre Mellillo (cadet -35 kgs class B) and Luke Maistre Melillo (junior -5kgs class B) also left their mark.
The Maltese contingent was led by Brian Saliba, the national coach, and Joseph Azzopardi, club coach and instructor.
Times of Malta
Lehigh Grand Opening For Taekwondo Fan
USA Martial Arts Florida celebrated the opening of their new Lehigh Acres training center July 24 and 25 by hosting a two-day seminar featuring local and national instructors, including two karate gold medal winners in the USA National KarateDo Federation National Championships and the Junior Pan Am Games. Seminar attendees were treated to a demonstration of Olympic-level sparring by Tyler Wolfe (17) and Alice Nimmo (15).
Their coach, Jason Sorgi, from Katsu Dojo in Gainesville, Fla., held a sparring clinic as part of the seminar, and students were able to go toe-to-toe with Tyler and Alice.
"It was exciting! Alice is really fast," said Samantha Reach, 9.
The event was attended by students and instructors from around the country, and utilized the full 2,200-plus square feet of mat space. Friday and Saturday seminar sessions were held for youth and adult students, with multiple instructors in each session. A team of instructors from USA Martial Arts in Birmingham, Ala.,, Tim Morgan, Robert Blackston, and Alan Glaze, instructed students in holds, pins, joint locks and grappling using Aikido, Judo and Jujitsu techniques.
Students also practiced self defense with these techniques, and learned a weapons form with the short knife, called a tanto. Students appreciated the opportunity to train with different instructors.
"It was fun with all of the black belts," said Alyssa Herndon, 10.
Rounding out the weekend, several instructors from Koryu Uchinadi Florida, headed by Nick De Paolo, taught self-defense from repeated attacks, including standing and ground defenses. Participants learned a patterned defense drill which included multiple defenses in a sequence.
"It was incredible to be able to train with all of these black belts from different schools in one place," said Mary Kay Cassani, an adult student in the Lehigh training center. "I learned so much in one short weekend, it was amazing."
"We have been truly honored to host these talented individuals for this seminar," said Jeff Reach, president and chief instructor at USA Martial Arts Florida. "By sharing their time, talent and energy with us, our grand opening is a success."
USA Martial Arts Florida is located in the Winn Dixie Plaza on Homestead Rd. in Lehigh Acres. Programs include Aikido, Aiki-Judo, Iaido, Judo, Jujitsu, Karate, and TaeKwonDo, with classes for ages 3 and up. Family and multi-art discounts are available. For more information call 239.303.DOJO (3656), or visit www.LehighKarate.com.
Lehighacres Citizen
ASC Funding for Taekwondo World Championships
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has secured funding from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) for Australian athletes to compete in the 2009 WTF World Championships being held in Copenhagen in October.
The AOC is the interim governing body for the sport of Taekwondo in Australia.
As a result of this announcement, STA will immediately re-open entries to the World Championship Selections Event being conducted in Canberra on 16 August, in case some athletes did not enter knowing they could not self-fund the approximately $5000 cost of participating in the WTF World Championships.
Athletes have until noon (AEST) on Saturday, 8 August, to submit an entry to the Selection Event if they would now like to enter.
The funding from the ASC will be applied to the costs of entry fees, airfare, accommodation, meals and ground transportation associated with an athlete’s participation in the 2009 WTF World Championships as determined by the ASC.
The winners of each weight division at the Canberra Selections Event will be eligible to have costs covered by ASC Funding, subject to an international performance standard validation undertaken by the Taekwondo Independent Advisory Steering Committee.
The Taekwondo Independent Advisory Steering Committee will comprise of an AOC appointed representative, an ASC appointed representative, and an independent representative based on the recommendation of the ASC and AOC.
Athletes who do not meet the international performance standard will not be eligible to receive ASC Funding and will be required to fund the cost of attending the Championships (as was the case prior to ASC Funding being made available).
The ASC Funding will be administered by the ASC - the AOC will not receive any funding as it is financially independent of all government funding.
Olympics Australia
Thief Wishes For Cops
An Italian thief has thanked police for arresting him, which put an end to a beating he was suffering at the hands of Korean tourists who he had robbed in Rome.
"I must thank you - they were massacring me," the 48-year-old criminal said to officers after he was arrested near the Theater of Marcellus, one of the monuments in Rome's historic center.
The thief, from the northern region of Liguria, had stolen a handbag from a woman in a Korean family group taking in the sights. He threatened the family with a knife when he was spotted and then tried to flee.
But two young men in the group chased him for several hundred meters and then sent him crashing with what were said to be taekwondo moves.
They proceeded to disarm the thief and set about administering a beating.
A patrolling police officer then arrived, separated the three and arrested the thief after he heard the story.
"Normally, tourists will just call us and report the incidents," the officer said. "In this case, the two got really excited and could have seriously injured the thief."
The young Koreans left after they got the handbag back while the thief was hauled off to a city jail where robbery charges were laid.
Rome recorded 4,246 cases of armed robbery last year, compared with 5,133 in 2007. The Korean action could lead to another dip.
The Standard HK
Teach Self Defense in School
Spousal abuse, bullying and date rape are subjects that are debated endlessly. Laws are passed that bring new problems with them. An item showed up in the Weird But True section of the New York Post that hinted at a possible solution to women getting knocked around. The Post reports as follows.
"When Rome cops interrupted a mugging, no one was happier than the mugger, who'd just grabbed a handbag from a woman in a group of Korean tourists.
It turned out everyone in her party was skilled in taekwondo.
"Thank you," he told the cops. "I was being massacred."
In an average New York crowd, what is the chance of all the women knowing marshal arts? This group of Korean women all knew Tae Kwon Do. And look what they were able to do to a purse snatcher. They did not fit into his calculation of estimated risk.
Most public schools have mandatory physical education, usually involving team sports. Imagine what it would be like if judo, karate or one of the other martial arts were offered along with the usual baseball and football. The Israelis have developed Krav Maga, which is an eclectic mix of different martial arts that is designed to be useful for self defense after a minimum of training. Could this lessen the likelihood of abductions, bullying and other forms of violence?
Most forms of self defense also involve an attitude. Self confidence and self assurance have an aura to them that is perceived by would be predators. Whether they are street predators or boyfriends from hell, predators have a sixth sense as to who is a pushover and who is not. It is the self confidence as well as the skills themselves that make safety on the streets and in relationships likely. Attitude modification is helpful not only prospective victims but for those who are likely to be predators as well. Many who abuse others are covering their own insecurities.
I am not saying that football, baseball and other group sports should be abandoned. But it is a sad waste of time to use the entire time allotted to physical education in schools used for something with no practical use. When someone is coming at you with a knife, basketball does not give you any additional choices. Krav Maga does. That is what it was designed for.
Self defense arts are not the only solution to problems of street and relationship violence. But they are an important component. Young people who feel assured that they can stand up to bullies are less likely to become bullies. And that is as good as a home run any day.
Rant Rave
Olympic Karate Overdue For Donovan
Donovan was the coach and manager of the national karate team for more than 30 years until his retirement in 2008 - during which time he helped Great Britain to five consecutive World Team Championship victories.
All those achievements however, would pale in significance to the chance to go for gold on the Olympic stage - something Donovan was deprived throughout his career.
Karate came mighty close to Olympic inclusion in 2005 when, along with squash, the martial art was put to a controversial two-thirds majority vote at the IOC Congress in Singapore - neither eventually made the cut for London 2012.
But on August 13 karate will be in direct competition with squash, roller sports, baseball, softball, golf and rugby sevens as those seven sports are cut down to two ahead of the IOC Congress in Copenhagen in October.
This time around, the two sports will only need a simple majority in the Danish capital to ensure their inclusion at 2016 - something Donovan is convinced is long overdue.
And the current technical adviser to the English Karate Federation is adamant the Olympics is just the carrot karate needs to sustain its growth in the UK.
"There's not a sports club in the country where you won't find a karate club - or even two or three. It's the tenth most popular sport in the world and there's 50 million people training now," said Donovan.
"We should have been included in the Olympics many years ago - it's long overdue. We thought we would get in a few years ago but it wasn't to be.
"It would have been great to have competed on home soil - we would have loved it - but we'll keep fighting on.
"Rugby and golf are professional sports - they shouldn't be allowed in the Olympics. Karate is one of the most popular sports in the world and that's often forgotten.
"It would mean so much for the young people of this country who would have a goal at the end of the line.
"Karate has a rich history in this country and we've been very successful and would be near the top of the medal table that's for sure.
"I'm sure everyone in karate would use the Olympics as their end goal. 2016 is quite a few years away but it would give the sport a boost in this country both now and when the time comes.
"Those competing in 2016 will not even be in the national team now so it'll raise the profile of karate in this country even more.
"We've got all the structure and facilities in place with the English Karate Federation and British Karate Federation, which the EKF falls under."
Opponents to karate's inclusion draw attention to the existence of both judo and taekwondo on the Olympic schedule already and claim a third martial art would be one too many.
That coupled with the tarnished name taekwondo received at the Beijing Olympics for sub-standard judging - which prompted Cuba's Angel Valodia Matos to take matters into his own hands (or feet).
But Donovan is keeping his fingers crossed the IOC do not take such a short-sighted approach.
"It's a concern that judo and taekwondo are already in the Olympics but they're completely different sports," he added.
"Karate has at least five times more people taking part worldwide.
"I hope it [the taekwondo controversy in Beijing] does not affect us but karate is completely different to taekwondo.
"You would never get anybody act that way on the mat in karate - it teaches self-control. I hope the IOC look past that.
"I'm really hoping we're successful this time round - I haven't got many nails left - but if we don't then we will still be going forward and marching on. We'd keep trying and would be there again in 2020 until we have our chance."
More than the games - UK
Penury forces kick-boxing champ to sell clothes
Representing the state on several occasions and winning gold medals have never helped Kashinath Das to support himself and his family.
Poverty has forced this 29-year-old sportsman to live as a make-shift shop owner.
A native of Pinchhapal village in Balasore, Das was among 15 gold-medalists from the state who participated in the recently concluded East Zone Kick-Boxing Championship tournament in Kolkata.
He has won four gold medals in rugby and two in national-level taekwondo championships earlier.
Sadly, despite his talent, he has had to struggle to arrange one square meal each day. With no government aid in sight, he ekes out his living by selling garments in a small makeshift shop in Bhubaneswar .
"Apart from participating in sports tournaments across the country, I have been running a garment shop in the unit-II market building area in the capital city," said Kashinath, who did his graduation from a private college.
"I used to earn Rs 100 to Rs 150 a day which is not enough to manage my family comprising me and my parents. Out of my earnings, I also need to keep some money aside for my trips to participate in the tournaments and I also manage a rugby team at my village," he said.
"After I finished my matriculation in 1997, I came to Bhubaneswar to work as a help in a politician's house. Later, I sold newspapers until a kind-hearted person allowed me to set up a garment stall near his shop in the market building," Das said.
"One day I saw a sportsperson being felicitated at a function inside Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium. That day I decided to become a sportsman and began training under Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra," he said. Later, he learnt rugby and kick-boxing while he completed his graduation.
Kashinath Das is a frustrated man today. "Despite my repeated requests, the government has not helped me in any way. I tried getting into the police, but I was denied a job because I couldn't get good marks in the written exam," he said.
"It will also help if I can get a permanent shop in the market building," he added. This apart, Das wants financial assistance for the girls' rugby team he has started. It is the third such team in the state and has around 30 players who have participated in national championship tournaments and won.
Times of India
Vietnam Will Trained Abroad
The Vietnam National Track and Field team and the Karatedo team will join training sessions in Kunming, China from August 3 to September 9 and in Tokyo, Japan from August 14 to November 17 respectively.
The track and field team attending the training session in China includes coach Ho Thi Tu Tam together with five athletes namely Truong Thanh Hang, Do Thi Thao, Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Mai Van Tan, Tran Van Thang and Nguyen Van Ly.
It is expected that these training sessions will help Vietnamese athletes well-prepare for the third Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam and the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos this year.
Nhandan News
Italian thief rescued from angry tourists
A thief said thanks to police after his arrest put a stop to a beating from Korean tourists who he attempted to rob.
“I must thank you, they were massacring me,” the 48-year-old told police after he was arrested near the Theatre of Marcellus, in Rome’s historic centre.
The thief, from the northern region of Liguria, stole a handbag from a Korean family. He threatened the family with a knife when he was spotted and then tried to flee.
Two family members in their twenties chased the man for several hundred metres before flooring him with taekwondo moves. They disarmed the thief and continued to beat him.
A patrolling police officer intervened and arrested the thief immediately.
“Normally tourists will just call us and report the incidents,” the officer said. “In this case, the two got really excited and could have seriously injured the thief.”
The thief was transferred to a prison in Rome and will face robbery charges while the Koreans left after retrieving the handbag.
The Roman Forum
Bronze Stories From Asian Martial Arts
BANGKOK—Taekwondo prospects Jeffrey Figueroa and Marlon Avenido scored huge victories while Karla Alava came up with a close win on Tuesday to assure themselves of bronze medals in the Asian Martial Arts Games.
Figueroa, 23, dominated Abadl Muaadh Najiahmed of Yemen, 7-3, in the quarterfinal round of the bantamweight division, while Avenido, 20, clobbered Vo Huang Giao of Vietnam, 5-1, in the welterweight quarterfinal at the Indoor Stadium Huamark Sport Authority of Thailand.
Alava, 18, had a tougher match but managed a 3-2 win over 20-year-old Natthaya Sangsasiton of Thailand to reach the women’s bantamweight semifinals.
The semifinal matches were set on Tuesday. They are looking to match or surpass Kirstie Elaine Alora’s silver-medal finish in the women’s middleweight on Monday. Judoka Karen Ann Solomon also bagged bronze on Monday.
Kim Hong Sik, the Philippine team’s taekwondo coach, said his athletes did not make any adjustments after the first day when John Paul Lizardo, Alexander Briones and Crizabelle Vargas crashed out one after the other.
“Some days you are lucky, some days you are not,” said Kim. “They just need to do their best.”
Figueroa beat Oken Meitei Mutum of India, 5-0, in the first round while Avenido, a 2007 US Open gold medalist, had a first-round bye.
After her Thai opponent unleashed an axe kick to the head to tie the fight at 2-2 in the third and final round, Alava sneaked in a counter-45 for a 3-2 lead, then escaped with another axe kick that could have merited two points for the Thai.
“Tumama pero daplis lang,” described Alava, a Hotel and Restaurant Management student at the Far Eastern University who is in her first international competition as a senior member of the national team.
In muay at the Nimibutr Building National Stadium, the Filipino bets were eliminated also one after the other.
Light-welterweight Jonathan Polosan lost to Roman Semerin of Kazakhstan, 0-5, and bantamweight Romnick Pabalate was dispatched by Sattra Paleenaram of Thailand via the same score in the first round.
Maria Camille Manalo battles a Chinese on Wednesday, taekwondo’s final day of competition.
Wushu also begins on Wednesday at the Silpa-archa Building Central Stadium in Suphanburi Province with Mary Jane Estimar and Mariane Mariano opening their campaign in women’s sanshou.
Korea leads the medal tally with eight gold, four silver and two bronze medals, followed by Japan with 5-1-1, Kazakhstan (4-2-1) and Thailand (2-3-5).
Reuben Terrado
Business Mirrors
Fun With Taekwondo For Family
Parents looking for a way to get their children involved in a healthy activity have found taekwondo as an outlet that each can enjoy together.
For some families in Albert Lea taekwondo is a sport the entire family can enjoy and many participate together through Albert Lea Community Education at the Family Y on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
The sport, which preaches discipline, lends itself well to parents with young children as an activity they can do together.
Instructor Bruce Thimmesch was first introduced to the sport when his daughters, Alexandra and Jessica, wanted to give it a try. His daughters asked if he would join them in the class and eventually all three became black belts.
“I had the rules with my daughters, if you test for your orange belt, you have to test for your black belt,” he said. “So therefore when I spoke those rules to them, I followed it myself.”
Thimmesch always had a desire to learn about the sport, which originated in Korea and has become the most popular form of martial arts, and when he daughters expressed an interest it gave him an opportunity to experience the sport.
“It boils down to a means for self-defense,” Thimmesch said. “But it’s a lot deeper than just being able to go out there and beat someone up. You have to have a lot of respect for each other.”
Thimmesch has been involved with taekwondo for six years now and runs the Albert Lea taekwondo club now. He said the time the sport allows him to spend with his daughters is invaluable and has made the family tighter.
“Sitting around you can be tight, but you get the actual interaction and seeing them progress and how you progress,” Thimmersch said.
“It’s definitely a world of difference.”
The family interaction aspect of the sport led Joshua Lair to get involved with taekwondo with his sons Tyler and Brady. It’s one of the few sports where father and son can be at the same level and work together on improving. Joshua and Tyler are both yellow belts after five months time while Brady is a white belt.
“The reason I started this was to be with them,” Joshua said. “They were kind of shy and I started doing it with them and now they came out of their shell.”
The repetition of movement stresses discipline while respect, honor and integrity are tenets of the sport. At a young age those can be good lessons to learn.
“It amounts to a life change really,” Thimmesch said. “You become basically at peace with yourself. I’ve seen some people that were quick to temper calm down faster.”
Thimmesch admits he was quick to temper at times, but through taekwondo he has learned to calm down. He patiently works with students as they try to master the number of moves involved with the sport. His daughters are on hand as well to assist him. Thimmesch is a third degree black belt while his daughters are second degree black belts.
It’s a sport Thimmesch says everyone can do and that certainly helps get families involved.
Nick Gerhadt
Alber Lea Tribune
Keep Sports Free From Politics
Nepal´s only remaining hope for medal in taekwondo in the First Asian Martial Arts Games being held in Bangkok collapsed after Sabina Maharjan lost in the final event of taekwondo on Tuesday.
Sabina Maharjan playing in the 51-55 kg category, lost to S Shradarova of Kazakhstan in tough fight. Sabina was leading 3-2 five seconds before the final whistle in the third round, but she lost the advantage and her opponent won the vital point. Both players failed to secure any point in fourth round as the match was decided by the referee´s decision which went against Sabina.
Sabina was rushed to the hospital after the match as she had injured her left hand during bout. Nepali team doctor Saroj Krishna Shrestha said her injury in not serious and she can play after two weeks of rest.
Republica Sports
Indonesia Grab 3 Aces in Asian Martial Arts
Taekwondo brought Indonesia some joy on Tuesday, though a more familiar martial art could prove more fruitful today.
Basuki Nugroho and Catur Yuni Riyaningsih each earned bronze medals for Indonesia at the Asian Martial Arts Games in Bangkok.
Basuki fell in the men’s welterweight semifinals, while Catur lost in the women’s welterweight last four.
Basuki lost 7-2 to old rival Marlon Avenido of the Philippines. He beat the Filipino at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, the latest of their many matchups, but Avenido managed to exploit his foe’s one key weakness on Tuesday.
“Basuki injured his right knee just before going to Thailand and Avenido took advantage of that by forcing Basuki to use more of his weaker leg in that match,” Indonesia taekwondo team manager Joseph Hungan told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday. “Besides, they’ve met many times before, so each knew what to expect.”
Avenido lost 5-2 in the final to Korean Lee Gyu Jin.
Catur earned the second bronze of the day after she lost 6-4 to Shaden Thweib of Jordan in the semifinals. Catur made her way to the last four with a 5-2 defeat of Asia Batool of Pakistan.
In men’s bantamweight, Mery Wandra ended his run in the last eight as he lost 4-1 to Mahmood Adel Hameed of Bahrain.
Overall, the taekwondo team contributed one silver medal and three bronzes to Indonesia since the Games began on Sunday.
Despite missing out on the gold medal, Joseph said he was pleased with his team’s performance.
“With only eight athletes, we won one silver and three bronze medals, so I’m satisfied. It shows a better improvement than in last year's Asian Championship,” he said.
Indonesia sent 16 athletes to the Asian Championship in China last year and came home with only one silver, from Fransisca Valentina in women’s fin class.
These results, on the other hand, gave Joseph optimism about the team’s medal chances at the Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos, in December.
“Our target is at least to retain the gold medal Indonesia won at the 2007 Games,” Joseph said. “And I’m optimistic we can.”
Indonesia still has one more medal chance in taekwondo as Nurul Fadilah will compete in the women’s featherweight quarterfinals today.
Pencak silat, Indonesia’s home-grown martial art, could bring even more joy after two Indonesians reached the finals.
Lutfan Budi Santosa defeated Tran Van Toan of Vietnam 4-1 in the men’s B-class semifinals and will meet Jul-omar Abdulhakim of the Philippines today in the final. Abdulhakim earned his berth with a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan’s Jamoliddin Salimjonov.
I Komang Wahyu Purbasari also clinched an E-class finals berth with a 5-0 win over Joemil Solomon of the Philippines. In the final, Wahyu will face Shafiq Muhammad Nor of Singapore, who defeated Sinhkhone Xayaphomma of Laos 3-2.
Indonesia is seventh out of 10 teams in the medals table with one gold medal, two silver and three bronze. Korea leads the table with nine golds, four silver and two bronze, followed by Kazakhstan (5-2-2) and Japan (5-1-1).
Jakarta Globe
