The Martial Arts Open School aims to involve more youth and women in martial art activities, and foster physical and psychological development of the participants through the use of martial arts around the world.

1. Personal impression about the project

[UNESCO ICM’s Taekwondo overcame COVID-19]

I participated in the 2020 4th Martial arts Open School project operated by UNESCO ICM as a Taekwondo Master. COVID-19 pandemic caused lots of worries and concerns but we were able to teach Taekwondo while keeping government guidelines against COVID-19, such as wearing facial masks, hand sanitization, fever checks and keeping distance between the participants during the class. I felt UNESCO ICM and martial arts itself were really strong in this difficult moment. Despite the tough circumstances, students enjoyed learning Taekwondo and ICM did a great job in planning this programme. In the word of Taekwondo, a meaning of ‘do’ represents ‘the way to live like a human being’. It was hard to teach many things because the period of the project was rather too short, but I wanted to convey a basic courtesy, meaning of happy life and life skills. I taught children to enjoy the most with Taekwondo and to have a life of Riley based on the training. In fact, the participants came to class with no other stress and participated in the project with laughing at ease. Moreover, I believe this martial arts training relieves stress and instills a positive mind-set for them. And if they continue martial arts training, they will be able to achieve health and happiness in their lives, I think.

2. Role of Martial Arts for youth and children

[A fair and non-discriminatory martial arts]

I think the reason why martial arts education is needed for children and adolescents is because they can join the class without any discrimination regardless of where they come from, which skin color they have, and what kind of language they use. They all can learn rules, manners, confidence, and so on while learning Taekwondo, and they receive various kinds of lesson so that they can use it in their life. As such, if martial arts change their behavior and life style and they can live their lives properly, martial arts will be an essential tool for all the children and youth. Especially in the case of foreigners and multi-cultural families, there would have been fewer opportunities to learn martial arts by being discriminated or alienated against by their colleagues, I think the martial arts open school project is a success in that light because this opportunity has changed awareness of martial arts and made them to continue to learn it. Finally, if they can use what they learned from the class, not only during training time but also in life time. I think that is a role of martial arts.

3. Future plan and my dream  

[A recognized leader]

I always think it has been my long-standing dream to be a recognized leader of Taekwondo by my students and people around me. I want to prove that there are many differences such as satisfaction with life, courtesy, etiquette and confidence in living between those who learned Taekwondo and those who did not. So, my goal is to be a good instructor who leads people learning Taekwondo in order to live a healthy, polite and confident life. Also, my ultimate dream to be a teacher who craves to become a developing, happy and positive leader without any discrimination to anyone.