Question 1. What are your thoughts (orfeelings) after participating in the program as a martial arts instructor?

I’m grateful that we were able to bring the three-week Taekkyeon training program to a close without any significant trouble. I enjoyed my stay there, as I was provided with pleasant accommodations and good transportation. Thanks to the program, we were able to train together in a positive environment, while learning and practicing techniques of Taekkyeon, which incorporates the unique Korean culture of sportsmanship, courtesy and respect towards training partners and opponents alike. I was deeply impressed by the mindset and learninga ttitude of students who participated in the program. Students who participated in multiple classes even wished to undertake further physical training. My co-instructor during the program, Taekkyeon instructor Shin Kyu-jin, was a great partner and I feel that the participating students were able to take away fond memories from the program. Through this experience, I came to hope for more martial arts instructors to organize their teaching plan from a long-term perspective in order to provide martial arts training with greater continuity, rather than one-off classes.

Question 2. What are some reasons why children, youthsand women need martial arts education? (The role of martial arts)

Modern society requires so many capabilities for us to learn and possess. While there are some students who already have the environment that allows them to learn such skills, others do not. I believe that learning martial arts can have a positive impact on creating habits that allow students to develop in good health without damaging their body and mind within their respective environments. Each student faces a different set of physical and mental conditions and circumstances. And as they grow, these differences become amplified. In times of physical and mental hardship, training martial arts helps students to develop a sense of trust and confidence in themselves, which then transforms into the courage needed to facilitate balanced growth across both mind and body. Martial arts represent more than just fighting techniques. On the contrary, martial arts can help to calm volatile emotions in the process of winning and losing. As the various forms of information and structure within martial arts create a sense of peace in practitioners’ body and mind, they also bring peace to their surroundings. As a result, exercising with a diverse group of people through martial arts strengthens one’s physical fitness, introduces serenity to one’s perception of the world, and fosters a precise judgment and capacity needed to protect oneself to persevere in any difficult situation or environment.

Question 3. What are your plans and resolutions forthe future? (Your future career)

My goal is to share the gift of martial arts with as many people aspossible and to serve as a guide for each practitioner to maintain balance in their body and mind. Currently, I’m spending my time researching ways to make martial arts training even more fun and detailed as something that I’m passionate about, in addition to creating the right conditions for us to spendmore time together in training and sharing the art with each other. In terms of the outside world, my ultimate aim is to discover the elegance of Taekkyeon as Korea’s traditional martial art and share the philosophy and techniques of Taekkyeon with people across many countries around the world, thereby globally spreading the Korean culture of respect and courtesy towards ourselves and others. Throughout my lengthy career as a martial arts instructor, I’ve had many rewarding experiences, though I’ve had my own shortfalls. Today, I feel grateful that I’ve at least developed a modest ability to organize a way for many people to enjoy martial arts without damaging their body and mind. I hope that my humble efforts can contribute even a small amount to the spread of Taekkyeon across the world as part of the Korean wave of martial arts, in line with the goals of the UNESCO ICM. Thank you.