TAEKWONDO | 해국도
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
TAEKWONDO AS A HOBBY
Taekwondo is a versatile combat sport that develops both physical and psychological qualities. In Taekwondo, the combat sport means two things. Taekwondo is a sport in which you can compete all the way up to the Olympics. On the other hand, taekwondo is a martial art where you can challenge yourself without the pressure of starting to compete. The freedom to choose whether you want to be an athlete or a hobbyist makes taekwondo suitable for everyone, from babies to adults. Taekwondo is suitable as the only hobby or as a supporting sport alongside the main sport.
A safe hobby
Taekwondo training is versatile and therefore taekwondo enthusiasts and athletes have very few stress-related injuries. In taekwondo, fitness, strength, flexibility, coordination, balance and various skills are developed in the same package. The exercises involve a lot of exercises that require concentration, which are practiced in a group, with a partner and independently. Going further requires perseverance, will and the ability to surpass oneself. When the physical and psychological dimensions are combined, the trainee grows into a strong entity.
At your own pace
Taekwondo can be practiced at an intensity that suits you. Others go to training once or twice a week, while the most enthusiastic ones train ten times a week or even more. The training pace is determined by your own goals. If you want to improve quickly or set competitive goals, the number of exercises will also increase. A rule of thumb of three exercises is suitable for the basic enthusiast; with three exercises a week, you can see the development in your own skills as well as in your physical well-being.
The content of the exercises
In taekwondo exercises, a lot of basic physical movements are done, which create a strong foundation for practicing all forms of sports. In addition to this, there will be fitness training in the form of various support exercises and actual sports training. Children in particular have a lot of games and play with which they learn basic physical skills. A good example of a taekwondo exercise that develops fitness, skill, speed and power production is kicking sets with a fast rhythm to the kicking goal. The third area that is given a lot of attention in the exercises is mobility and flexibility, which are developed with both traditional stretches and dynamic mobility exercises.
Taekwondo techniques
The techniques practiced in taekwondo can be divided into kicks, punches, strikes and defenses. There are several basic kicks in Taekwondo, which are varied with different execution methods. Punches and strikes can be made with different parts of the fist, fingers and elbow. Fights are made with fists and open hands. Practicing punches, strikes and defenses builds tools for coping with combat situations and develops coordination skills.
Practising
Taekwondo training methods can be divided into exercises done independently, training with a partner, and exercises done in a group and as one group. Children's exercises are often gamified and very playful for the little ones. With exercises done independently, you learn and practice correct movement trajectories and performance methods. There are many exercises to do with a couple. They are very diverse, from pure technique exercises to free fighting. For children, good examples of group training are, for example, hippo games. For adults, the most challenging group exercises are the exercises in different fighting situations, where there are many attackers and one target.
For those who practice taekwondo for their own pleasure without thoughts of competition, taekwondo offers many different dimensions. In addition to developing in the sport and progressing in belt ranks, enthusiasts can participate in club activities, train as instructors, judges or participate in sport organization activities at different levels. Taekwondo is a truly international sport. Wherever you go in the world, local taekwondo enthusiasts everywhere warmly welcome you to join them in their own training.
Competing
For those who get excited about competing, taekwondo offers a great opportunity. In Finland, taekwondo is mainly competed in matches and movement series. You can also compete in shows and crushing in the world. The taekwondo match is one of the five martial arts in the Olympics, along with boxing, wrestling, judo and fencing. Competition is well organized in Finland and you can join at a young age. The sport's mature approach to children's and youth sports is also indicated by the fact that in children's competitions, head contact is prohibited and competitions are entered with your own weight.
A taekwondo enthusiast can be recognized by a flexible body and mind, explosive punches and precise and fast kicking techniques.
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
As a competitive sport, taekwondo is a surprisingly multifaceted entity. For the hobbyist, it offers challenges and opportunities to surpass oneself. For those aiming to become a top athlete, it offers an international environment in which to strive all the way to Olympic medals.
In taekwondo, you compete both in a match and in movement series. There is only one match in the Olympic program and the top athletes in the movement series compete in the world championships. There are a lot of age and level groups in the competitions. This enables you to compete at a level that suits you. In addition, weight classes are used in the match.
For the hobbyist, the competition is an experience
Whether competing in a match or in business series, participation is always an exciting experience for the enthusiast. Full-contact wrestling is heart-pounding in itself, while performing for the public in movement series brings its own challenge to competitive performance. However, good preparation and the support of coaches and teammates help in performance.
Demanding competitive sports
Taekwondo sports are not easy. The athlete is required to have excellent body control, speed, mobility and speed endurance. In movement series, the competitor focuses on his performance in front of the judges and the audience, in the match, the resistance brings a new dimension to the whole. When talking about top sports, taekwondo is very popular in the world, which means extremely hard resistances.
Sport present in training
The methods and ethos of sports are present in all exercises. Even an ordinary fitness person benefits from the coaches' strong knowledge of sports and exercise, even if their goal is not on the competition mats. The training also provides a strong general physical foundation, which makes taekwondo a suitable side sport for an athlete or an excellent base sport for a child, even if the final choice of sport is something completely different from taekwondo.
Skill is emphasized in business series
In business series, very good technical skills are required, and especially mastery of the correct execution method. Performance is an important part of performance. The athlete's competitive nerves are put to the test when 6 judges and the audience judge the performances with a close eye. The competition format develops not only physical characteristics and skill, but also self-confidence and performance. Grinding the performance also develops persistence when the performance is polished to its peak until the last drawing.
The match requires a tactical eye
In the match, points are scored for kicks to the head and body and punches to the body. When the performances are done with full contact, the competition performance seems pretty wild to the layman. However, the truth is that through training, a level is reached where the match is quite safe and tactical solutions take the main role. For safety reasons, head hits are not allowed for children. A fighter with good physique is fast, has good speed endurance characteristics and excellent mobility. Skilled requirements are also emphasized.
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
TAEKWONDO ATHLETES FOLLOW
Taekwondourheilijat 2011 ry is a sports club whose name says everything essential. The club was founded in August 2011 to offer taekwondo in a sport-oriented way, starting from the basic groups. The operation was started with the strength of five coaches, all of whom were involved in taekwondo national team activities as athletes or coaches at the time. Over the years, the operation has expanded and now there are already 23 coaches and well over four hundred enthusiasts.
To whom?
Taekwondo athletes teach taekwondo to people of all ages, from babies to adults, in more than thirty different hobby groups. In family groups, small children exercise together with their parents, and children from the age of 4 already have their own exercises. The largest number of enthusiasts are children and young people aged 7-15. In children's groups, in addition to taekwondo training, the emphasis is on learning basic physical skills and working in a group. In youth and adult groups, the focus shifts to the development of sport technique and physical characteristics. Training groups are always divided according to age and skill level. Beginners train in their own beginner groups, and for those who have more time, there are groups according to belt levels. In addition, young people and adults aiming for competitions have their own groups both in matches and in business series. The responsible coaches of the groups are responsible for training plans, goals and progress monitoring. In addition to Taekwondo lessons, Taekwondo athletes organize plenty of side training for enthusiasts, e.g. in the form of stretching, acrobatics and fitness classes, as well as outdoor physical training in the summer. Taekwondo athletes also cooperates with other sports clubs, for example by offering taekwondo coaching as a form of side training.
Hall
The hall of taekwondo athletes is located in the sports hall at Ristipellontie 14 in Konala, Helsinki. In addition to the lounge and social spaces, there is about 500 square meters of space for taekwondo training itself, which can be divided into four separate training areas. For parents of enthusiasts and adult enthusiasts, there is also a boxing hall and a massage service in the hall.
In the years 2014-2019, TU11 has been, with one exception, the largest taekwondo club in Finland measured by the number of licenses. The club has also been very successful in competitions, both in matches and in business series, and the club has international level athletes.
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
TAEKWONDO IS AN EXCELLENT EXERCISE HOBBY FOR CHILDREN
Every child should exercise daily, whether it's yard games, school physical education classes or hobbies. In addition to the amount of exercise, its versatility is essential. Children are at the peak of sensitivity periods in terms of almost all physical skills and characteristics, of course taking age into account. For example, motor skills or speed exercises shape a child's nervous system and muscles much more effectively than similar exercises for an adult.
Taekwondo is basically an excellent exercise hobby for children, because the versatility of the sport combined with the athlete-oriented training culture of Taekwondo athletes guarantees a stimulating and sufficiently challenging environment for learning exercise skills from an early age. We have compiled here 8 reasons why taekwondo is an excellent exercise hobby for children.
Taekwondo is extremely versatile as a sport
As a combat sport, Taekwondo is very versatile, as it includes two different forms of competition, the match and the movement series, as well as a whole range of different kicking techniques, punches, strikes, steps, self-defense exercises, etc. In addition, each exercise also includes comprehensively different characteristic exercises such as stretching and speed training.
Taekwondo training takes into account the child's developmental and sensitivity periods
The focus areas of physical characteristics develop as children and young people grow. Roughly, we can say that small children are at the peak of their sensitivity period in terms of motor skills, and as they age, speed, mobility, strength and basic aerobic endurance come into play. Taekwondo athletes' age group training and age group competition training are designed so that they take into account these periods of sensitivity as effectively as possible. For example, small children practice a lot of motor skills and understanding their body, while 10-year-olds do a lot of speed and jumping training. However, the most important thing is that both physical skills and characteristics are practiced in a versatile way with each age group.
Taekwondo training develops goal orientation, persistence and concentration
In Taekwondo, you advance in belt grades and you can pass the belt exams by completing enough exercises and knowing the techniques required in the exam. The goal system written into the sport therefore concretely illustrates for the child the connection between the goal, the work and the reward. Almost all enthusiastic enthusiasts state that their goal is to achieve a black belt, which requires persistence and commitment. Correspondingly, many children are excited to compete from an early age, and competition training itself starts with goal setting. Achieving Taekwondo goals requires, in addition to training, the ability to focus on the topics being practiced.
Taekwondo training develops social skills
Taekwondo is an individual sport practiced in a group. The learning goal entered in the training programs for taekwondo athletes is always to practice social skills and group activities in addition to physical skills. The gym has clear rules of the game and operating instructions, which by following them ensures a comfortable and encouraging training environment for everyone. Taekwondo also includes respecting and helping training buddies as an essential part. For example, young taekwondo enthusiasts are amazingly good at giving each other tips and feedback during training. You can also find plenty of new friends and acquaintances at the gym.
Taekwondo is a safe hobby
Taekwondo is a very safe sport based on insurance statistics, for example. The training is always progressive and takes into account the starting level and skills of the enthusiasts. In addition, the versatile nature of the sport and the emphasis on characteristic training strengthen the body's supporting muscles to support and withstand hard training. Mobility and stretching exercise, on the other hand, flex the body and prevent muscle injuries and many chronic muscle-related ailments in later life. In taekwondo athletes, all coaches are trained and know how to take into account a safe operating environment, not only in the physical aspect, but also by creating a safe training situation where children can try and express themselves without fear of mistakes or teacher's reprimands. The atmosphere is always encouraging and friendly.
In taekwondo, it is possible to compete and develop as an athlete up to the international level
Taekwondo can be practiced as an exercise hobby or as a competitive sport from an early age. Those interested in sports can progress all the way up to the international level, and the club's strong sports expertise is evidenced by e.g. the fact that chairman Teemu Heino represented Finland at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Taekwondo is a demanding but rewarding sport. Children have their own age and skill series, so you can start competing even before school age.
Taekwondo is at its best a hobby for the whole family and parents can be involved in the activity in many ways
Taekwondo can be practiced independently in Taekwondo athletes from the age of 4, but it is also possible to practice together with a parent or parents in family groups. In family courses, taekwondo can be practiced already with a baby, and there are groups for children in all stages of development. Other parents, on the other hand, are strongly involved in the child's hobby by, for example, participating in the club's activities or coming along to competition trips. Just watching your child's training from the sofa in the living room with a cup of coffee is a great way to be involved in your child's hobby.
Taekwondo is fun!
Taekwondo as a sport is great fun, you can't get over it or around it. Bring your child to try it and you will notice this already in the first workouts.
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
History of Taekwondo
Korean traditions and karate foundation
Taekwondo is a modern Korean martial art, the systematic development of which began after World War II.
Martial arts have been practiced on the Korean peninsula for at least 2,000 years, probably longer. Probably the most famous of the old martial arts Subak, ssireum and I'm sorry, which e.g. soldiers practiced as part of their training. Even today, these traditional sports are practiced on a small scale in Korea, mainly with the aim of keeping the traditions as part of the cultural spectrum. Although the technical approach of the sports is significantly different from contemporary taekwondo, they are still worth mentioning as part of the history of taekwondo, as they have drawn a lot of taekwondo's philosophical basis as the sport developed as part of Korean nationalism after the Second World War.
Instead, you should look for the technical background of Taekwondo karate from the direction. Korea was under Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945, and during this period e.g. the practice of all Korean martial traditions was forbidden. The skills were probably practiced secretly during the occupation as well, but significantly more important for the development of modern taekwondo were the young Korean men who were able to learn Japanese martial arts during the occupation.
Karate had just started to spread to Japan under the leadership of Okinawan teachers, so Koreans learned at the same time as the pioneers of modern karate, for example while studying in Japan. In their homeland, the Koreans taught karate quite faithfully based on the Okinawan style, while the Japanese took more liberties in developing the style in their homeland.
After Korea's independence, interest in its own cultural traditions reared its head as the country recovering from occupation searched for its national identity. As part of this project, the "first generation" taekwondo masters who practiced karate and other forms of fighting began to eagerly develop their own styles. At that time, of course, there was no talk of taekwondo, but the established schools - kwanien –teachers were later key influencers in the birth of a unified sport.
The most famous and "original" five of the Kwans were:
- Chung Do Kwan
- founder Lee Won Kuk
- Moo Duk Kwan
- founder Hwang Kee
- Ji Do Kwan
- founder Chun Sang Sup
- Chang Moo Kwan
- founder Yoon Byung In
- Song Moo Kwan
- founder Ro Byung Jick
Common teaching lines and the establishment of the Korea Taekwondo Association
During the 1950s, the leaders of the kwans began to discuss the unification of teaching lines. Common Korean martial arts were referred to by different names depending on the place and style, e.g. tae soo do. General Choi Hong Hee suggested the general use of the name Tae Kwon Do as early as 1952. Choi's own teaching style spread strongly as it became part of the martial arts training of the Korean army.
Kwanie masters managed to combine the best aspects of their teaching styles into a single entity and in 1959 founded Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA). Choosing the name taekwondo as part of the organization's name was especially due to Choi, who was able to lobby strongly for his vision with his influence. The organization itself was also strongly Choi's creation. Choi and Kwanie leaders could not agree on teaching styles, which eventually led to Choi resigning in 1966 and creating his own educational umbrella organization of the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF).
The leaders of the Kwani continued the unification work despite their many mutual disagreements, and during the 60s, for example, a uniform belt examination system took shape. In this case, the test included movement sets, a match and a written part. The sets of movements were derived from karate. The establishment of the sport's name as taekwondo still took its own time, because, for example, tae soo do and kong soo do were still strong counter-candidates for it.
Despite the development of a unified style, it is worth noting that the entire 60s was strongly polarized between schools and teachers of different generations. The masters of the first generation of kwans felt that the representatives of the new generation were changing the sport too much and making decisions that were harmful to it. Similarly, the emergence of numerous new kwans and organizations hindered the unification project. Equally, all developments regularly led to the unification of the biggest styles under common technical starting points.
The birth of Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation
KTA's management saw determined and strong leaders after Choi's departure. For example, the presidents of the organization Kim Yong Chae and Kim Un-yong were both politically influential and well-networked and were able to raise both the sport's status and funding in the eyes of the decision-makers. The work of unification and strong political will led to the fact that taekwondo started to be consistently built as Korea's national sport, which was wanted to be widely spread outside the country as well.
The strong political position also helped the KTA management to collect funding for the construction of the new central hall. The expensive project succeeded in part because the then KTA president Kim Un Yong promised to organize international events and raise Korea's status in the eyes of the rest of the world with the help of taekwondo. He also promised to publish a basic guide to the sport (Taekwondo Textbook) and start a periodical publication to support the recruitment and teaching of new enthusiasts.
The large construction project of the central hall was completed in 1972, and the opening was celebrated in November with an influential group of guests. Central hall Kukkiwon symbolized everything that the pioneers of unified taekwondo had pushed for, and the center immediately took over the most important functions of KTA:
- Development of techniques
- Organization and administration of POOM and DAN exams
- Teachers (soap) training
- Organizing national and international tournaments
- Promotes the health of all Koreans and the spirit of taekwondo
As early as 1973, the first taekwondo world championships were organized in Kukkiwon. About 200 athletes from 17 countries competed in the event. In the same year, it was founded to promote the sports side of the sport World Taekwondo Federation (WTF – name changed to 2016 World Taekwondo).
The founding of Kukkiwon contributed to the birth of the identity of the young sport, which was by no means ready yet. There were about 1.3 million kukki-taekwondo enthusiasts in Korea at that time, but the teaching was still carried out by kwans, whose teaching ability was very variable. Unified DAN system, development of competition rules and taeguk- and yudanja -the creation of store chains, however, strengthened the centrally managed and unified sport culture.
The sport's strong rise in the world and its rise to Olympic sport
Choi's ITF had initially spread more strongly than kukki-style taekwondo in the world, but KTA and later especially Kukkiwon also had a strong goal to spread awareness of the sport outside of Korea. This was done by sending teachers to open gyms around the world and by promoting the competition of the sport through WTF.
In 1980, the International Olympic Committee recognized taekwondo as a competitive sport. When Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympics, taekwondo was contested as a demonstration sport, just like four years later in Barcelona. In 2000, taekwondo was already included in the Sydney Olympics alongside Judo as another Asian combat sport.
Today, depending on the measurement method, taekwondo is the world's most popular or among the most popular combat sports and is practiced all over the world. Kukkiwon still takes care of the educational side of the sport and officially awards all POOM and DAN values. World taekwondo, on the other hand, promotes the sports side of the sport with the goal of keeping the sport's Olympic status and raising the status of the sport even further.
Taekwondo in Finland for 40 years
Taekwondo arrived in Finland in 1979, when the Ji do Kwan school was established Hwang Dae Jin started teaching the sport in Klaukkala. Hwang had practiced taekwondo since he was young and had become a successful competitor in Korea. Ji Do Kwan stood out from other schools especially because of its emphasis on competitive matches. It is the educational background of this school that has influenced the development of Finnish taekwondo most strongly through Hwang and the Masters who have influenced our country such as Mun Dong Kun and Park Jong Man through, both of which are also products of that Kwan.
Taekwondo aroused a lot of interest right from the start and also, for example, karateka who had been practicing for a longer time showed up for the first basic courses to learn from the Korean master. Skilled people were quickly found to help Hwang in running the operation and running the exercises, and the operation soon expanded to e.g. Helsinki, Lahti, Tampere and Turku. Finnish Taekwondo Federation (STKDL) was founded in 1980.
The first black belts in Finland performed Petri Eerola and Marcos Kuusjärvi 1986 at an open event at the Tapanila sports hall. Hwang received the exam.
Dissatisfaction with Hwang's methods of operation and other disagreements led in 1987 to the extraordinary general meeting of the Taekwondo Association dismissing the entire board at the time with a vote of no confidence, which accordingly caused Hwang to withdraw from the operation and establish Finnish Taekwondo Union (STU). Five clubs also left the association, but 17 remained.
To make up for the lack of an individual champion, a multi-member belt college was established in 1988, the main purpose of which was to monitor the development of the sport, keep the basic techniques practiced in Finland uniform, draw up belt test requirements, organize DAN tests and maintain a list of Finnish DAN values. External guidance and prestige were sought by appointing a Danish teacher to head the college Allan Paulsen. The college and its successor, the sabumnim council, operated until 2005, after which the teachers independently defined their own belt exam requirements and followed their own line of masters.
In the 21st century, taekwondo has continued to grow in Finland, but the most significant growth has been concentrated in the biggest cities and within them a few of the biggest clubs. The professionalization of the sport and coaching activities has been positive, as several clubs were able to hire full-time employees and thus increase the number and quality of activities. The number of similarly trained instructors and coaches has grown steadily, for example through joint training for martial arts coaches.
Finnish taekwondo achievements
From the very beginning, the Finnish taekwondo players were eager to both participate and organize competitions, but in the beginning the activities were solely on Hwang's shoulders as he was the only one in Finland with an international referee's license. Hwang's own match background and relationships also had a strong influence on this.
After Hwang left the association, Marcos Kuusjärvi took responsibility for the development of match operations, organizing Finnish referee training and serving as the head coach of the match team from 1987-1995. The first Finn to pass the IR course was Reino Pesonen 1994.
Significant competitive events organized by Finns have been the 1987 World Cup held in Helsinki, the 1996 match EC competitions, the 2001 match Euro Cup, whose general secretary was Sampo Pajulampi, and the 2005 business series EC competitions.
The Finns have been relatively successful in international matches. Jarl Kaila was responsible for the first World Cup medal by taking bronze in 1989 Seoul and for the same trick up Veera Liukkonen (now Ruoho) 1993 in New York. The next World Championship medal could be waited until 2012, when Matti Sairanen took silver from the Para Taekwondo World Championships. The Finns have won several EC medals, Teemu Heino having the largest medal haul with one silver and 2 bronze.
In business series, Finland has been brilliantly successful. Although the competition format is newer, the Finns have collected several prestigious medals.
Finland has been represented at the Olympics by Veera Liukkonen and Kirsimarja Koskinen (now Kuutschin) in Sydney 2000, Teemu Heino in Athens 2004 as well Suvi Mikkonen In London 2012 and in Rio 2016. Both Kirsimarja Kuutschin and Suvi Mikkonen finished fifth in their series.
In connection with Taekwondo achievements, it is also worth mentioning the long-term chairman of the Finnish Taekwondo Association Jarmo J. Soilan (1942-2015) activity as a board member of both the European Taekwondo Union and the WTF.
Finland's prize competition medalists
Match
Tirkkonen, Kimmo (EC-3. 1984 +83kg, EC-3. 1986 +83kg)
Keränen, Mia (EC-3. 1986 -70kg)
Ratilainen, Timo (World Cup-2. 1987 -64kg)
Nevalainen, Ari (World Cup -3. 1987 -54kg)
Parviainen, Markku (EC-3. 1988 -70kg)
Kaila, Jarl (EC-3. 1988 -83kg, MM-3. 1989 -83kg)
Karjalainen, Timo (EC-3. 1990 -70kg)
Kuutscin (Koskinen), Kirsimarja (EC-2. 1990 -65kg, EC-3. 1994 -65kg)
Ruoho (Liukkonen), Veera (EC-3. 1990 -72kg, WC-3. 1993 -72kg)
Hwang In Kwon (JEM 3. 1992)
Ketola, Minna (EC-3. 1994 -51kg)
Pokka, Marko (EC-3. 1994 -76kg)
Soila, Joonas (EC-3. 1994 -83kg)
Pikkarainen, Niina (EC-3. 1996 -51kg)
Salonen, Laura (EC-3. 1996 -55kg)
Tarhanen, Mika (EC-3. 1996 -64kg, EC-3. 2000 -67kg)
Heino, Teemu (EC-3. 2000 +84kg, EC-3. 2002 +84kg EC-2. 2005 +84kg)
Eskuri, Tiina (Youth EC-3. 2003 -46kg)
Leetberg, Raina (EC-3. 2005 +72kg)
Mikkonen, Suvi (EC-3. 2014)
Sairanen, Matti (Para MM-2.2012 -68kg, Para MM-3. 2013 -68kg)
Partanen, Jenna (Under 21 years EC-3. 2013 -63kg)
Saarinen, Niko (Kadettien MM-2. 2014 -53kg)
Rannikko, Noora (Cadet EC-3. 2015 -59 kg)
Business series
Krista Mäkinen (EC-2. 2005 Women 35-41)
Varpu Järvinen (EC-3. 2007 Women O51, EC-3. 2009 Women O51)
Frans Salmi (WC-3. 2014 Men U17, EC-1. 2015 Men U30, EC-3. 2017 Men U30, EC-3. 2019 Men Team U30)
Niina Virtala (MM-3. 2016 Women's Team O30, EC-2. 2015 Women's U50, EC-3. 2017 Women's U50, EC-2. 2017 Women's Team O30, EC-3. 2015 Women's Team O30, EC-3. 2019 Women U50, EC-3. 2019 Women Team O30)
Johanna Nukari (MM-3.2016 Women U40, MM-3. 2016 Women Team O30, EC-2. 2017 Women Team O30, EC-3. 2015 Women Team O30, EC-3. 2015 Women U40, EC-3. 2019 Women Team O30, 2020 WC competitions were replaced by online competitions in which 1. Women U50
Triin Saviauk (MM-3. 2016 Women's Team O30, EC-2. 2017 Women's Team O30, EC-3. 2015 Women's Team O30), EC-3. 2019 (Women's Team O30)
Olli Siltanen (EC-3. 2017 Men's Team U30, EC-3. 2019 Men's Team U30)
Christian Kamphuis (EC-3. 2017 Men's Team U30, EC-3. 2019 Men's Team U30)
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
What does taekwondo cost?
Taekwondo is fundamentally an inexpensive hobby. On the other hand, the budgets of those who train and compete professionally are at the level of small businesses. In this article, we get to know the cost structure of the taekwondo hobby.
The costs for a beginner hobbyist are modest
Taekwondo fees are moderate compared to many other sports. For the first time, a hobbyist can try the hobby without commitment. After that, the monthly fee is €52 – €67, depending on the age of the enthusiast. Fees are higher for older children and adults because more exercises are available.
For the first belt test, the enthusiast should get a taekwondo suit. It's easy to get it from the equipment store connected to the gym. The prices of the suit start from 19€ - 45€ basic suits for enthusiasts and end with top suits costing 130€.
Initially, there are belt tests about every 3 months. They pay €30 – €60 for colored belts, depending on the color of the belt. The belt is included in the price of the belt test.
Shields are often used in exercises. The club lends basic protectors, but they are worn out from heavy use. To begin with, you should get the basic enthusiast's protection package, which includes shin and arm protection (€45).
As the hobby takes away, the expenses also increase
When there are more and more exercises, getting your own protection and updating the suit also comes up. Suits for an active enthusiast cost fifty cents both ways.
When an enthusiast gets excited to try a competition, e.g. getting your own race protectors and participating in the races.
The active enthusiast's protection package costs €109 (upgrade from the basic enthusiast's protection package is €64). The price of indoor competitions varies from free to a couple of dozen, the participation fee for the actual competitions is €30 – €55 in Finland. In addition, those participating in the competition must pay a domestic coaching fee of €10/competition. Daedo's electronic socks are also needed at the races.
Active enthusiasts also participate in camps. Their prices vary from free to hundreds of euros. One-day camps usually vary between free and 50 euros. In multi-day camps, accommodation and meals increase the price. In addition to the camp fee, travel expenses and food money must be budgeted for participation.
An active competitor has significant expenses
For active competitors, the expenses are already quite considerable. Even training costs more, €87 per month. There are plenty of exercises available. In addition, Punttisali.com's training fee is €15/month for competition group members.
In terms of equipment, you need a couple of top suits (€98-€130) and a competitive athlete's protective package for €180, as well as Daedo or KP&P electronic socks, depending on the race.
There are 6-9 competitions in Finland per year. In addition to participation fees (€30-€55) and domestic coach fees (€10/competition), travel, accommodation and food expenses must be budgeted.
For foreign competitions, the competitor must pay the participation fee (€50-€100), foreign coach fee (€50), travel, accommodation and meals. Typically €500-€600 in Europe and €1500-2000 further afield should be reserved for a race trip. There are 1-10 of these race trips, depending on the athlete's level. The budget of international camps is the same, camps are held abroad every 1-2 years.
Expenses will increase gradually
In the beginning, training is inexpensive and will remain so if competitive sports don't involve you. Even in competitive sports, expenses gradually increase as the athlete develops and the level rises.
Financial support for trainees>>
TAEKWONDO AS A COMPETITIVE SPORT
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