From my heart

What I learnt as a spectator of Taekwondo over the past year is that it is a sport / a discipline  that is built on certain principles. These principles are normally recited and enforced some time during the practice session. Sometimes it sounds to me like a rushed, parroted recitation. However, those principles, whether rushed or not,  does have an impact on the students, in class and in their lives. The team going to the Worlds, in some way or another, is already living those principles.  Allow me to go through 5 of them again: 1. First Courtesy (Ye Ui) You have learnt to be polite to one another and to respect others. When you wear the Green and Gold the eyes of the world  are on you as ambassadors of South Africa and ATA South Africa. Remember this first tenet of Taekwondo - Courtesy. When you are waiting hours for yours competition slot, or sitting in the plane next to someone you do not know, or cramped in  a car for hours on end, remember to be courteous

Press Release from ATA South Africa  A South African martial arts team will take part in the World Songahm Taekwondo championships in Little Rock,  Arkansas, USA between 8 July and 12 July. The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) of South Africa recently presented students  of Songahm Taekwondo in South Africa with their national colours on 19 June 2015.  The team will participate in the 2015 ATA World championships, attended by approximately 15 000  international participants and 50 000 spectators. Guests of honour at the at the event were president of Martial Arts South Africa (MASA),  master Louise Viviers, and the President of ATA SA, Tjolla Louw. Master Louise Viviers presented the selected  team with their national colours. The national team consists of 20 Taekwondo students between the ages of nine and 51. It is the first time ATA SA has awarded full national colours since registering with Masa. Master Viviers wished the members well and confirmed the

I did a post some time ago about Taekwondo achievement, something that someone achieved against the odds. I believe that we need more of those stories, the kind of stories that brings hope and inspiration. Being involved as a supporter and spectator of Taekwondo brought me into contact with some of the  students and supporters of ATA South Africa.  On Easter Sunday I had the privilege to attend the  prize giving ceremony of the ATA SA Masters Camp.  Two of the presentations stood out to me that day,  the one was the Masters Award to CJ for his contribution to Taekwondo and the other was the  Grand Master Crystal presented to Anecke Viljoen, from the Traditional Taekwondo Academy. This post will be about CJ Engelbrecht from Iblackbelt Academy. Like I said before, not everyone are equal in sport, some excel as a result of natural talent,  some buy into it (unfortunately true in today's world, especially high profile sports) and then there  are some who