From my heart

From the Autism Speaks site This guest post is by Mara Fineshriber a mother, official water bottle bringer, head cheerleader, chauffeur, chief bandage applier, financier, head of complaint department, and homework enforcer.   How my son with autism became a martial arts champion My son, Ethan, was diagnosed with autism at age three. I remember thinking he was more behind on his infant and toddler milestones than his older sister was, but I didn't think too much of it because we are often told that each child is different and the range of "normal" is pretty wide. He didn't begin walking until almost two. He could speak a lot of words at 12 months but they were never his own. He would simply mimic back what others said to him. Communication got much easier when he got to a place where he could answer yes or no, but it wasn't until we completed a lot of therapy before he could answer anything open ended. He is as literal as the day is long and sarcasm,...

At times I place posts from other people, posts that show that Taekwondo is not just about kicking and punching, but Taekwondo is about changing people, about changing lives.  Here is one such post, the life story of Debro van Wyngaard. She wrote this as part of her Black Belt assignment. She is practicing Taekwondo at  TTA Pretoria . Debro is married with two children (a boy of 11 years and a girl of 5 years).  For the past 17 years she has been working as a social worker, working with children in alternative care (specifically children in children’s homes).  She has been doing Taekwondo since 2009 and started to introduce Taekwondo to the children of Jakaranda Children’s home in June 2012.  The Journey of the Bonsai My journey as bonsai started in the wide expanse of rural South Africa, there where time seem to stand still and one's soul is set free. Never in my wildest dreams did I think, that I, a humble fig tree, w...

It is never too old to start. I came across this  Video  the other day on a Facebook Group. I know it seem illogical but Martial Arts (Taekwondo) can be for every age. You do not have to take part in sparring or forms, but the complex movements of the Martial Arts stimulates the brain and rejuvenates the person. Have a look and enjoy. Video

Well, there you have it, I have started doing Taekwondo, at 53! I suppose it is about time. With my wife and son doing it, I did not realy have a choice to get involved.  I was thoroughly challenged when I posted photos of myself running the Comrades maraton back in 1993. But it was also a warning from my body to stop being a couch potato and get fit.  For the first time in my life I am doing a sport that involves coordination. I played tennis at school but 75% of the time I missed the ball. I tried rugby once or twice at school, but the notion that I have to run after an egg shaped ball that most of the time I cant even catch, did not appeal to me at all. I resigned myself to the fact that I have no ball sence and left it at that. However, after I started working I kept fit, being in the military did not really gave me a choice and I enjoyed it, I especially enjoyed running, because it tested my endurance and stamina. I enjoyed it so much that I started running marathon...

Well, they trained, they cried, they shouted, they travelled 40 hours via Hong Kong to the USA, arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas, and they conquered!   The full ATA SA Team at the ATA Headquarters in  Little Rock Arkansas ATA SA performed exceedingly well for a small federation (ATA SA compares to some clubs in member total, so I heard).   There were about 20,000 participants and supporters from about 26 countries, and South Africa brought back 17 medals! It was a difficult road to the Worlds 2015 for all. There were financial concerns (attending members had to fund themselves, and I must say, it brought out entrepreneurial  skills in some), Visas had to be obtained, vehicles rented, rooms booked in hotels and inns, and then of course the administration issues had to be dealt with by ATA SA administrators, oh yes, in between it all, they had to train as well. But in the end they arrived in Little Rock, acclimatised, (the team ...

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 profi...

I have been involved in Taekwondo for more than a year now as a father and husband. Two of my boys and my wife are attending the Traditional Taekwondo Academy in Pretoria, South Africa. I watched from the sidelines and saw the changes in them. Changes in their attitude, motor skills, patience and fitness (and much more). You see, we are a family on the autism spectrum, therefore noise, randomness and change is not well received. But they are growing and doing well, actually,  Hanlie  (my wife) is doing extremely well. She is putting in extra hours of practicing and at the SA Nationals 2014 she won her division and so far this year she has not lost a competition yet. I started taking a closer look at Taekwondo, its moves and principles. I also compared that with the 'requirements' of people on the Autism Spectrum and it is a great fit. Taekwondo allows for one-on-one training, it has repetitive movements or forms, it is taught by example (visual inp...