2024-05-27 10:04:29
Professor Kook-Hyeon Jeong (62), who serves as the pinnacle of the Taekwondo Division at Korea Nationwide Sport College, is a ‘dwelling legend’ of Korean Taekwondo. He performed volleyball in elementary faculty and began Taekwondo late after getting into center faculty, however rapidly rose to the highest degree and have become the one Korean Taekwondo participant to win 4 consecutive World Championships. He received 4 competitions in a row, beginning with the 1982 World Championships in Ecuador, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1983, Seoul in 1985, and Barcelona, Spain in 1987. And on the 1988 Seoul Olympics, he received a gold medal within the Taekwondo males’s welterweight division, which was held as an illustration occasion, marking the top of his sensible profession as an athlete.
Professor Jeong’s essential weapon was fast footwork adopted by terrifying kicks. He was so quick and highly effective that the opposing gamers have been already intimidated earlier than the sport.
Though he’s already over 60 years outdated, his kicking abilities are nonetheless the identical. He teaches primary taekwondo actions, poomsae, and sparring at Korea Nationwide Sport College, and he nonetheless demonstrates kicking throughout class. In the event you throw your physique sharply after which hit a again kick, the scholar who was holding the mat will fall far-off with a popping sound.
He served as Secretary Basic of the Taekwondo Promotion Basis from 2018 to 2021, and is presently lively as an govt member of the World Taekwondo Federation and the Asian Federation, and vice-chairman of the Efficiency Enchancment Division of the Korea Sports activities Council.
His Taekwondo life was not as easy because it appeared. Above all, the lifetime of a Taekwondo participant on the time he was in his prime was extraordinarily troublesome.
On the time when Taekwondo was not an official Olympic sport (Taekwondo was adopted as an official sport beginning on the 2000 Sydney Olympics), there have been nearly no company groups. Most gamers retired early after graduating from school and serving within the army.
He, who received the world championship, was no exception. After graduating from school, he could not discover a correct staff, so he labored out alone. He stated, “At the moment, Gaepo-dong in Gangnam, Seoul was being developed. “He cooked and ate kimchi stew alone in a single room and went to the gymnasium run by his instructor to train,” he stated. “Even when he was a member of the nationwide staff, he solely skilled on the Taereung Athlete’s Village for a few month a 12 months. “For the remainder, I needed to run alone, kick alone, and practice alone.”
In the event you fail the nationwide staff choice competitors, the athletic atmosphere turns into worse. In actual fact, he was eradicated from the nationwide staff choice occasion for the 1986 Seoul Asian Video games, and he needed to significantly think about his retirement attributable to lack of an appropriate place to train. Having already received the World Championships thrice in a row, he was capable of proceed exercising whereas educating college students at Yeosu Center College with the assistance of an acquaintance. By means of such twists and turns, he was capable of win 4 consecutive championships till the 1987 World Championships.
Even after successful the gold medal on the 1988 Seoul Olympics, not a lot modified. As a result of it was a gold medal in an illustration occasion, there have been no decorations or pension advantages. They weren’t included within the Blue Home invitation listing for medalists.
On the time he received the gold medal on the Seoul Olympics, he was enjoying as a coach and athlete for the Taekwondo staff of the Subway Company, and his rank on the time was an peculiar police officer. He stated, “I don’t imply to disparage the Cheongwon Police in any respect, however I couldn’t assist however surprise what I used to be doing right here after successful 4 consecutive world championships and an Olympic gold medal.”
Afterwards, he appeared for positions as a sensible professor within the college Taekwondo division that have been opening up at numerous universities. However I failed each time. He barely made a dwelling by educating half time. He stated, “I needed to earn cash by some means, so I traveled to the USA, Mexico, and Brazil to show sparring and provides seminars. Would you say it’s a sort of ‘Southeast Asia tour’? I’ve been to Brazil 5 instances, which takes greater than a day by airplane. “If he didn’t do this, he couldn’t make a dwelling.”
And eventually, in 2000, he was formally appointed as a professor at Korea Nationwide Sport College, his alma mater. It wasn’t till he was practically 40 that he was capable of cool down stably.
As a participant, he was the very best in sparring and had no rivals. These days, he primarily teaches poomsae. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) has been attempting to diversify the game for the reason that early 2000s and has been selling Poomsae on a big scale, and he served as a demonstrator of ‘Taegeuk Poomsae’, which was simply starting to be standardized.
Professor Jeong stated, “Moderately than due to my good posture, I believe I needed to make use of somebody who had achieved good outcomes on the World Championships to advertise Poomsae.” He added, “I’m not acquainted with Poomsae, so at first, I discovered it by sweating quite a bit from teacher Kyuhyeon Lee.” He laughed.
At the moment, he’s a licensed eighth Dan Taekwondo. He deserves the ninth dan, the best dan acknowledged by Kukkiwon, based mostly on his abilities alone, however he isn’t in a rush and is slowly increase the dans. He, who earned his eighth dan three years in the past, stated, “When you get your eighth dan, it’s a must to wait 8 years earlier than you possibly can take the ordination examination,” and added, “I believe I shall be near 70 by the point I attempt for my ninth dan. He stated, “Till then, he’ll take excellent care of his physique and problem for ninth dan.”
Even lately, his day begins and ends with train. He wakes up at 6 a.m., goes to high school, and warms up by operating for about half-hour on the close by Olympic Park. Afterwards, he workout routines his muscle groups for about half-hour on the faculty weight coaching middle.
He stated, “As you become old, a very powerful issues are flexibility and energy coaching,” and added, “You might want to do energy coaching persistently with out overdoing it.” To strengthen your belly muscle groups, you do sit-ups and leg raises, and to coach your decrease physique, you do leg curls and leg extensions.
Afterwards, I’m going again residence, eat breakfast, and go to high school once more. For instance, going to work twice a day, as soon as for train and as soon as for sophistication.
He usually performs badminton after work. After swinging a racket for an hour or two at an indoor gymnasium, his total physique is drenched in sweat. He stated, “The sweat you lose in a sauna and the sweat you lose whereas shifting your physique are worlds aside.”
He’s additionally lively in worldwide federations and often travels abroad. The primary issues he packs are exercise pants, shorts, and a T-shirt. He stated, “Isn’t there a health middle regardless of which lodge you go to? “Simply as in Korea I get up at 6 a.m. and begin the day with a light-weight run, I attempt to keep the routine of waking up at 6 a.m. after which operating after I go overseas,” he stated.
He particularly emphasised the significance of warm-up workout routines for middle-aged individuals who train. He stated, “Many individuals overlook the significance of warm-up workout routines. “Even in golf, we all know that we have to loosen up numerous elements of our physique early on, however we regularly find yourself making only a few empty swings,” he stated. “Accidents come unexpectedly, and an unprepared physique can undergo extra severe accidents.” “Even when it’s somewhat annoying, it’s good to get into the behavior of warm-up train,” he stated.
He performed till the age of 28, which was fairly late on the time. He did not undergo any main accidents. Alongside along with his train, his constant weight loss plan additionally had an influence.
Briefly, he not often drank alcohol. He stated, “Even after I went to a bar with my seniors, I not often drank alcohol. As an alternative, I might come again after sipping cola with fruit or squid snacks.” He added, “I’ve a structure that doesn’t tolerate alcohol from the start. “In some methods, I’m lucky. If I had drank quite a bit from a younger age, it will not have been really easy to remain wholesome.” Even when different gamers drank espresso, they drank milk or Ssanghwa tea, that are good for the physique. He additionally by no means overexerts his physique, both throughout his profession as a participant or now. When he feels drained, he instantly takes a relaxation.
As he approaches the age of 100, he’s getting ready for the third chapter of his life. He stated, “I’ve been concerned within the Taekwondo world my total life and have acquired many advantages. “I’m occupied with what function I can play for the Taekwondo world narrowly and the Korean sports activities world extra broadly,” he stated. “As soon as I’m on the faculty, a very powerful factor is to information the scholars who will form the way forward for Korean Taekwondo effectively.” “Sooner or later, I need to work internationally to lift the standing of Korean Taekwondo,” he stated.
Reporter Lee Heon-jae [email protected]
2024-05-27 10:04:29