culture

Taekwon-Do trainees increase in number amid the lively social atmosphere of prioritizing and encouraging Taekwon-Do, the orthodox martial art associated with wisdom and soul of the Korean nation.

Many people visit the Taekwon-Do Hall in Pyongyang to learn the national martial art.

According to an official concerned, more than 100 working people and schoolchildren practised it at the Taekwon-Do Hall in January alone.

Under the guidance of members of the group of Taekwon-Do instructors of the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee, the beginners and gup holders learned the basic movements, pattern, sparring and self-defence routine of Taekwon-Do according to their wish, he said.

The trainees say in unison that “the more they learn Taekwon-Do, the more they marvel at the martial art”, he added.

More and more people want to learn it as the days go by.

As a result, it is widely disseminated not only at the Taekwon-Do Hall but also at workplaces including those at factories and enterprises.

Taekwon-Do has become part of life of the employees of the Pyongyang Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill, said Sim Jong Min, an official of the mill. “They train hard to master the basic pattern movements of Taekwon-Do.”

The regular dissemination of the martial art and frequent contests between workshops encourage the masses to learn it and its employees are often seen practising the pattern movements after a day’s work or during breaks.

The national martial art is also widely disseminated in the field of education.

Lecturers of the Taekwon-Do Department, Paduk Department and Taekwon-Do Branch of Pyongyang College of Taekwon-Do have developed teaching methods for improving students' cognitive and practical abilities and applied them to education, while introducing such valuable research findings conducive to education as the programs for learning self-defence routine of Taekwon-Do and the training of paduk player and multipurpose strike training equipment.

Taekwon-Do has become a compulsory subject at primary and junior and senior middle schools and many teachers are dan and gup holders.

Taekwon-Do groups formed at schoolchildren’s halls and schools across the country are run efficiently.

Kindergarten kids are also eager to learn the national martial art.

"Learning Taekwon-Do, the orthodox martial art of our country, from kindergarten days is good for the growth of children and for fostering love for their own," said Kim Hyang Suk, head of the Mirae Kindergarten in Phyongchon District, Pyongyang.

According to her, all the kindergarten teachers hold over Taekwon-Do third gup and all the children of the kindergarten learn the martial art.

Teachers of this kindergarten has rich experience in the instruction of Taekwon-Do to children. They made a multimedia presentation for education "Taekwon-Do Learning for Children" with the help of the instructors of the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee and researchers of the Academy of Pedagogical Science.