「2024 Youth Martial Arts Physical Fitness Certification Project」

- Strengthen your physical power with fun martial arts movements -

Starting with a visit to Judeok Middle School in Judeok-eup, Chungju on May 8th, the ‘2024 Youth Martial Arts Physical Fitness Certification Project’ is being operated for elementary, middle, and high schools and youth organization in the North Chungcheong Province. This project was first implemented last year to promote youth physical activities and strengthen their immune system as the prolonged COVID-19 made the students physically weaker. The areas where students don’t have much chance to try physical activities will be given priority to join the project. Students who join the program first measure their physical strength by trying martial arts movements such as using hands, using feet, using weapon, and running, which are all developed by combining military service activities and traditional games of the Joseon Dynasty and digital device technologies. This year, we are introducing our self-developed mobile application ‘MAON’ to encourage students to input their data on physical strength into the app for seamless management. The current number of users of ‘MAON’ is around 300 and the number is expected to increase as we are planning to provide various contents on the app.

Please read the following to find out the details of the project, and the interview with the participants to find out the meaning of the martial arts to the youth.

□ Project Overview

- Host/ Organizer: ICM, World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU)

- Application Period: by Oct 31st 2024

- Test Elements: ① Using hands ② Using feet ③ Using weapon ④ Running

- Measurement Order

(1) First, check your body condition with InBody

(2) Measure your physical strength by trying martial arts movements!

(3) Record the result in the application MAON

□ Interview with the Participants

Followings are the interviews with the youth and teachers who joined our project.

★ Interview with the Teachers

Q1. How did you feel about today’s program, the ‘youth martial arts physical fitness certification’?

Our school was designated as the Taekkyeon school in Chungju city in 2019 and thus we have been striving to promote healthy and sound body and mind of the students. With the martial arts physical fitness certification event, I hope the students will have a chance to get credit for their physical fitness and become motivated to achieve further growth for both their body and mind. This year is the second year students are joining the event, and I can see that many students really enjoyed themselves and became confident after making improvements compared to last year.

Q2. What do you think are the benefits of martial arts or any other physical activities for students?

Physical activities including martial arts have positive effects on physical development. I believe it is especially helpful for students to promote physical development, keep healthy weight, and encourage healthy lifestyle. It also keeps your mental healthy since it gives you the opportunity to relieve your stress, develop concentration and perseverance, and increase self-confidence.

Q3. Any suggestions on where we can make further improvements on the programs?

The way you certify the martial arts skills of students are very similar to game, and maybe that is why the students had so much fun. I do think that it would be better if other elements could be added to, other than the ones we already have, using hands, using feet, using weapons, and running.

Q1. How did you feel about today’s program, the ‘youth martial arts physical fitness certification’?

Earlier this year, as part of a career experience program, the 1st grade students of Chilguem Middle School had a chance to visit Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and ICM. The students had a session to learn about the history of Chungju (the historical meaning of Jungwon, what a great city Chungju is, iron culture, etc.) at the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and did some martial arts kicking at the ICM. Back then, only a few students per class were given the opportunity to try the kicking, so that is why I applied for this program. I was happy to see that most of the students were enjoying themselves. Some students who used to be shy and quiet during classes seemed to be confident and serious when trying the physical activities that were conducted in a different way than usual. In particular, I found that the great part of this program is that you learn how to push your limits, not merely winning in competitions or defeating others. The experience itself, such as jumping as high as you can or kicking as hard as you can, will serve as very valuable lessons to students since they could learn their physical limits when thrown into an activity they never tried before. I really hope this program will continue for the Chungju students.

Q2. What do you think are the benefits of martial arts or any other physical activities for students?

Taekkyeon is a traditional martial art that has been promoted in Chungju city for a very long time. Taekkyeon is widely known since it has been taught in many schools’ free semester programs, but other martial arts programs are not very well known. Students will be reminded through martial arts that to truly win, you have to be able to protect yourself. The true beauty of martial arts is to be able to protect yourself and overcome your own limits, not defeating others. Once the students learn that through physical activities, I believe they will learn martial arts faster and go deeper, although martial arts always takes a lot of time.

★ Interview with the Students

Q1. How do you feel about today’s program?

I think I made improvements with my movements compared to last year when I was in 4th grade. Both using feet and using weapons were a little more difficult than last year, because the kicking movements and striking heights were demanding, but since they were more challenging, I found them more fun.

Q2. Have you ever learned martial arts before?

I am taking Taekkyeon classes at school now and I find it fun. I would like to join next year again if this program is available for 6th grades as well.

Q1. How do you feel about today’s program?

It was really fun and I think I made improvements compared to last year. Maybe it’s because I became taller, my speed became faster especially when doing the kicking.

Q2. What do you think are the benefit of doing martial arts?

I have been learning Hapkido since two years ago, and it definitely made me physically healthier and stronger. I would like to continue learning martial arts

Q1. How do you feel about today’s program?

I had a lot of fun, and I wish I could do it again. Up till now, I’m slightly behind the student who did the best, so I feel a little wistful.

Q2. What do you think are the good parts and bad parts of martial arts?

Personally, I have been learning boxing in the school boxing club for about half a year. The good thing is that by learning martial arts you can protect yourself and you feel good after you exercise and sweat. But if you go too far you end up feeling tired. If we have running club or Taekwondo club at school, I would like to join and learn.

Q1. How do you feel about today’s program?

I would like to come back if I could. Kicking and using weapons were a little difficult but fun. For me, running was the most fun part. For now, I’m ranked as the second place!

Q2. What martial arts or any other sports have you learned so far? Also what do you think is the benefit of learning martial arts?

I learned Hapkido and Football and now learning Boxing in school. The benefit is that you become physically healthier and stronger.

※ Visited Korea National University of Transportation

In addition to elementary, middle, or high schools, we also visit universities! On May 27th, we visited Korea National University of Transportation to meet the students of the Department of Airline Service. They have been taking martial arts classes for the past three months so we certified their physical power. Recently unexpected issues have been taking place inside of airplanes such as passengers opening the emergency door after the take off or beating the aircraft attendants for no reason, and these students started to take martial arts classes to build the physical power to be able to protect not only themselves but also passengers. It’s been about three years the department started to run martial arts class as an optional class for major subjects. The class teaches movements that can be carried out in confined spaces, including Ju-Jitsu, self-defense methods, and Hapkido, among others. The focus is to develop courage and confidence to respond to such emergent issues rather than to train martial arts itself.