Strengthening Youth Self-Efficacy through Taekwondo Demonstration

Youngwoo LEE (Taekwondo instructor, 2022 MARIE programme participant)

Korean teenagers suffer from emotional instability, depression, and low self-esteem due to the excessive SAT-centered education system that creates intensified academic pressure and high level of stress (Jeong Mi-ra, Jeong Eun, 2017). In addition, conflicts and worries coming from their academics, future career paths, appearance, and physical changes cause harmful emotions such as anxiety and stress, which can have negative impact on the cognitive and social development that should be formed during the adolescence period (Eo Su-ji, 2021).

As one of the tools to alleviate such issues, we propose Taekwondo demonstration activity. Taekwondo is the national martial art of Korea, familiar and accessible to teenagers. No other place is as familiar and accessible as Taekwondo gym, even for young kids.

Taekwondo demonstrations are not simply a list of skills, but rather the quintessence achieved after countless practices and efforts of toil, tears, and sweat. As adolescents prepare for their demonstrations, they constantly challenge their limits and hone their skills through continuous practice. The sense of accomplishment gained through such process greatly helps strengthening self-efficacy, which refers to the belief that an individual can successfully perform a specific task. Self-efficacy enhances motivation and achievement especially in challenging situations (Choi Young-jun, 2016).

Also, showing your skills publicly through a demonstration is an opportunity to receive direct feedback from others. By receiving positive feedbacks such as applause and encouragement from the audience, adolescents will be able to experience of their efforts being recognized, which increases their self-confidence. Such experiences will help young people to have courage to take on any other challenges they may face in their later lives (Ji Eun-hee, 2023).

Taekwondo demonstrations are thoroughly team-oriented activities, and thus can be fully completed only by cooperation, consideration, and division of responsibility among members. The teamwork can never be completed by individual capabilities alone (Kim Kyung-tae, Kim In-jae, 2010). In the process of building such teamwork, adolescents learn how to cooperate with and respect others. The culture of respect and order that is naturally formed in the relationship between seniors and juniors is a unique character education in martial arts and an opportunity to learn the basic virtues of a community society. In addition, the process of exchanging feedback and interacting with instructors and colleagues helps develop communication skills and learn how to control emotions in conflict situation (Kim Nam-joong, Kim Geun-guk, 2019)

In Korea, it is true that teenagers go through a lot of academic stress and pressure, and they don’t have enough time to enjoy themselves. However they can use their weekends to practice Taekwondo as a hobby. If they have the opportunity to demonstrate or engage in physical activities as a member of a team on a regular basis, such experience will be educational. The practice can be established as a culture among the young generation.

As such, Taekwondo demonstrations can become a complex educational tool that helps adolescents grow as a whole people, going beyond simple sports activities or artistic performances. Teenagers will be able to express themselves with physical movements, cooperate with their colleagues, learn the value of teamwork and enjoy the sense of achievement both after succeeding in breakings as an individual and performing as a team member. All these experiences will serve as important assets helping the adolescents to become a better person in the community.

Therefore, it is necessary to expand opportunities for youth to participate in Taekwondo demonstrations during weekends to promote their physical health as well as emotional stability and social skills. With such efforts, Taekwondo demonstrations will become an eminent part of youth education and cultural activity.