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WHEN kids first see a taekwondo class, the environment normally shocks them. “Because may mga nagsisigawan, nagbabanatan," explains Monsour del Rosario. “But that’s when you know those who are challenged and those who just back off." Del Rosario, who co-owns Olympian Taekwondo Training Center (OTTC) with La Salle schoolmate Stephen Fernandez in Makati City, says that how far the kids go in the sport shouldn’t be measured by how they feel on the first day—or first few months for that matter. “There are those who eventually change during the course of the program. Yung mga hindi confident, nagiging confident. Yung mga hindi disiplinado, nagkakaroon ng self-control." That’s one of the reasons most parents put their kids in martial arts school—to change their kids’ outlook from soft to tough, from being lackadaisical to assertive. (“Parents would come and say, Can you make my son macho?’" del Rosario recalls.) And once the purpose has been laid out—which del Rosario usually squeezes out the moment wide-eyed parents and their kids step into his gym on the first day—then it’s up to del Rosario and his team of black-belt instructors to fulfill their end of the bargain. “I think what’s important in teaching kids is, they have to be interested. Then all else follows." A child can begin learning taekwondo as early four years old. Regardless of age, however, del Rosario allows any first-timer to a trial class or a session where the child can watch actual classes and feel the sport. From there, del Rosario makes recommendations to the parents. “When you force a kid to do something, one of two things happen: either they want to do it to please their parents or they’re just spaced out all the time. I tell the parents that they could be just wasting their money." For the toddlers’ age bracket—those who are between four and seven years old—del Rosario just allows the kids to enjoy. But as early as six or even five years old—as long as the kids are ready mentally and physically ready—del Rosario already allows them to spar. (“May mga ibang bata talaga na hot na hot, gusto sipaan agad,’" he says.) Given that, say a five-year-old kid practices three hours a day and three times a week, he can become a junior blackbelt within two years. In his classes, however, del Rosario doesn’t waste any time applying “the yin-yang" principles of taekwondo: to a bully, the instructors humble him; to a less aggressive child, the instructors imbibe confidence. (“It’s finding that balance," del Rosario professes.) Asked how he penalizes his students, del Rosario admits that he does slap his students. “Pero may halong carino ’yun s’yempre. “But that’s the thing, you see. Wala naman parents na nagrereklamo du’n sa physicality involved but I think you can’t get away with it. If parents want their kids to be tough, you can’t achieve that by being soft on the kids, right?" By FRANCIS MENOR Photos by NONIE REYES Add your comments Note: comments reported as offensive will temporarily be suspended until reviewed.
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