For many, the Korean martial art is associated with high kicks and fast punches. For Martin Tarpev, it’s about coping in everyday life. He has cerebral palsy, and finds that taekwon-do helps him coordinate his body’s signals. – One of the most important things for me in the taekwon-do patterns is that we often change direction and positions. This is exactly what I need to practice to get better in my everyday life. Tarpev came to Norway from Bulgaria just over a year ago. He wanted to join his brother who moved here to get his doctorate. He himself is a trained copywriter in digital marketing, and is looking for a job here in Norway. – Taekwon-Do was one of my first Norwegian miracles. I like the people here, I have made many friends and I like to be active. It makes me more efficient in everyday life, says Tarpev. Fant Gunnar When Tarpev came to Norway, he was pleasantly surprised by how open people were to him and to his disability. He realized that Norwegians love sports, and wanted to find a sport that suited him. – I’m also a sports guy, so I went to the para sports center here in Trondheim and looked for sports for me. They put me in touch with Gunnar. Gunnar Rugsveen is the general manager of Trondheim Taekwon-Do Klubb, and has extensive experience as an instructor. Tarpev and Rugsveen started training one on one. – At the beginning we trained on simple four turns with combinations of block and punch, explains Tarpev. It is important to stand steady when blocking a kick. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news He quickly noticed that it helped with coordination – I learned to turn and be more stable when I turn. Now he has learned more complicated patterns such as Chong Ji and Dan Gun. These consist of 19 and 21 movements. – These patterns with combinations of different techniques are very good for me, because I focus on the whole combination and change positions many times, and it is very useful for my coordination skills, says Tarpev A good combination Rannei Sæther is associate professor at the regional knowledge center for habilitation at RKBU Midt-Norge. Rannei Sæther thinks it’s nice that martial arts combine individualization and the social in a group. Photo: Privat She believes that martial arts has several aspects that are good for athletes with functional challenges. She highlights muscle strength, coordination and flexibility as important elements, in addition to the importance of such training for general health. Sæther also says that the sport gives the opportunity to adapt one’s individual level at the same time as training in a larger group. – It’s a good combination that can suit many people, she says. Sæther also emphasizes that the training must be repeated often for it to have any effect. – Other activity offers can provide the same. It’s about motivation and availability. She also says that it is never too late to start an activity or sport. – You can learn new skills throughout your life. It’s about motivation and the desire to learn something new, says Sæther. Sport for all For Rugsveen, it is important that the club and sport make it possible for everyone to participate. – We say that Taekwon-Do should be for everyone, and then it is important that we organize the sport so that it is actually suitable for everyone, says Rugsveen. Joy is also important in training. Regardless of whether you are a student or an instructor. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news In recent years, the Trondheim club has spent a lot of time adapting the techniques. – Taekwon-Do is a martial art that uses 70% of the feet, which means we use a lot of kicks. When you are in a wheelchair, it goes without saying that it is very difficult to achieve. The club has made arrangements for those who sit in a wheelchair, are blind, hard of hearing or have other physical or cognitive challenges. – So we have suddenly adapted the sport, which means that when we say that Taekwon-Do is for everyone, we are actually able to provide an offer that we believe is for everyone. In addition to training alone with Gunnar, Martin also trains in a party with others. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news Trondheim Taekwon-Do Club is not the only club that works to include everyone in the sport, but they are the largest. Rugsveen says that the clubs exchange experience with each other. But why should a Korean martial art strive to adapt to its practitioners? At least one thing is certain: to make it happen, committed instructors are needed. Martin and Gunnar have both developed since they started training together. Photo: Bent Lindsetmo / news – Whether you are a para athlete, or whether you are 6 years old, or 85, you come to us, Taekwondo will give you something that will help you manage life outside the gym better. Because no matter how much you train, that time in a gym is very small compared to what the rest of your life consists of, says Rugsveen.
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Martin Tarpev copes with everyday life better after he found taekwondo – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
