Taekowndo fighter shows the power behind her sidekick
Taekwondo student Aza Ejimbe uses the sport to develop beyond the floor, learning discipline, control, and self-defense.
When faced with an opponent stronger than herself, its the chanted words: ‘Don’t give up’, that guide Aza Ejimbe (14) towards fighting until she has no breath left.
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Describing herself as shy and reserved, taekwondo forces Aza to be more sociable, helping her out of her shell. “In class, it helps me focus, whereas before, being a creative, my mind tended to wander a lot. Taekwondo helps me be present.”
Her favourite part about practicing taekwondo is learning the practical aspects of the sport when it comes to self-defense. “The skills I learn are definitely needed by any woman. Although, I pray I never have to be put in a situation where I have to use them.” She added that she finds the patterns, the fundamental movements, a little challenging during competitions, but with consistent training, the better she gets. Some of the techniques she is currently focused on is getting her strength up and being accurate with her counter attacks. In her next grading, her goal is to get her patterns correct .
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The former gymnast opted for the change in sport as she found taekwondo’s workouts to be completely different to gymnastics. Although her classes, which she attends at MTG Fighting Fit Central in Marks Park Sports Club, are about 45 minutes to an hour long, she finds them to be intense, and make her feel strong. “Taekwondo is about mental power and discipline, so, I feel very balanced and am able to focus better,” she said.
Through the sport, she has learned that her biggest mistake has been not believing in herself. She reflected on two previous competitions, and how she had to fight girls who were not only bigger and heavier than her, but in a higher belt category. “Once I told myself that I can take them on, and I let go of the fear, I won against both opponents. So, a lot has to do with what we tell ourselves and what we believe.”
To prepare herself mentally for competitions, she blasts her favourite J-Pop (Japanese pop) playlist, and draws while enroute to the venue, to get herself in the zone, so she is mentally ready for any opponent.
As Aza sees it, taekwondo gives you no other option but to develop self-discipline, as it is what the sport requires of you. “That discipline translates into things like being punctual, being quiet during class, and paying attention to what my teachers say. Also, doing daily practice and exercises on my own, knowing that my goal is to be really good at the sport.”
This student can, at times, be found being the teacher, especially in instances where she is teaching her sister skills so she also knows self-defense. “I teach her what I would’ve learnt in class. As young women, it’s vitally important for us to know how to safeguard ourselves, especially in a country like South Africa, where the crimes against women and gender-based violence are very high.”
With aspirations to one day be a vet, Aza thinks taekwondo will aid in this dream, as the sport will keep her strong and fit, better equipping her to handle large animals. “For now, I get to work on our four family pets – two huge boerboels, a big red-tail boa snake, and a cute little leopard gecko.”
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