Korean martial arts come to the Tein
'People are welcome to join. It's an awesome sport.'
Harmony Dojo, a haedong kumdo club, is all about concentration and precision.
Haedong kumdo is a Korean martial art. Its name translates into English as ‘way of the sword.’ Students move through different stages of the art, starting at the most basic level – cutting paper. From there they move on to use tatami mats, bamboo sticks and later wooden sticks called mokugum or bokken.
Once they’re at an advanced level, students use swords and participate in competitions to measure their skills against others. Hein van Jaarsveld, a member of the club says haedong kumdo is a beautiful art to watch but added it is also practical in that it teaches students balance, agility and mental focus.
Hein said the club does not get much attention because residents don’t know what the sport is about. The dojo belongs to Master Godfrey Jacobson and has been around for the past 10 years. It is affiliated to the United World Haedong Kumdo Federation.
While Jacobson owns the club, Sabunim Martin Prinsloo is the club’s instructor. Prinsloo is a 3rd Dan haedong kumdo instructor. He participated in the 2012 haedong kumdo world championships.
The club’s practice times will soon be changing, to Mondays and Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 8.30pm.
“We really want people to come and see what we’re about. People are welcome to join. It’s an awesome sport,” Hein said.
• Details: Contact Sabunim Martin on 082 052 3702 or via email.
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