It is been a while since Taekwondo, the South Korean marshal art, became a phenomenon in Addis. Even in small obscure corners, there are posters that advertise classes of Taekwondo. For Addisu Hurgessa, a young Master Instructor in his thirties, nothing gives more pleasure than seeing the local community embrace the sport.

 

The five-Dan (black belt) holder Addisu started Taekwondo at the age of 10 and says that it is not only a sport but rather a way of life. Apart from teaching the sport at his sport club (Addis Taekwondo), he is also the coach of the Ethiopian national Taekwondo team. The Taekwondo master spoke to Tibebeselassie Tigabu of The Reporter about the evolution of the sport in Ethiopia and his experience. Excerpts:

What are you doing currently?

It has been 26 years since I got immersed in the sport. Just last year, I graduated from AAU with a Master’s degree from the sport science department. The International Olympic Committee also gave me a six-month coaching training scholarship. For the first leg of the training, which took some two months, I stayed in America and I just got back to my country. The program also has a second phase in Lausanne, Switzerland.  It is one of the biggest coaching courses and they chose national coaches from 32 countries. Luckily I was one of them. In between, am also required to practice what I have learned (give trainings) back home and I should report how it went. I am in a final stage of giving trainings. Now only two weeks are left before heading to the Lausanne.

Now you are busy with this project. But how are you managing your other responsibilities?

I cannot say that I have faced problems until now. I have been a coach for the national team for the past eight years and I also have responsibilities in the federation. So far, Taekwondo was not taught at the university level in Ethiopia and I will be teaching the courses. Apart from AAU, Jimma, Awassa, and Bahirdar universities are also planning to give taekwondo courses. So I am also playing an advising role in there. It has been 12 years since I started teaching at International Community School (ICS). I have also taught for 11 years at Sanford and 10 at Bingham schools.

How do you see the evolution of Taekwondo in Ethiopia?

It is more than my expectation. I do not think that there is any sport that gained popularity at such a speed in Ethiopia. There are training centers in each kebele, children start this sport at a very young age. Soccer might be more popular accounting for the number of fans but we were able to go to the grassroots level. It is good that Taekwondo is going to be taught at the University level so that the academic community will also be involved in the sport.

What is the reason behind the popularity?

I think the main reason is that people really understand its importance now. The other reason is that it is one of the contact sport, which if practiced appropriately has low risk. It helps one to be fit and also equip people with a vital defense mechanism. But more than all that, it helps children to be disciplined and to figure out life at a very young age. When parents send their children to us, it means that they are embracing the sport. And most of them come and consult us about their children.

What are the basic principles behind Taekwondo?

It is a sport and at the same time it is also an art. As a sport there are different competitions that are held. But, it is also a way of life; it teaches you about life. And the thing one learns through this sport can be interpreted in a day-to-day life.

How did you get into Taekwondo?

I was born and brought up in the Kolfe area. In our neighborhood there were many policemen who knew marshal art, and they were my first encounter with art. The inspiration came from different films, especially watching Bruce Lee was a different experience for me at a very young age. Since Bruce Lee used to do Jeet Kune Do (a hybrid martial art), I used to practice that in those days. On one occasion, I met my mentor and I was taken by Taekwondo art because of him. No Non Park was the South Korean guy who influenced me to pursue the art. I met him at Ghion Hotel while he was swimming. I remember that he was doing different kicks and splits in and outside the swimming pool. I told him about my interests in the sport and after a while he agreed to teach me. I can say that he taught me all the techniques that I know. He used to take me to his training classes like the one he gave to Afghanistan Ambassador. After that he opened a Taekwondo school. Park Marshal and I started taking classes and also teaching there. Later, I opened my own in 1995.

Do you remember the feeling when you got your first black belt?

For me the difficult thing was to get the other belts before reaching black belt level. But once you get there, you understand that it is simple. Having a black belt is like having a different variety of dishes that you could not eat. You cannot really feel anything when you earn your black belt, but it is after that that you really understand what it is all about.

You started teaching at a young age. Did your students take you seriously?

I was very skinny at that time and used to do everything with them. We bonded with my students and it was more like working with them, not teaching. We had a good time and it was also a learning process for me.

How did you get the master level?

It was after my fourth Dan (black belt). I took the exam in South Korea and got the title. This year, I am heading there to get my sixth Dan. But I can give the exams up to fourth Dan here. As you get older in the Taekwondo, the importance of physical strength starts to fade; instead, the art becomes more of a mental game. The older one gets the more the accumulated knowledge, discipline and wisdom. So, it will be about the mind at later stages.  Nowadays, I am more into academics and I still want to pursue my education further.

Do you remember some of the big fights that you had over the years?

In those days, I used to practice for hours. I remember one time that after practicing for more than eight hours, I fainted and had to stay in bed for a month. Even now, I work out at least for an hour. At that time there were no fights as such; it was only friendly. In 1998, I went to the Korean University of Physical Education. In this university nine of the students were part of the national team. The program was for nine months and I stayed in my mentor house but it was a bit tough as I was paying for my food and transportation.  During my stay, I was able to win a bronze medal in the foreigners’ group competition and that was one of my international fights. In 2002 again, I went back and lived there for three months and I was able to register Ethiopia as part of world Taekwondo Federation. For a short period of time, I was the president of the Ethiopian Taekwondo Federation. After a short while, the federation was restructured and they chose me as a national coach, which suited me better. To answer your question, I did not have many fights, but I was invited to participate in Sydney Olympic. Even if I did not have many fighting experiences, since there were other procedures to qualify, I got the chance to participate.

Have you ever been in a position where you were forced to defend yourself and get into a fight?

My lifestyle also does not allow me to do that. I avoid going to bars, clubs; so I do not get into much conflicts. However, it does not mean that I never got pissed off in my life. But it is a very temporary thing, I know it passes. Controlling my emotions is one of the disciplines that I learn and teach. Even when I started, I was a show-off, but I did not get into fights. I focus all my energy in the sport.

How is the coaching career?

When I started teaching, I did not like the instructor job. Coaching is a unique thing; it has its own science. Taekwondo is an amateur sports and it has 197 member countries in the world federation. It is becoming one of the beloved sports. The principle behind it is great.

What is the country’s level internationally?

In the women’s team, we stand 53rd in the world and 8th in Africa. One of the challenges is that it is an amateur game and the participants do not make money out of it. To have it as a professional career, one has no options but to start his/her own school. It is not a good source of money. So, having worked so hard and knowing many things about the sport, people tend to choose a different path.

What is the federation doing to improve this situation?

Many of our football, basketball or other teams have salaries, but our national taekwondo team does not. Internationally, we have the best results next to the athletics team, but there is nothing for these youngsters. They cannot pursue this sport because it does not have any financial pay; hence many are forced to quit. But now, we are approaching different clubs to support the players and initiate an independent taekwondo club.