Interview with Master Stephen Tapilatu

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Welcome to Blackbilt Interviews with Me, Master David Hodson. In
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this series, I interview IQF taekwondo grand masters and masters
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from around the world, and I asked them to share
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their history, their experiences and their philosophies of taekwondo and
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sim please sit back and enjoy it and remember to
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like and subscribe. Thank you and Taykwon. Okay, welcome to
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Black Belt Interviews with Me, Master David Hodson. I'm absolutely
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delighted as you be joined today by Master Stephen Tapolatu
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from the Netherlands.
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Welcome sir, thank you, and welcome. Thank you. Agreed to this.
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We met at the Open Dutch. You're really colome to
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have a photograph of my guys. Really appreciate that and
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thank you for joining me. All Right, you're welcome, You're welcome.
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I was much show honor to to be in the
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in the podcast. Oh fantastic, Thank you so much. There's
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so much to talk about. Two time world champion, two
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time European Champion, two time King of Taekwondo.
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Yes, WTF MMA, kickboxing, I did, I did, I did
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the whole day. You know it's it was. It was
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a nice ride after the after the competition of the course,
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I TF and WTF that I'm WTF that I'm now
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w T and I want to explore more things. So
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I I got into the MMA for like ten years
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and did a little bit of kickboxing fight on the
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big event of its showtime in the Amsterdam Marina. So
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that was quite nice. What's a nice adventure?
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Amazing, amazing. As I say, We've got so much to
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talk about. I'm really excited by this. I first saw
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you when I used to travel up to Bathgate, Scotland, okay,
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I think mid late eighties, nineties, sorry, and you were
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part of the team, the t k D Sports team
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I think, yeah, you were a guest on their team
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and we were all spelled down watching you spa. We
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couldn't say it. We've never seen anything like it. So
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to speak to you today is a it's a big
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thing for me, okay really.
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So. So you began as a very young person taekwondo.
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I was, yeah, I was. I was like eight years
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old when I started takla. My father was training the
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time and I was on the Grandmaster bus and grum
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I supposed to ask me why don't you come? You
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were sitting here all the time watching your father. Why
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don't you do? I said, no, I'm I'm now into gymnastics,
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so I can I cannot, I cannot, I cannot join.
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So then I stopped gymnastics, and then I started eight
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years old, I started to do takundo because of my father.
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Of course, it was practicing takundo.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, And you were was it unusual to
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be eight years old then? Or was there lots of
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children anyway?
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Or no, it was, it was, it was, it was.
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There were quite some children from that age. And now
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you see a lot of a lot of kids starting younger.
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I think that's great. But in the early days, it
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was like most of the kids were like eight or
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ten years old before they started with tao. Yeah. And
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and of course we had a we had a good
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team together. We had Grandma's what at that time I
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had with my father Grandmaster Taplato had a quite quite
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a bit of good youth participants. Yeah. Yeah.
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So the competition side was that was fairly early on.
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Now was that a bit later?
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Quite? No, No, just we were we were just eight
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years olders just starting just uh with competition, just at
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at ege years old. I was like I think it
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was I was nine or ten years old who become
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first Dutch champion. So it was quite fast that we
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did all the tournaments.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, excellent, so yeah yeah, and it was
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always sparring.
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Yeah yeah, always sparring. People know me from sparring. But
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when my father was at that time national coach, we
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had to do everything. We had to do the patents,
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individual team pattern, we did team breaking, special techniques, and
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in nineteen ninety when I became first world champion, I
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was also third on on the I became third on
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special techniques. Right, I just missed the tree Chuckie when
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I broke when I had broke the board of it Chichuki.
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I became world champion. I hit the board but it
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didn't break. So at that time Canada and North Korea
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did for the finals. I was third and I think
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Not Korea was first and Canada was second. Yeah. So
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it's not only that we also do the patons and
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we also do the breaking.
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Yeah yeah, of course absolutely. And so but early on
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you were training under your father. That's that's been an
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easy thing. I have two boys, so they trained with me.
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Uh uh. It went quite natural. We trained on the
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Grandmaster Boss and later with my father, and he did
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quite well because if you see all the IF you
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followed a little bit our our system. My father put
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a system of fighting, and that was in the early
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eighties to the nineties. It was very popular and it
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was totally new because we also did the WTF, of course,
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and we were all in the national team of WTF
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and we did uh. We did a lot of competition
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and we implement the w WTF things into the i
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TF things. Well, nowadays there's a lot of guys do
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with WACO and implement to WACO into the i TF
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And in Oura days, it was like we did the
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WTF and my father implemented all the trainings and all
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the tactics and all the techniques into the IF sparring
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and vice versa. So we also did on the WTF side,
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we did a lot of IF things with the front
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leg yob Chuckie. I think we were the first ones
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in Europe to do the front leg job chuckie and
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fight in the WTF and they go like, what's is this?
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They never saw it before. So so the training with
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me and my father and my cousins and my sister
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went quite natural. Yeah. Yeah. We traveled the world together
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and most of the time you see a little bit
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of a lot of times difficulties between the kids and
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the parents, especially on high level. But for this there
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was never a discussion if I no, how do you
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say I have confidence in my father? You know I was.
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There was no doubt. It's just natural. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Yeah, fantastic. So back then the WTF and the IF,
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were they the same size or WTF bigger than IF
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in Holland.
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In Holland in the beginning, they were the same size,
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but when it became more Olympic, then the WTF was
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quite much bigger than the IF in Holland. But my
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father said, ah, you know, I think we can beat
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these guys in Holland. So let's try and to do
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a new adventure on the WTF side. And we did
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well because all my only my sister was not in
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the national team, but my two cousins from fifty kidos
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fifty four fifty was Putty Pattiparo and fifty fourth Jingle
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Topelato and me at sixty three, so only fifty eight
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was I was too heavy for fifty eight, so I
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went up to sixty three, so we had three places
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in the national team.
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Well, well, so you must have been training a lot
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and we're training here there and so on.
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Yeah. I was speaking to somebody else lately and they said, yeah,
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but you were training a lot. Yeah, we were, But
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we trained quite well. My father had quite a good
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schedule that we had, let's say, uh two three times
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a week. We had trainings for to specialize the trainings
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and uh one time we had a pets training, one
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time we had sporting training, and one time it was
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just technical technical and just technical training. And with that
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we did some jumping, we did the buttons. But also
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we had that time was I think also our luck.
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We had every weekend we had competition, right, so you
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can imagine maybe on the Saturday it was if and
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on the Sunday we did WTF. Yeah, and we had
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also so the holl style tournaments and there's more non
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now known as wako, so we had also the point
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fighting we did and we did the continuous fighting also
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on the on the holl style tournaments in Holland. Holland
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is very well known as a country with a lot
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of martial arts, all kinds of difference like karate, benchak,
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kung fu, shoe taekon tho of course in all the way,
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and they had the time. They had a big tournaments
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all over Holland and every weekend there was a tournament,
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so we could fight every weekend. It's a goodlock for
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us because we were always in shape, always in in
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in in uh how do you say? Competition condition? So
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that made it made it made the fighting for us
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a little bit easier.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. And did you have any preference
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then or you just enjoyed the whole thing?
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The differ you can switch between them now. The funny
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part is you know, you know you're your roots are tackledo.
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So that is what we do. Yeah, but all the
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things besides we did, we did. We did a lot
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of fun. We always we always come to to the
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to the competition with a lot of fun. And then
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we said, oh, let's see what kind of crazy karate
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guy guy, wushu guy or taco guy is now our
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opponents because we all find on the same rules. It'
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that was all point point fighting. So but there it
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was good. It was nice, you know, and we we
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went everywhere with their smile. We went everywhere, we went
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open we make a lot of new friends. So that
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was good.
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Yeah, yeah, excellent. As I say, it brings me back
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to when I went up to Bathket I was competing.
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I was a color belt, but the showcase was like
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the finder of the team and you were one of
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the members obviously, and let's say, we're all watching you
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and seeing how different you were doing things, how quick
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and yeah it was it was fantastic.
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And then what was it? Sorry, what was the difference
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between me and the rest of the time.
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There were some good guys, but it was I would say,
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it's the way you would shift across the floor, very smooth,
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very quick, lots of kicking, and then that kind of
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relentless side to overcome your opponent just with the dear
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volume and movement and being difficult to hit. You know,
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you seem to be the whole fighter. Then that we thought. Yeah.
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So the English guy that sparred you was Nick. I
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can't remember his second name, but in that final remember
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he did very spirited and we were excited because we
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were England. But then you pulled something out the three
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sixty turnying I've never seen. People were doing it and
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trying it, but no one could actually do it in match,
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and you were able to do it and you won
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from that, I don't I remember.
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Yeah, I remember that. Those are a few things you
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remember quite well, because I think, I'm not sure what
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I think. I was one of the first would put
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the three sixty dollars into the into the competition, into
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the fighting, because we we had that a little bit
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from the w JF. We also learned this and we
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already knew, but to implement that in sparring was totally different.
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And that time I made the three sixty and he
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didn't know what's coming because he thought that the bana
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dolia was coming and he was waiting for the bana dollia,
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but it didn't came, and I turned around and made
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the three sixty dollar chuck to his head and it
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was like buff and everybody went work. Everybody went crazy.
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That that's what I remembered.
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So yeah, I remember true very much, very much. And
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then and then we went back to our schools. We trained,
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and we had only HS cassettes, right, remember.
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So that's all that.
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There was one going around for the King of Taekwondo,
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the japan one. So we saw you there and and
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Barada as well. And others. It was really inspiring for us,
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you know, as we're coming up and so how was
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that tournament for you?
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Then the.
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We fund starting a little bit.
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But King of Tom, King of tankwond Mor Monk Cup,
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that was special. That was really special because they invited
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all the world champions, of course the best Japanese fighters
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and some fighters in the heavyweight division from other martial arts.
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So there was one guy of Shotokan karate. I think
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there was a guy from Holland I thought him later
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in the amsdam Arina Peruveda. He fight also the heavyweight class.
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He won that time. The Russian guy was there, so
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it was quite special. But in the lightweight classes they
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were all takono guys. Paulsy Man fought over the pig
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net uh Uh, Thomas fought also there. My cousin fight
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also in the in the lightweight division. So the best
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of the best were there at that time and that
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was very special. And it was of course it was
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special because people could win some money over there. So
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that was the first in I think in taekwondo history
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that you can had a tournament where you can win money.
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So not only was it like in Tokyo and Japan.
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It was special, but also specially that Chiko won win
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the money prize. So for me, the whole trip to
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go to Tokyo, to fight in Tokyo, that was what
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every I think every match artist in the world would
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have loved. I've been out a few times to Japan.
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I fight. I thought over the die the Yuku karate
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with Semi Shield, he's the K one champion. I trained
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with him a long time and with our training history
252
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and Dave Jonkas I went to the dad Yuku Tournament,
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the World Championships. I became second loss in the final
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armar from the Japanese champion. Really good guy. I was
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was happy. I was proud I could finals all over there.
256
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And then I went with Semmie Shield when he fighted
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a K one against Musashi in Japan. I think it
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was in Hiroshima. I was one of his coaches to
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go to Japan and a coach on the world level
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of K one. It was really beautiful. It was a
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nice experience also, so for me, Japan One Cup with
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the organizers was really beautiful, was really well organized.
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Also, Yeah, some great memories for you and yees So
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there was a big crowd there in that king of.
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It was if I remember, the hall was quite filled.
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It was the Olympic swimming hole from Tokyo Olympic Games.
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It was a really big hole. I think it was like, yeah,
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one thousand, two thousand spectators, I think at least. Yeah,
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it was really it was quite dark. On the outside
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was neck with a lip. Yeah. The fighters we had,
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we had the square in the middle. Yeah, we had
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much like a tournament. You had a few scare squares
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that they did the plebinary rounds and then the finals
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all came together on the main court. And that's why
275
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it was so it was so dark because they had
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all the lights in the middle. It makes it special.
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Also, yeah, yeah, yeah, So before all this began, you're
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coming through the color Belt ranks and you're competing most weekends,
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you prefer for your gradings. You're doing the gradings normal
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time or were you taking longer or.
281
00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:44.960
No, I'm now master, But it took it took a
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long time. All the guys said, yeah, you have to
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be master already for a long time. But I was
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out for ten years to do mma and king boxing,
285
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and in that time I left at I think at
286
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fifth fifth degree fifth or sixth degree I left, now,
287
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fifth degree I left. So it took a long time
288
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to to get back on track, of course, with the
289
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with the patents and uh and uh and all the theory. Yeah,
290
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but I was out for ten years. So that's why
291
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it took a a little bit of while for to
292
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go to my seventh degree. Otherwise I will be eight already.
293
00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:24.880
Of course, Well, everything has a path, So my path
294
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was a little bit outside tackled now, and it was
295
00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:31.440
for me. It was also good to do because you need. Yeah,
296
00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:34.599
you meet new people, you learn from other martial arts,
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you learn from other sports, and that make that makes
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you as a as a person. For me as a person,
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makes my life a little bit more complete, understand.
300
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Yeah, yeah, I mean, uh, the kind of things you're
301
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talking about, and a few people have experienced that, I
302
00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:56.000
guess that are also in taekwonda. You know, you had
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to go outside, learn and train and adapt and come
304
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back with you know, more round it.
305
00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:05.559
I guess. Yeah. But you know, you see nowadays that
306
00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:11.599
the mma is more in taekwondo. It's more I don't
307
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:16.759
know how you say it proper, but people are exactly
308
00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:21.599
accepting it. You see at the Shelley Brothers in Ireland.
309
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They also m m A. Of course, my my friend.
310
00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:28.759
It needs a big example. Also Galic he was also
311
00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:32.960
world champion as now Uh he went into the Dream.
312
00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:35.079
He was king of Kate Rich and of course in
313
00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:38.880
England I went into the dream. Japan fight big man
314
00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:42.640
like Sakuraba was really special and he still teaches. He
315
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:45.519
had a good team. If you're following on Instagram, you
316
00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:48.559
see his team is doing great and they have a
317
00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:51.599
lot of fights in the Baghan and Uh in Croatia,
318
00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.279
so he's doing quite well. So for everything has something
319
00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:01.839
to say. But I think if you if you stick
320
00:19:01.880 --> 00:19:05.680
with your roots like takundo and do the step towards
321
00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:11.759
kickboxing or MMA or use both, it's great. Yeah.
322
00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:14.839
It's another outlet for your development your skills.
323
00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:18.640
Yeah of course, yeah yeah, and also to understand other
324
00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:21.720
martial arts, because a lot of time when we fight
325
00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:24.240
and hollered, people get on the floor and try to
326
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:27.400
try to start wrestling, and people start doing because they
327
00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:31.559
don't know. And now the bridges jujitsu is more hot,
328
00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.359
so people practice more so they understand. And it's the
329
00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:38.480
same as takhono. When they don't practice, they don't understand.
330
00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:43.880
So for me to do the the MMA, the jiu jitsu,
331
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the kickboxing, was trying to understand the the purpose of
332
00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.000
so martial arts.
333
00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:54.079
Yeah yeah, yeah, but you you're fully retired from the
334
00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.200
competitive side.
335
00:19:54.920 --> 00:20:02.599
Down, yeah, becoming fifty three next month. So I did
336
00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:08.960
in two thousands and eight. I think it was the
337
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.039
last time I fighted with Thomas. We did the exhibition
338
00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:14.720
fight on the European Championships ceremony. Grams Boss asked us
339
00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:18.160
to fight over there and it was special and of
340
00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:20.480
course Gramas was a special person, so we did it
341
00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:25.599
and that was the last fight I had in my career.
342
00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:31.319
It was twos eighty against Thomas. So nowadays coaching, training,
343
00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:38.799
giving seven hours around the world and just share my knowledge.
344
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:43.359
And I think it's important to share my knowledge with
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people so they can develop themselves or at least if
346
00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:51.039
it's a little bit I can add to all the
347
00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:56.039
techniques or to people minds, I will, because you know,
348
00:20:56.440 --> 00:21:00.000
I did all this and I want for everybody who's
349
00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:02.640
practicing tackle no to just have the same feeling, they
350
00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:06.039
have the same experience, just you know, to develop.
351
00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:09.960
So did you start off with talent? Would you say
352
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.039
you were you were gifted a little bit or do
353
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:16.200
you think it's too.
354
00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:20.839
Yeah it maybe it's too simple to say I'm talented,
355
00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:25.000
but when you see the whole family, but you can say, yeah,
356
00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:27.720
it's a talented family. Maybe it's also in the blood
357
00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:34.880
to have a little bit of a fight. But you know,
358
00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:38.839
when I teach talents, I prefer the hard workers, not
359
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.759
the talents, because the talents they're a little bit how
360
00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:45.240
I say, cocky. They don't train hard because they know
361
00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:48.359
they can do it a little bit more like a
362
00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.039
little bit humble, train a little bit harder, stay consistent.
363
00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:59.240
I think that beats talent and you teaching yourself. So
364
00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:02.000
I think you know what I'm talking about. But if
365
00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:08.119
I was talented, maybe, But my biggest pro was my father.
366
00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:11.279
He put me on track, he let me stay on track.
367
00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:13.640
He was a good coach, He was a good he
368
00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:16.599
is a good coach. He's a good friend and my father.
369
00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:23.599
But in the end he traded me quite well to teaching.
370
00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:27.200
Now the other other students also. You know, it's it's
371
00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:30.079
like a tape loto legacy. You know, I made my
372
00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:32.759
tests about the way of the dragon, but the way
373
00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:35.440
of the dragon for me was not only how I
374
00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:39.559
did the things, also how my father did things and
375
00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:44.160
he implemented with us that made us champions. Because my
376
00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:48.200
father was never world or European champions, but he was
377
00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:50.839
a great trainer and he made so many world champions.
378
00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.759
It was unbelievable. I think only in our family. It
379
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:58.559
was my sister, my two cousins Jengo and Patty. My
380
00:22:58.599 --> 00:23:04.480
other cousin Richard, he was also at Badgate, so right,
381
00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.799
so he was and an another guy reads a father
382
00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:15.400
I posted on the Instagram. He was also world champion
383
00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:20.079
in ninety seven in Petersburg. Then we had the John
384
00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:24.440
Smith also in nineteen ninety eight, and so many. He
385
00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:27.920
made so many world champions, so you know, it's it's
386
00:23:27.960 --> 00:23:30.400
not about the talent. It's also about the coaching. If
387
00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.400
the coaching is great, it's good.
388
00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:35.440
So what makes a great coach? Would you say? I mean,
389
00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:37.960
have you have you got to be super hard or
390
00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.160
you've got to know when to push when to.
391
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:44.359
What makes a good coach? What would you say if
392
00:23:44.359 --> 00:23:47.319
if I can see my father is a champions coach,
393
00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:50.599
of course he's a good person. First of all, you
394
00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:53.720
have to be a good person, you know, and if
395
00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:56.319
you have a good person. People have to trust you.
396
00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:02.000
If you gain trust, I think half of everything is
397
00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:06.519
already completed. Yeah. And then because when you trust people,
398
00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.559
you believe in the things you do together. You know,
399
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:14.359
it's still a game you play together. It's not only
400
00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:16.640
for the coach, it's only not only for the competitor.
401
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:20.960
It's the two of you who make a team. And
402
00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.599
I always said I have a good example for fighting.
403
00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:26.319
I fight the MMA fight. I fight against Bryan Loy,
404
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:30.920
you a very skilled kickboxer, and he punched me with
405
00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:34.799
a small glove, traded my face on my eye. I
406
00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:40.039
said to my father, I see three guys. Yeah. He said,
407
00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:42.720
just close your eyes. When I say yes, punch through
408
00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:46.319
the middle. Close my eyes. He came forward, he said yes,
409
00:24:46.359 --> 00:24:49.279
and I punched him and that was my cue and
410
00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:51.200
I hit them and then I shoot him to the floor.
411
00:24:51.319 --> 00:24:54.599
That saved my side. But that's the trust you have
412
00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:58.079
in your coach, you know. And if you have that,
413
00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:02.920
you can you can achieve so many things.
414
00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:08.000
That's excellent. Yeah, that's a brilliant observation. You know, to
415
00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:11.519
have that trust in someone else, the two of you together,
416
00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:16.519
athlete and coach, and you can make incredible things.
417
00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:21.920
Happen. Yeah, yeah, but you know it's it's what you said. Also,
418
00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:27.359
it's my father's family. It's always hard to work together.
419
00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:30.119
In this case for me and my father was not
420
00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:32.920
hard because he was also my friend. You know, I
421
00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:35.720
trusted him in a lot of things, so that makes
422
00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:38.160
training a lot more easier. You were talking, this is
423
00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:40.839
not working. Let's do it this way, he says, if
424
00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:42.599
you do this, how it works like that? How do
425
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:46.039
you feel about this? You know, you just have to
426
00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:49.160
say change leg kick this kick that you know. And
427
00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:53.200
I was without him at a back gate open. I
428
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.079
was without him, but he planned all the fights. We
429
00:25:56.160 --> 00:25:59.000
planned together. You use this, you use this, you do that,
430
00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:02.640
you do that, so I can fight without him. But
431
00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:05.519
he also planned, okay you want to go, you drop weight,
432
00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:08.599
you go, you train, you train this, and you train
433
00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:12.160
that and then you go. Then we want Yeah, so
434
00:26:13.079 --> 00:26:17.680
it sounds quite easy, but it's still a lot of
435
00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:21.799
a lot of work every year. But that's good. Yeah.
436
00:26:21.880 --> 00:26:25.119
Yeah, yeah, So your father was very dedicated, is very
437
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:31.519
dedicated how he prepares people and how he builds that trust.
438
00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:36.960
Yeah, he's not only dedicated, but very clear. If you
439
00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:40.279
want something, it's good going to help you. But if
440
00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:44.759
you don't just tell, then we don't. We don't. We
441
00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:48.440
don't waste energy for ourselves, not for him, not for me,
442
00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:50.720
not for everybody else. And that's most that's the most
443
00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:55.359
important thing. Of course, you know, don't feel don't have
444
00:26:55.400 --> 00:26:58.960
the feeling that you have to stay because somebody says
445
00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:01.920
you have to stay because you know you want to stay,
446
00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:04.599
or you know if you don't, also good you don't
447
00:27:04.599 --> 00:27:07.240
have feelings. But everybody knows what to do.
448
00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:11.920
Yeah, yeah, yeah, So what would you say the number
449
00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:15.319
one thing you had as a student coming through a competitor?
450
00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:22.359
What was your drive? What was making you do these things.
451
00:27:22.359 --> 00:27:25.039
For my living? I'm a personal trainer and I was
452
00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:27.119
just talking to one of the guys who was training
453
00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:30.799
with me. He's got one of a great, big company,
454
00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:35.799
and I told him because his daughter was playing hockey,
455
00:27:36.440 --> 00:27:39.640
and I said, you know, when I was a little boy,
456
00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:44.680
I wanted first to become national champion, and then I
457
00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:46.519
said to my father, I want to become national champion.
458
00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:48.279
I want to be European champion. I want to be
459
00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:50.359
in the national team, and after that, I want to
460
00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:53.759
be a world champion. And after that I would love
461
00:27:54.240 --> 00:27:58.319
to maybe one day to go to the Olympic Games.
462
00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:02.160
That's why we did also do Yeah, that was a
463
00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:04.599
little bit in my mind. And if you have something
464
00:28:04.640 --> 00:28:06.599
in your mind like this, they have a little bit
465
00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:08.680
for the future. I would have to see where you
466
00:28:08.759 --> 00:28:11.720
can go while you have to develop or whatever. So
467
00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:20.039
natural champion was what's good. Achieved. European Championship achieved, World
468
00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:27.880
Champion achieved. Only just missed the the the Olympic Games.
469
00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:32.400
I won, I was third on the European Championships with WT.
470
00:28:32.680 --> 00:28:36.599
I won Open Danish. I want Open German, I want Belgium,
471
00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.880
not Open Dutch. I lost, but at the time it
472
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:44.960
was eighty four I think. But then they had to
473
00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:48.720
they had the invitation only to the Olympic Games because
474
00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:53.759
it was a demonstration spot. That was my backgroblem. Yeah,
475
00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:57.960
so it happens, no worries. Stay in tacled now. And
476
00:28:58.000 --> 00:28:59.960
after that we did the Model Book Cup and then
477
00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:04.000
give me yeah, for the exposure. It was really good
478
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:08.160
for me Water Worke Cup because it was a champions tournament.
479
00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:13.920
Absolutely yeah yeah yeah, so you had another step. You
480
00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:16.359
achieved that the nearest one first and then you have
481
00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:16.960
the next one.
482
00:29:17.799 --> 00:29:22.279
Yeah yeah, yeah, But I added in my mind. And
483
00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:29.559
if you work for yourself like that, it's it's everything
484
00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.200
is achievable. Yes, So that was for me the most
485
00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:36.119
important thing in when you say do you have talent
486
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:39.039
or whatever? I don't know, but I had a mind
487
00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:44.519
National champion, European world champion and maybe Olympics only the
488
00:29:44.599 --> 00:29:44.960
last one.
489
00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.440
Not so single mindedness. You had that single mindedness to
490
00:29:49.480 --> 00:29:50.559
focus on these things.
491
00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:56.039
Yeah, but not only single mindedness, but also enjoy what
492
00:29:56.119 --> 00:29:58.400
you do. I think that that's the most part. You know,
493
00:29:58.839 --> 00:30:01.799
you can do. But it if you don't enjoy, you
494
00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:05.160
better leave it. You know. For me, it was for
495
00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:07.279
me it was nice to see all the guys again,
496
00:30:07.400 --> 00:30:09.839
to fight Thomas so many times, to fight all the guys,
497
00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:13.240
and we could come to competition and you show, you know,
498
00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.519
let's let's rumble, let's see who's best. You know. I
499
00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:20.240
find hard times with Chimakov, you know, on the open Belgium,
500
00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.279
they will fights like if you do fights like this
501
00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:27.400
now you go like no, no, no, you got qualified,
502
00:30:27.440 --> 00:30:29.279
you go straight away, you go home. You know that
503
00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:32.480
time and we still we still we still laugh about
504
00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:36.440
the things, especially about the equipment we had that time
505
00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:39.839
we fight with Macho. You know the macho it was
506
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:43.920
like small on the face. Every time you punch somebody,
507
00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:46.920
you feel your knuckles and you go like that was
508
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:49.640
a good hit. But nowadays it's not possible anymore to
509
00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:52.559
hit somebody like that or kick somebody like that. But
510
00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:57.880
you know, everything develops. Also, I also other martial arts,
511
00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:01.599
so we have to bended a little bit by the rules,
512
00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:03.960
sometimes a little bit harder, sometimes a little bit softer.
513
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:08.440
But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, excellent.
514
00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:13.799
So so yeah, just I was wondering whether you ever
515
00:31:14.599 --> 00:31:16.720
met General Cha. Did you ever meet General Cha?
516
00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:20.880
Ah, that's a funny story. I met General Cha in
517
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:27.319
ninety three. My father organized the European Championships in Ronning
518
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:32.400
and our town and then he invited General che So
519
00:31:32.519 --> 00:31:37.079
that's why I met Generald Check. And after that there
520
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:39.000
was ninety four. I had to go for my fourth
521
00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:43.039
degree and we went to Vashall and then my father
522
00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:47.279
said before we went, he said, Stephen, you were in
523
00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:50.359
the class. You have to go for four degree. Every
524
00:31:50.440 --> 00:31:54.279
time General Chess says who wants to perform, you have
525
00:31:54.359 --> 00:31:56.640
to raise your hand. Yeah, And I look at my
526
00:31:56.680 --> 00:32:02.720
father and said why why, I said, he said, you before,
527
00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:06.119
I tell you after why I said, okay, so I
528
00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:09.599
was your of course, you know general chef when he explains,
529
00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:12.920
please sit down, help we sit down. So it was funny.
530
00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:15.480
And then he started talking about the patents and then
531
00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:19.000
we started with congeing something like that. He says, want
532
00:32:19.079 --> 00:32:23.480
to perform. Nobody raised his hand, so I raised my hand.
533
00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:28.920
I got like, okay, yeah you, oh you also, and
534
00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:33.440
what do you think was the other one? You were
535
00:32:33.480 --> 00:32:39.240
in Warshall, you were in Poland, right, Suska? Right, I
536
00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:42.799
have to perform together with Suska. Can you imagine as
537
00:32:42.839 --> 00:32:46.920
far I guess the patent guy? Yeah I had. I thought,
538
00:32:47.680 --> 00:32:51.279
why why I do this? Okay, so no problem. So
539
00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:53.400
we did the patterns with Suska. Of course Suska can
540
00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:56.079
sit down and general chair point all the things I
541
00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:00.599
did wrong, No worries, sit down again, stick my hand again.
542
00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:04.559
So first day okay, good with me and Suska. Great.
543
00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:07.759
Second day it was the performance. So I raised my
544
00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:11.319
hand again and John chack, not you, somebody else not
545
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:15.640
you again. I got like, okay, that was the old
546
00:33:15.880 --> 00:33:19.079
That was the overload for me, you know. So then
547
00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:20.680
they said it was quite funny. And then we had
548
00:33:20.680 --> 00:33:25.839
the four degree at the degrading and then I have
549
00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:28.519
to go come forward to General Chair because we had
550
00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:31.359
to do steps sparring, and I was with Suska. We
551
00:33:31.400 --> 00:33:34.799
did together sparring. We did two steps one two yeah,
552
00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:39.720
John said, good go we did both. We did two patterns.
553
00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:42.519
Was quite easy. And he said, what you do? I
554
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:44.680
heard you have good bernadolia, chucky, So I have to
555
00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:47.480
do the breaking bernadolia. Okay, then I have to come
556
00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:52.400
to the table theory. I got like no, I got
557
00:33:52.440 --> 00:33:55.079
to see that club master boss General Chair in the
558
00:33:55.079 --> 00:34:03.680
middle and uh gram not the girand master was there
559
00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:07.880
and you were sitting there and he said, so I
560
00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:10.920
heard you really good. I said, oh, thank you, sir,
561
00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:15.840
But how many fists do we have? And I was
562
00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:20.400
like a total blackout and I go like two fish, sir,
563
00:34:21.599 --> 00:34:27.159
And he started laughing. He started laughing, how you made
564
00:34:27.239 --> 00:34:31.239
of course you have? Oh? I said two fists and
565
00:34:31.239 --> 00:34:34.480
he started laughing. I never forget it. It was this.
566
00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:38.239
He starts just so funny things when you when you
567
00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:41.000
talk about did you did you meet General Chair? I
568
00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:43.199
meet General Chair. I met him a few times, but
569
00:34:43.320 --> 00:34:46.159
it was it was great. Did these these these stories
570
00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:50.519
you always remember? Absolutely?
571
00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:53.440
He had that effect on us, didn't he that you
572
00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:55.039
wouldn't know what he was going to ask, and then
573
00:34:55.639 --> 00:34:58.039
you had to understand what he meant behind it, and
574
00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:02.400
and of that where we were really kind of putting
575
00:35:02.400 --> 00:35:04.280
things out of the air sort of what to say,
576
00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:09.239
you know, yeah, yeah, yeah. He had that presence in
577
00:35:09.239 --> 00:35:10.760
the room as well, didn't he, Like you say, when
578
00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:12.559
he's calling you up for your patterns and so on.
579
00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:18.599
Yeah, yeah, But you know, it's also he was not
580
00:35:18.679 --> 00:35:22.199
that tall. It was, with all respect, he was a
581
00:35:22.199 --> 00:35:25.159
small guy. But also when you hear the stories about
582
00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:27.679
he was walking the street with his head on, with
583
00:35:27.800 --> 00:35:30.639
his with his suit on, just the normal suits. You know,
584
00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.039
he was walking the streets, people go away, people step
585
00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:38.239
aside because he was he was quite I don't know,
586
00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:41.840
his horror was like, okay, let's step aside. He gave
587
00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:48.440
people gave him much of respect, you know. It's it's
588
00:35:48.599 --> 00:35:50.039
it was. It was nice to see.
589
00:35:50.360 --> 00:35:53.159
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Like you said, there wasn't always lots
590
00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:56.360
of hands going up for the patterns because you felt
591
00:35:56.360 --> 00:35:58.840
the tension of being in front of him.
592
00:35:58.920 --> 00:36:02.039
Yeah, and not only in front of him, but you know,
593
00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:08.320
I think everybody in the room has the same feeling. Yeah,
594
00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:11.199
I can't do something wrong and then I will be
595
00:36:11.239 --> 00:36:14.239
in front of everybody and everybody will see it. Yeah,
596
00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:19.880
but you know why not? You know, and my father
597
00:36:19.960 --> 00:36:26.119
was totally right and in the end why he said
598
00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:28.000
that to me that I have to raise my hand
599
00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:31.880
So general chair knows who you are, knows what you do.
600
00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:34.039
You have to grade so he can see you forward
601
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:37.400
and if you do something wrong there at the time
602
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:40.119
at the seminar, you can change it. You know. If
603
00:36:40.159 --> 00:36:42.840
you don't say nothing, if you do something wrong, you
604
00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:50.280
come at a grading, it's still wrong. You know, you're
605
00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:55.920
right past the grading with some good things then half
606
00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:01.239
sloppy or whatever. That's brilliant.
607
00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:08.079
So so when do we talk about taekwondo. We know
608
00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:11.599
it's it's our martial art. But there's an emphasis on
609
00:37:11.639 --> 00:37:15.320
the dough, isn't there that that's and the tenants and everything.
610
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:19.199
How do you see how do you see that for yourself?
611
00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:22.960
It's a dough have been part of your training obviously,
612
00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:24.480
and how you've experienced it.
613
00:37:26.760 --> 00:37:29.719
I'd be a competitor all the time, you know. And
614
00:37:29.920 --> 00:37:34.679
when I became no where, my good friend, my master,
615
00:37:34.679 --> 00:37:37.880
you on my self became a master and self degree
616
00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:42.760
he says things change. I said things change. I said
617
00:37:43.159 --> 00:37:50.000
things change. You will approach and teach different to your students.
618
00:37:50.719 --> 00:37:57.599
Like Okay, when I became a master, I knew what
619
00:37:57.719 --> 00:38:03.239
he meant. He meant you have more responsibility towards your
620
00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:08.960
students how you teach tekondo, but also how you explain it.
621
00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:12.760
You know, there are a lot of things with the dough,
622
00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:15.960
with the with the with the bowing or whatever. If
623
00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:22.559
you for me, for myself, for my students, you will
624
00:38:22.599 --> 00:38:27.880
help them wherever you can. If it's not appreciated or appreciate,
625
00:38:27.920 --> 00:38:32.400
it doesn't matter because you do it because you will
626
00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:35.239
do it from your heart. If I help my students,
627
00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:38.239
doesn't matter what if I give them food, or I
628
00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:41.639
teach them for free, or I help them search a
629
00:38:41.719 --> 00:38:44.880
job or a place to stay, I will do it
630
00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:47.800
for my heart. That's my dog. Yeah, And if I
631
00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:52.920
do that, I feel when I teach, I will do it,
632
00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:58.000
I enjoy you know. Yeah, So for for me, uh,
633
00:38:58.079 --> 00:39:01.760
taekwondo is a A is the way. The living is
634
00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:05.079
the dog. And of course if you if you now
635
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:11.639
now I'm now almost almost yeah, like forty four years,
636
00:39:11.800 --> 00:39:15.559
forty five years and now yeah, yeah, you will learn
637
00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:17.480
you will learn a lot, but you will also teach
638
00:39:17.559 --> 00:39:19.679
and you will give a lot to people. You know,
639
00:39:20.119 --> 00:39:24.519
and then the dough, the tenants you take, you take
640
00:39:24.679 --> 00:39:27.960
with you. You know, you don't use all the tenants
641
00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:31.039
in one straight way, one time here, one time there,
642
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:33.440
one time for that person or not for that person,
643
00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:37.400
because everybody is different. So you will teach different, you
644
00:39:37.440 --> 00:39:43.280
will explain things different, and you will, yeah, you will.
645
00:39:43.400 --> 00:39:46.559
You will you approach people also different?
646
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:54.920
Yeah, excellent, yes, absolutely, Like you say, you you you
647
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:57.519
live the tenants and then as you get higher up,
648
00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:01.280
it's your job to start to impart that on the
649
00:40:01.320 --> 00:40:05.559
students from a different perspective and you learn more how
650
00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:07.639
to use the dough for the teaching.
651
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:13.800
Yeah yeah, And it gives you also more responsibility and
652
00:40:14.519 --> 00:40:16.920
to teach us a responsibility to your students in the
653
00:40:17.039 --> 00:40:21.159
longer expe force, especially the black belts of course, you know,
654
00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:25.119
because when you have black belt, then it starts. It's
655
00:40:25.199 --> 00:40:28.119
not only the black belt then you start training. Then
656
00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:32.280
you know what that kind of means for you, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah,
657
00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:34.760
we can. That's why we can discuss all the pre
658
00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:39.840
junius black belts for twelve years, thirty years, forty years
659
00:40:40.440 --> 00:40:42.639
is that the black belt or not, But that's for
660
00:40:42.679 --> 00:40:44.880
the for another time to discuss.
661
00:40:44.519 --> 00:40:51.760
That, of course. And so outside of your family, who's
662
00:40:51.800 --> 00:40:56.480
been the most influential for you in taekwon day?
663
00:40:57.679 --> 00:41:00.320
The most influential the time when I was young my
664
00:41:00.440 --> 00:41:04.639
father came back from the World Championships in Glasgow nineteen
665
00:41:04.639 --> 00:41:08.760
eighty seven I think I recalled eighty seven now it
666
00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:13.360
was in the Kelvin Halls, yes, and uh and later
667
00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:19.519
I was there with students when uh the t u
668
00:41:19.599 --> 00:41:24.840
KGC from my friend David Condy organized the tournament over there.
669
00:41:25.679 --> 00:41:29.280
There was VHH came out from the World Championships in
670
00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:33.519
eighty seven. There was a guy who was fastest lightning
671
00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:38.199
with his feet with his legs, Paul Jamin. Paul Jamin
672
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:41.239
was unbelievable. I was looking at the tams that I
673
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:44.280
look at my father. I said, who's this guy? Who's
674
00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:47.320
this guy? And I started and I started looking at
675
00:41:47.360 --> 00:41:51.239
him and go like, I want the kick that's also
676
00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:53.960
that fast, you know, that's one of that's one of
677
00:41:54.039 --> 00:41:55.719
My dad was one of my idols at the time.
678
00:41:56.440 --> 00:42:01.920
We made really really uh it who impressed me, you know?
679
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:05.039
And of course my father and Grandmaster bossos As a coach.
680
00:42:05.760 --> 00:42:09.159
The way he works with people. We he did people
681
00:42:09.239 --> 00:42:13.559
with tactical things was amazing. Same as my father and
682
00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:17.519
then later of course with my with my big brother
683
00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:19.840
in law Thomas Bardadad, we did a lot of things
684
00:42:19.880 --> 00:42:23.639
and we I can say we we changed a little
685
00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:31.079
bit the whole future system of fighting in takundo, right
686
00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:35.639
because we we we dominated. I think I dominated the
687
00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:39.199
late eighties beginning nineties and together we did all nineties
688
00:42:39.239 --> 00:42:42.719
and then I stopped, and then he did all two
689
00:42:42.760 --> 00:42:45.199
thousand things, you know, and he you still see his
690
00:42:45.280 --> 00:42:49.679
mark around. So yeah, yeah, yeah, what what were my Yeah?
691
00:42:50.480 --> 00:42:52.960
This is what was suppose made my father and Grandmaster
692
00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:58.039
Boss and Thomas the world the biggest influences in my
693
00:42:58.119 --> 00:43:02.400
tacundo career and of course our family that may make
694
00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:05.280
a big part of the Tacono legacy.
695
00:43:05.719 --> 00:43:12.679
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely Yeah. So who else who do you admire?
696
00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:12.880
Then?
697
00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:15.760
In the taekwondo world? Is there anyone you particularly admired
698
00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:16.480
my father?
699
00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:20.719
I only admire my father because he just received in
700
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:25.360
Malda Plata in the World's Club his nine degree. And
701
00:43:25.440 --> 00:43:28.840
everybody who's talking to from young to old, the old
702
00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:34.760
generation says, if there's one one person who really deserves
703
00:43:34.800 --> 00:43:37.239
that this his nine degree. That's your father. He did
704
00:43:37.360 --> 00:43:39.840
so many things, He did so many things for Tacono
705
00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:42.199
in general, you know. And he did and I said
706
00:43:42.199 --> 00:43:44.480
to my father, you have to go for your nine degree.
707
00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:48.679
Then you complete all levels at it game. You know,
708
00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:52.199
it's gay for all levels, nine levels completed, you know.
709
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:56.079
And he's got more than fifty fifty years in taekondo
710
00:43:56.760 --> 00:44:00.480
or blood, sweat and tears. So I think also over him,
711
00:44:00.679 --> 00:44:04.079
is he deserves it more than for me, more than
712
00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:07.079
anybody else because he did so many things for us.
713
00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:14.800
Yeah, fantastic, Yeah, absolutely absolutely. So what do you what
714
00:44:14.840 --> 00:44:18.000
you're involved in day to day nowadays?
715
00:44:19.760 --> 00:44:24.239
Workwise? What I said, I'm personal trainer and I was
716
00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:27.400
like twelve years coach of the national team in Holland.
717
00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:31.440
Since two years not anymore, so more time for me
718
00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:36.440
to coach my students. And just like we met on
719
00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:39.880
the Open Dutch, we have I have a great team
720
00:44:39.960 --> 00:44:45.000
with upcoming kids. Who who are I think I have
721
00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:51.079
got our team of ten highly competitors, good kids vreiating
722
00:44:51.159 --> 00:44:56.679
from blue belts to black belts. Yes, but the new
723
00:44:56.760 --> 00:45:01.199
upcoming I've got four or five who's really European level
724
00:45:01.719 --> 00:45:05.400
maybe world world champion level already and they're not even
725
00:45:05.400 --> 00:45:09.400
black belt yet, So I'm very humboed and also very
726
00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:12.679
proud that they that they train with me, but also
727
00:45:12.719 --> 00:45:14.360
the parents who will bring them every time to the
728
00:45:14.440 --> 00:45:18.840
training and will travel them through Europe to let them fight.
729
00:45:19.400 --> 00:45:23.639
So yeah, that that's that's really what I'm now doing
730
00:45:23.760 --> 00:45:29.239
day to day and sevenars, also teaching the seminars for
731
00:45:29.360 --> 00:45:31.840
next year. We have some seminars planned this year. This March,
732
00:45:31.880 --> 00:45:36.599
I go to Sofia Farrugi and Christian Orelani in Sardinia
733
00:45:36.679 --> 00:45:40.360
to teach. You know, yeah, for me, it's also an
734
00:45:40.360 --> 00:45:46.639
honor because they're quite the world's best now Taekundo Wins
735
00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:49.199
who are there? You know, Sylvia is of course top
736
00:45:49.239 --> 00:45:51.840
of the top, was like I don't know, five times
737
00:45:51.840 --> 00:45:55.880
world champions sparring and patterns. I cannot imagine any any
738
00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:59.320
woman who will achieve that. And they are fighting me
739
00:45:59.480 --> 00:46:02.480
for us straight as part as seminar. So I'm very honored.
740
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:05.960
So and I'm I'm looking very forward to and so
741
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:11.079
I'm doing that. And now thirteenth of September, I organized
742
00:46:11.079 --> 00:46:17.400
the Dragon Open, my first open taco tournament with a league.
743
00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:20.599
That means round robins for the Black Belts. So it's
744
00:46:20.719 --> 00:46:24.119
before the World Championship, so after the holidays they have
745
00:46:25.159 --> 00:46:30.159
one tournament at least the Dragon Opened to do a
746
00:46:30.280 --> 00:46:33.480
completely different kind of tournament that they used to the
747
00:46:33.599 --> 00:46:36.639
Warrior Open from Master, the Silf as to say, and
748
00:46:36.679 --> 00:46:38.760
all of the couple. So where the Black Belts have
749
00:46:38.960 --> 00:46:42.119
round robins, so you're not only coming for one one
750
00:46:42.199 --> 00:46:44.239
match if you lose your out, now you have four
751
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:51.239
or five matches and categories are closed. That means I
752
00:46:51.280 --> 00:46:56.079
can have only like ten or twelve in one division
753
00:46:56.440 --> 00:46:59.400
of Black Belts, so if you want to, if you
754
00:46:59.400 --> 00:47:02.519
want to do some good rounds with good people. Also
755
00:47:02.639 --> 00:47:04.960
it's sparring. But also for the Black Belts for patterns,
756
00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:10.119
it's the same from first to sixth degree.
757
00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:13.920
Yeah, yeah, that's a great a great deal for the competitor,
758
00:47:13.960 --> 00:47:16.280
isn't it. Like you say, you travel, sometimes you don't
759
00:47:16.280 --> 00:47:19.320
get the luck of whatever you have match that's it.
760
00:47:19.400 --> 00:47:23.000
But here you have you have many, you have several
761
00:47:23.000 --> 00:47:24.559
fights when yes, you have.
762
00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:26.760
For multiple rounds where you can where you can do
763
00:47:27.159 --> 00:47:30.480
so Also for me as a coach, it's quite good
764
00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:34.440
to see because you think, okay, we trained this and
765
00:47:34.480 --> 00:47:37.360
then your student goes in and it goes like that's
766
00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:41.079
not working, you know, but then when she when she's losing,
767
00:47:41.159 --> 00:47:43.920
she's out. You can then the second round we can
768
00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:46.360
say okay, we changed a little bit, you will do this,
769
00:47:46.519 --> 00:47:49.800
and that works, and so you can for the World Championships.
770
00:47:49.840 --> 00:47:54.639
You have more rounds to go before you and fights
771
00:47:54.639 --> 00:47:58.039
to go and experience fights to go to the World Championship.
772
00:47:58.119 --> 00:48:04.039
So that's that's I think it's a new way of tournament.
773
00:48:04.440 --> 00:48:09.800
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it sounds a good deal for everyone.
774
00:48:09.920 --> 00:48:13.079
When is the Dragon Open.
775
00:48:12.239 --> 00:48:15.039
Thirteenth of thirteenth of September thirteen.
776
00:48:14.760 --> 00:48:20.440
September and whereabouts in the Netherlands.
777
00:48:19.840 --> 00:48:25.039
In ussen Auson is nearby my town, but it's easy
778
00:48:25.079 --> 00:48:28.519
to get by train. Yeah, and it's a really really
779
00:48:28.639 --> 00:48:31.519
nice venue. The venue is like big, like twenty two
780
00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:34.679
hundred square meters and at the venue there is a hotel,
781
00:48:35.719 --> 00:48:39.199
so people from far away can book the hotel. But
782
00:48:39.440 --> 00:48:43.320
there's only there are only two hundred rooms. Let's say
783
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:47.039
that fifteen minutes walk from the venue. There is another
784
00:48:47.159 --> 00:48:52.639
big hotel chain from the folic and there are some
785
00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:56.719
there are they have they have good rooms, but that's
786
00:48:56.760 --> 00:48:59.519
like fifteen to twenty minutes from the from the from
787
00:48:59.519 --> 00:49:06.239
the location. Yeah excellent. Yeah, and we try to do
788
00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:10.840
the tournament I hope with eight till ten. That time
789
00:49:10.960 --> 00:49:13.880
is like the Dutch Open. Yes, so we have the
790
00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:19.559
Black belts and the Color Belts, youth, geniors and juniors
791
00:49:19.679 --> 00:49:21.360
on one day only the Saturday.
792
00:49:22.079 --> 00:49:28.519
Yeah yeah, yeah, now that sends that one for everyone's diary.
793
00:49:29.320 --> 00:49:31.880
Yeah. Well you say they will be a limit, I hope.
794
00:49:31.920 --> 00:49:35.239
So yeah, how many competitors can be in that category
795
00:49:35.320 --> 00:49:35.880
is limited?
796
00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:39.400
Yeah, I don't know. We're just looking at how many
797
00:49:39.400 --> 00:49:42.639
competitors because it's our first tournament. But when you see
798
00:49:43.119 --> 00:49:47.519
the water Open from Master Zelfa, there are not many
799
00:49:47.559 --> 00:49:50.719
people in because it's it's a lot of time. You
800
00:49:50.840 --> 00:49:53.559
fight on one round of two minutes, but it's really
801
00:49:54.079 --> 00:49:58.079
two minutes fighting time. So when the referee stops the fight,
802
00:49:58.800 --> 00:50:02.360
the time also stops, so you can see that's a
803
00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:06.119
lot of time you got, but that's really fighting time.
804
00:50:06.360 --> 00:50:08.679
So it's not like you fight one and then the
805
00:50:08.760 --> 00:50:12.800
time goes on. Then you sometimes you'll be fighting maybe
806
00:50:13.199 --> 00:50:16.039
thirty to forty five seconds from the two minutes because
807
00:50:16.079 --> 00:50:18.960
if they stop outside or whatever. But this is really
808
00:50:18.960 --> 00:50:23.000
fighting time. So when the refugeers stop, time stops also
809
00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:24.079
and goes on again.
810
00:50:25.320 --> 00:50:28.519
Yeah, well that's good, that's great.
811
00:50:29.320 --> 00:50:30.800
Yeah, something new.
812
00:50:31.039 --> 00:50:34.039
But the people, that's what people like, then like something good.
813
00:50:36.039 --> 00:50:38.519
So what advice would you have for an upcoming competitor
814
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:42.199
that's just trying to get their foot in the circuit
815
00:50:42.239 --> 00:50:46.760
and do to do better for themselves.
816
00:50:47.719 --> 00:50:52.639
Oh, find a good school. Yeah, and enjoy what you do,
817
00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:56.320
you know, try to learn from everybody, you know, try
818
00:50:56.400 --> 00:50:58.519
to learn from the new, from the new ones, from
819
00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:02.719
white belts to black belts, you know, and always always
820
00:51:02.760 --> 00:51:07.119
find a school that feels good for you. You can
821
00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:10.280
you can train, you can train with all champions, but
822
00:51:10.400 --> 00:51:13.920
maybe that's too hard for you, you know, and maybe
823
00:51:14.039 --> 00:51:19.599
the school has another class with all the same people
824
00:51:19.639 --> 00:51:25.119
you like who are recreational tacolo practitioners. So you know,
825
00:51:25.239 --> 00:51:31.440
for me, the most important thing when you practice tecono enjoy. Yeah, yeah,
826
00:51:31.519 --> 00:51:34.159
and that's that's the best part. When you enjoy, you
827
00:51:34.199 --> 00:51:35.960
will learn, you will do everything, you will do the
828
00:51:36.239 --> 00:51:40.920
you will even like the patents like me, you know,
829
00:51:41.159 --> 00:51:43.480
I was not a patter guy. But you you enjoy,
830
00:51:43.800 --> 00:51:46.119
you will see the small things, you see the small details,
831
00:51:46.119 --> 00:51:50.199
you know, and then it's quite fun and it's quite
832
00:51:50.320 --> 00:51:53.760
nice to do uh, to do everything within tacolo. And
833
00:51:53.800 --> 00:51:55.760
that's why tacholo is nice. You know, you have sparring,
834
00:51:55.800 --> 00:51:59.039
you have breaking, your special techniques, self defense of course,
835
00:51:59.719 --> 00:52:05.119
and and all all those other things besides tackle. You know,
836
00:52:05.679 --> 00:52:10.760
nice people have a barbecue together, you know, that's that,
837
00:52:10.920 --> 00:52:11.960
but that's also tackled.
838
00:52:14.159 --> 00:52:16.800
It's the whole thing. It's like the family, isn't it,
839
00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:18.840
like you say, yeah.
840
00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:22.719
And and that makes that makes the dough go together,
841
00:52:23.199 --> 00:52:25.800
learn from each other, respect each other, you know.
842
00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:30.920
How do How does the young capetitor deal with the
843
00:52:30.960 --> 00:52:36.000
loss or the defeat in a match? Sometimes they take
844
00:52:36.039 --> 00:52:36.400
it hard.
845
00:52:36.480 --> 00:52:39.800
Sometimes they don't have to cry because they're all, how
846
00:52:39.880 --> 00:52:43.079
you say, it spoiled and they just need to sometimes
847
00:52:43.079 --> 00:52:45.320
to sleep. Now I'm just kidding, but you know they're
848
00:52:45.320 --> 00:52:51.800
always always kids, always kids who are disappointed, you know.
849
00:52:52.159 --> 00:52:55.920
But that's more the expectations they have, and a lot
850
00:52:55.920 --> 00:52:59.440
of times it's what the expectations of the parents, you know,
851
00:52:59.559 --> 00:53:03.639
and that's quite sometimes it's quite difficult to to see
852
00:53:04.039 --> 00:53:06.280
and how to handle for the kids, how to handle that.
853
00:53:06.480 --> 00:53:09.440
But I always said to the kids, you know, you
854
00:53:09.519 --> 00:53:14.440
didn't lose you learned, because we're going to evaluate what
855
00:53:14.559 --> 00:53:18.800
happened for the next time. You can change that, and
856
00:53:18.840 --> 00:53:21.320
if you don't change, they have to learn the next time.
857
00:53:21.960 --> 00:53:25.960
So for me, it's most important when the kids go,
858
00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:31.559
you know, have fun with each other. That's one. Okay,
859
00:53:32.159 --> 00:53:36.400
cheer for each other, that's true, you know, and then
860
00:53:36.800 --> 00:53:40.079
you go for the medals in the end, it's more
861
00:53:40.079 --> 00:53:44.719
important that you were all together and you will win together.
862
00:53:45.960 --> 00:53:48.519
Then you go alone and you will nothing, or you
863
00:53:48.559 --> 00:53:50.639
go alone and you win the medal, and that's it.
864
00:53:51.199 --> 00:53:54.400
You know. That's for me, that's for my team, that's
865
00:53:54.400 --> 00:53:56.519
how I how I wanted.
866
00:53:57.480 --> 00:54:03.559
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah, yeah, so that their actual aspirations
867
00:54:03.559 --> 00:54:07.599
come naturally out of being part of the team, they
868
00:54:07.679 --> 00:54:08.440
naturally do better.
869
00:54:09.920 --> 00:54:13.639
But also, yeah, would you say all the disappointments when
870
00:54:13.719 --> 00:54:18.639
losing a match or a competition, it's all together, you know,
871
00:54:18.840 --> 00:54:19.960
when you when you have this.
872
00:54:23.679 --> 00:54:28.400
Absolutely makes a little bit of sense. No, these are
873
00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:31.440
brilliant bits you're sharing with this.
874
00:54:32.920 --> 00:54:33.199
Master.
875
00:54:33.280 --> 00:54:36.800
I really appreciate everything you're you're giving us on this podcast.
876
00:54:37.199 --> 00:54:39.360
There's so many things there that are gonna people are
877
00:54:39.400 --> 00:54:42.400
going to listen to and resonate with and appreciate and
878
00:54:42.760 --> 00:54:48.440
learn from you. You know, as I say, it takes
879
00:54:48.440 --> 00:54:51.320
something special to be a two time world champion, two
880
00:54:51.320 --> 00:54:55.719
times European and everything else, all your other accolades, and
881
00:54:55.760 --> 00:55:00.840
stay grounded in in this in the Tapolati family, uh
882
00:55:00.920 --> 00:55:03.880
where success isn't shared with just one person, is it
883
00:55:03.920 --> 00:55:05.719
with everybody?
884
00:55:05.960 --> 00:55:10.960
Is? It's part of that legacy like you've been telling us,
885
00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:14.559
thank you, thank you for hosting me, and thank you
886
00:55:14.639 --> 00:55:19.840
for just have a good talk about tacon and two
887
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:23.440
people know me what I do and how I experience
888
00:55:23.480 --> 00:55:26.840
all my TACONO career and that I can share my
889
00:55:26.880 --> 00:55:30.880
knowledge with all of you and you never know, maybe
890
00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:33.599
it's the second time, maybe there's another questions or whatever,
891
00:55:33.639 --> 00:55:36.400
what I can I can do? Yeah, look for now.
892
00:55:36.480 --> 00:55:39.239
Thank you very much for hosting me, and what's good pleasure.
893
00:55:39.840 --> 00:55:41.840
It's been wonderful spending time with the dragon.
894
00:55:42.880 --> 00:55:46.559
Thank you a lot too. Thank you so much, sir.
895
00:55:47.840 --> 00:55:50.800
You're welcome, have a great day and I'll see you soon.
896
00:55:51.519 --> 00:55:53.599
Yeah, we'll see each other, so thank you, Bye bye.
897
00:55:57.000 --> 00:55:59.400
I hope you enjoyed that last interview and I'm looking
898
00:55:59.400 --> 00:56:02.320
forward to the next one. Please remember to like and
899
00:56:02.360 --> 00:56:06.159
subscribe to black Belt Interviews. Many thanks, for listening,