Despite distance, Jordan and S. Korea share in ‘the spirit of taekwondo’

AMMAN — The “crack” of snapping wood rang over the booming orchestral music and the screaming of the crowd on Saturday evening as a young taekwondo performer flew into the air, breaking a wooden slab in half with a punishing kick. 

The taekwondo exhibition, featuring demonstrations and sparring contests, was hosted by South Korean embassy in Jordan alongside the Jordan Taekwondo Federation and Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) at Al Hussein Sports City. 

Korean embassy personnel, including Ambassador Kim Dong-gi himself, beamed with pride from the VIP section as the Kukkiwon demonstration team fell into precise formations and performed their stunts.

“Even though Korea and Jordan are far away and have different cultures and traditions, we share the spirit of taekwondo,” the ambassador told The Jordan Times. “Especially the young Jordanians practising taekwondo and enjoying and exercising the spirit of taekwondo in their everyday lives, I really love that.”

In Ambassador Dong-gi’s opinion, Jordan will see “excellent” results in next year’s Olympic Games.

“There is a strong culture of taekwondo in Jordan,” said Ammar Wafa, a coach and referee at the competition as well as a former competitor on Jordan’s national team.

In 2016, Jordan won its first-ever Olympic medal when Amman native Ahmad Abughaush won gold in the 68kg taekwondo category, putting Jordan on the map as a formidable competitor in the realm of taekwondo.

According to the Korean embassy, Kukkiwon is the “world’s leading taekwondo demonstration team, which was established in 1974. They have declared themselves devoted to spreading ‘taekwondo culture, spirit and history worldwide’.”

After the Kukkiwon demonstration team performed, the gymnasium was prepared for one-on-one sparring between local taekwondo students.

At this point, the crowd roared with deafening cheers from family members encouraging their young competitors. 

“I love it because it brings me joy,” Jood Eyad Gharaibeh, a 13-year-old from Irbid who won a gold medal in her category, told The Jordan Times. “When you’re angry, you can put all your anger into taekwondo training. It’s also a self-defence sport, so I can use it to defend myself.”