CARLO MOLFETTA: BOLTING PUREBRED

If there is one athlete I think of when I hear the word 'horsepower', that is the +80Kg Olympic Gold Medallist Carlo Molfetta, from Italy. Although he likes being nicknamed The Wolf (disguised under a peaceful grandma-like temper), the sheer power of his kicking sequences reminds me of a wild horse bolting. However, Carlo is no mindless beast at all. Some of his best kicks are actually strokes of genius, like the 360 delayed reach-on bandal chagi that put the Chinese opponent to "Sudden Death" in the quarter final round.
This combination of raw power and creativity makes up for the ultimate Taekwondo fighter. You never know what bizarre combination or feigned kick he can pull out, also being strong-minded enough to wait until the very right time. 183 cm tall against 2 meter giants, his incredible reach and meticulous tactics compensate for his relatively small size. If you're a faint of heart, though, you should avoid his matches. Whether he scores the critical Golden Point or wins by Superiority after the 4th round, he loves to keep you preying until the last moment and over. Victory for him is like the finest woman; he cannot just take her, he must court her until she finally falls. In love... or to the ground.

(Pre-editing photos: twitter.com/taekwondofita)

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK BELT OPS

Making us proud in the process.

(Pre-editing photo: repubblica.it)

MASTER & COMMANDER

Maybe it's only the season. Maybe my wish for sea and vacation twists the way I see things. However, when I look at this picture, I can't help seeing a line of thin sailing boats, perched on a mild sea as the wind gently bends them on one side.

CAN YOU FIND THE INTRUDER?

Hard to tell who's the taekwondist and not a cartoon character, here. But I definitely put my bet on Spank.

INCOMING

Poor little wooden board. Hold still by two people while a third one is falling down from the sky only to break you apart. How unfair! This is one rare instance where taekwondo proverbial loyalty faints. Paradoxes aside, this makes me think of all the times in this sport you know something bad is coming but you can't do anything to stop it. When you dramatically miss your opponent and you're left with only kissing their next kick; when you're waiting for the poomsae score of someone who's just performed much better than you; when you take a false step during a demonstration and you can't help losing your balance in front of a giggling crowd.
I guess now you're expecting some inspirational lesson from this, but the best I can say is that sometimes boards just won't break, no matter how many times they got hit. Just try to keep this in mind when you take a hard beat, not while you're jumping over a hill of crouching gym mates.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Once you're a taekwondist in the gym, you're a taekwondist everywhere.

ON TARGET

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT - Train your aim. Your feet will thank you.
You wanna know how to make me a rich man? Give me 1 euro for every elbow I hit in my TKD history. As electronic body protectors and foot sensor socks are becoming the worldwide standard fighting gear, precision is getting more and more crucial. However, kicking accuracy has always been important to protect your safety, as there are many things you risk to hit in battle that are usually harder than your insteps. Unlike the guy in the picture, though, I suggest you to use clap kickers for accuracy training, unless you want to find out how Achilles managed to take that famous arrow to the heel.

HIDE & SEEK

If there is one thing Roberto Benigni taught us in Life is Beautiful, it's that no nearby fight should stop a child from playing. No matter how very close.

CONJOINED TWINS

So you chose Taekwondo because there are no shoelaces to deal with? I'm afraid you didn't take belt and body protections into account.

THE SUN OUTSIDE

The summer is upon us. Warming up doesn't take an hour as it did in February, your dobok becomes a sponge as soon as you wear it, and taking a shower after training will soon become a gearless fight against swarms of ninja mosquitos. Besides, it feels somewhat masochistic to shut yourself up in the gym when the Sun outside spreads its glory on every inch of green still resisting in town. However, I admit I still feel like training. I love the relaxed condition muscles benefit from the heat, and more than anything I love being able to perform a yop chaghi without having to pray the Holy Vergin to preserve me from repetitive strain injuries. Soon the sport season will be over, and no summertime occasional training will maintain me fit for the next September restart. But you know what? Who cares, it's almost summer! Hey boy, bring me another mojito!