WOOD YOU REMEMBER?

Hardwood. Very hard. Nobody knows it better than martial arts practitioners. Nowadays almost all competitions and courses are held on Tatami mats, but gosh, during the past 20 years the naked feet of a taekwondoka experienced more surfaces than a Rally car! Concrete, resin, grass, sand. And hardwood. One terrible feeling I will never forget is training my splits on the hardwood of a stinky gym I used to frequent in my early 20s. Wood prevented my heels from sliding, giving me unwanted grip and unbearable pain. Unpleasant memories aside, hardwood still evokes that unadulterated ancient aura of tradition martial arts are rightfully associated to. Even the very modern and everchanging Taekwondo. This specific hardwood, however, is relevant for being gently pressed by Paola Pinga, one of the Bronze Girls that made Italy proud at the 2011 European Poomsae Championship.

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