ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

Last year we left her on her knees, head down on the mat, giving her thanks for her third world title in a row. This time, the first thing she did was raising her front kick toward the sky, where she now rightfully belongs, before showing off an incredible 270° backward standing split. The rumors have Suji Kang leaving Korea and top class competitions after displaying this superb four of a kind poker hand. Should we lose her, next world champs will definitely miss her brightest star, but there's no doubt little Suji already proved herself as the best poomsae player ever since the world championships were established. Her final round in Bali remains as a testament of her superior technique, speed and flexibility. No one was ever seen to kick as fast and high as she does. Your eyes simply cannot keep up as she abruptly accelerates upward, like her feet and the hall ceiling had suddenly fallen in love. You are only left with a memory snapshot of a tiny graceful statue, assuming an impossible heroic pose for the blink of an eye.
For the past four years, Suji Kang has been a shining symbol of the beauty and expressiveness of TKD Poomsae, inspiring players from all over the world and impressing anybody who was lucky enough to see her in action. Her sublime performances, pure smile and unexpected pride are the best sponsors this sport could ever dream of.

(photos 1-4: 8thworldtaekwondopoomsaechampionship2013.com; photos 2-3-5: unverified source)

MEN'S FALL WINTER 2013-14

Vaguely resembling the spring summer collection. Only a bit cooler for your feet.

END OF THE LINE

When is the right time to quit competing? When you know you can't win anymore? When you feel you achieved anything you could? When you simply don't have fun with it anymore? The day I will stop, it'll be because I have plenty of one thing and none of another.
You know, for a long time I've been thinking fatigue was just a kind of pain. And I could endure it. In time, I have come to think pain is different, because pain can what fatigue cannot, that is depriving you of the joy of practicing the sport you love. When each moment of training comes with some ache, when every workout leaves you emptied rather than energized, you cannot but start questioning the point of it all. Speaking of meaning, the necessary outcome of training Poomsae is beauty. Albeit age divisions allow athletes to stay competitive in spite of the passing of time, Poomsae lose their reason to be when they are performed in a less than decent way. Low kicks, lack of balance, slow pacing. Sooner or later, all mature Poomsae players are affected by that. And when you realize your body cannot produce beauty through movement anymore, constantly generating pain in its spite, then it's time to take a decision.

SUMMER RESIDENCE

Let me introduce you to my basement bunker for this scorching August. It provides me with a most useful wall of mirrors, a decent temperature, and a quiet, picturesque atmosphere for my season solitary training programme. Currently I'm coping with my naughty left knee, which has been giving me troubles since last december. So I'm busy trying to find out whether softer custom trainings and some adjustment to the way I perform steps and stances can keep me competing the following year. Pain and worries are not making it the best summer I could hope for, but this place helps me in maintaining a positive mood, as the Sun turns the upstairs dojang into a desert oven.

TITANFALL

You know, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. But if there is TKD involved, the higher they'll fly the next time.

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THE BIG PICTURE

Click for full resolution panorama shot

Austrian Open Poomsae, 15th June 2013, Vienna - At first, I edited this picture putting out of focus the whole scene except for Patrick Bogusch's terrific yeopchaghi. Then I realized the girl inside the back square was the amazing Matea Bersinic, and I felt sorry for blurring her, because last saturday I had already seen the judges wash out her performance with ungenerous marks. Later, I noticed many more faces and situations I really wanted to keep sharp, because apart from Patrick's side kick and Matea's choombi, this shot reveals a whole constellation of personal moments and feelings from the competition day. The judges are scrutinizing players on the mat, one coach is watching his pupil in apprehension, someone is resting, someone is bored, someone is stretching, someone is eating, someone is using his dobok to clean his nose. In one hour or so, some would be rejoicing, some would be crying, some would be thorn between delusion and relief, some others would be happy for themselves but upset for their friends and vice versa. It's TKD competition. It's one day and one place where hundreds of sport stories interwine in one piece of life cloth. It's something you can only feel when you're there. It's an event infinitely larger than your own performance. It's an experience that can always inspire you in spite of how poor was your result. It's something you can either enjoy or suffer while you're living it. It's something you cannot but miss when it's all over.

WINNING IN HAIRSTYLE

Whereas fighting helmets forbid to show off creative hairstyles, Poomsae's gearless outfit and emphasis on presentation truly let TKD girls unleash their princess within. And man, buns are all the rage here! Large or small, high or low, braided or sponge sustained, donut or onion-shaped. Big international Poomsae events nowadays look like chignon parades, staging a competition within the competition for the cutest head on the mat. God I love this sport :P

PEEP SHOW

If you're a veteran of TKD events, you might have noticed how many people think to make you a favor obstructing your view in a climactic moment. Fortunately, their attempts are not always successful.

RING-A-RING O'DOVES

The Olympic Champion Carlo Molfetta instructing more than a hundred children: <<You can do anything you like. If your master says so>>.
Then apparently it is freedom and discipline that make you a champ. And a pinch of humor, I guess.

Carlo Molfetta kicking the gigantic Liu Xiaobo (China) at London 2012 (photo twitter.com/taekwondofita)

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

After watching over and over again my Koryo performance at the last weekend Poomsae event, I have come to a grave decision. I have to shave my moustache, it makes me look terribly old from the distance >__<