PHILIPSBURG--Theo Liu, from St. Maarten, has been invited to join the Kukkiwon. It is an honour few Grandmasters enjoy.
The Kukkiwon is the World Taekwondo Federation Headquarters in Korea. Grandmaster Liu has been selected for his years of dedication in promoting Taekwondo not only as a sport but as a life style.
It was Liu that first introduced the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) style to the island in 1996. The WTF style is the form of the Korean martial art that is used in the Olympics and all international and region games leading to the Olympics.
Liu opened the first WTF school on the island, called “King Yen,” at the Sister Marie Laurance School Gymnasium. He had four students in the class of 1997.
Taekwondo was growing fast on the Island. “In 1998 I founded the St. Maarten Taekwondo Federation (SMTF) and established the national standard for WTF on the island of St. Maarten,” said Liu. He was the Federation’s first president.
In 2000 the SMTF officially joined the St. Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF), making Taekwondo an official sport in St. Maarten.
Fast forward to 2016. At his most recent quarterly King Yen Taekwondo School belt examination, the tests for advancement started at 7:30am and ran to 3:30pm with nearly 50 students vying to move up the belt colour ranking system. The school has more than 100 active students.
Taekwondo translates loosely into, “The way of the feet and hands.” Liu has expanded the definition to include the mind.
In addition to teaching his students to punch and kick he teaches health, respect, discipline and even meditation.
“Taekwondo is more than just a sport or a form of self-defense,” explains the Grandmaster. “It is a means of conveying values and principles and thus contributing to a better society. It is within the philosophy of Taekwondo to build a more peaceful world.”
As a member of the Kukkiwon, Grandmaster Liu can now approve the testing of students to black belt. In the past athletes on the Friendly Island either had to travel to take the black belt examination , or Master Liu brought a member of the Kukkiwon, called a recommender, to the island to observe the Black Belt examinations and approve the awarding of the black belts.
Liu also believes in travel. From the very beginning, the Grandmaster has led teams to both regional and international competition. Unlike some sports that pack selections with only the best athletes, the grandmaster always takes some beginners with the team.
“A big problem in society nowadays is the lack of self-esteem, which causes many problems, such as obesity, bullying and violence.” Liu continued, “Through Taekwondo I try to increase the self-esteem of my students by being successful in the sport.”
The three basic tenants of Taekwondo are health, both physical and mental; respect, both towards others and the self, and a combination of dedication and discipline.
“Taekwondo is not just self-defense training or throwing some punches and kicks in order to get fit. The art of Taekwondo is far more than physical conditioning, mental training and disciplinary study. It’s a way of life that requires a great amount of dedication and discipline. The ultimate goal is improving a person physically, mentally and spiritually.”
To this end the grandmaster takes athletes around the world. At regional competitions, usually two to three a year, the King Yen Team representing St. Maarten comes in contact with 100 to 200 athletes from across the Caribbean.
At international events like the Championships held in Florida, the King Yen Team with their St. Maarten Flag and St. Maarten song playing come in contact with other students from other nationalities and cultures. Members of the St. Maarten team were even highlighted on the ESPN coverage of the competition.
More recently the Grandmaster has taken students to Korea. The second trip, this year went to the 10th World Taekwondo Culture Expo. More than 2,300 athletes from 34 countries attended. Team St. Maarten returned home with two gold medals, 11 silver and 14 bronze.
“The team always returns home with their fair share of medals,” says the Grandmaster with a smile. He continues, “Bear in mind that many of these children do not have the financial means to travel and have therefore never been to another country before. Of course this all would not have been possible without sponsorship from people & companies.
King Yen’s Team St. Maarten has won numerous Best International Fighter and Best International Team awards and trophies.
The trip was a learning experience not only for the children but also for the Grandmaster himself. “In 2005 I realized the importance of continuing my own education, in order to be able to stimulate the growth and development of my students. Despite all the trips and classes (five to six days a week), I found the time to complete the Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee Coaching Course. As a result I was named as an official member of the Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee Coaching Commission.”
With the break-up of the Netherland Antilles in 10-10-10, the Grandmaster made arrangements for the trips to Korea. Grandmaster Liu was also concerned for his older students. “As my athletes grow up, they often leave St. Maarten to study abroad. Any good coach hates to see his talented athletes go, especially if they decide to stop participating in the sport, because they do not know where to go when they are abroad.” So he travelled to the Netherlands to establish contact with Dutch Taekwondo schools and the Dutch Taekwondo Federation. “I created a link between St. Maarten and the Netherlands, to create easy access for students to find the right school in the Netherlands.”
“I also met World Taekwondo champion Henk Meijer. He has been the coach of the Dutch National Team for many years and was just recently hired to coach the French National Team.” Meijer agreed to help guide students from St. Maarten to continue practicing Taekwondo when they come to Europe.
The Grandmaster shows proper respect for his sport and to his students. In doing so he teaches respect. “A Taekwondo student is introduced to the concept of respect from the first day of training,” said Liu. Before each training the students bow to the group leader, the training area, the Flag and all parents present at the training. Class ends by shaking hands. “By engraving these forms of respect in every student, we try to form their character so they take that sense of respect with them in everyday life including showing respect to their teachers, their friends, their classmates, the elderly and so on,’ said Liu.
In an effort to show respect for the community as a whole, the Grandmaster has the school participate as a group in things like the Breast Cancer Awareness Run and demonstrations at the Sister Basilia Center.
“Taekwondo is a way of life and it has been my way of life for the past 60 years,” said the Grandmaster, who by day is in the insurance business. “I have tried my best promote this beautiful martial art and its philosophy on the island of St. Maarten. As a practitioner of Taekwondo I have tried to contribute to a better society, for creating a peaceful society is the ultimate goal of Taekwondo.”
