\n<\/p>\n
Mr Soh speaks from experience. When he takes breaks for even a few weeks, he feels stiffer and more sluggish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at my friends, they are like sick men,\u201d he said bluntly. \u201cI want to maintain (my level).\u201d<\/p>\n
TeamgOLD recently performed and competed in a championship at Our Tampines Hub, the first Singapore event focused specifically on older taekwondo practitioners.<\/p>\n
Another group, Club Diamond from Ildo Taekwondo Academy, also performed. The club caters to those 60 and older and made a deliberate choice to include women without black belts in their performance.<\/p>\n
This was in the hope that more women would take up the sport, said Ms Linda Sim, a taekwondo world champion who helped establish Club Diamond. She is also the oldest female member of TeamgOLD, but finds the training sessions there intimidating.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeamgOLD has a lot of men and they\u2019re all black belts” who do a lot of “kicking and punching”, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cClub Diamond allows people like myself \u2026 to keep enjoying, competing and staying healthy. It\u2019s very much in line with active ageing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Sim said seniors are often told to choose tai chi rather than taekwondo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want them to (do) taekwondo because they can do it. And taekwondo is more energetic, it\u2019s more physical,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n