 One of Mr. Andaya’s advocacies include the inclusion of the Special Needs Division on all ITF tournaments. This is because he believes that as they are entitled to learn Taekwon-do, they must also be entitled to achieve and succeed through fair competition.
On first glance you might ask, what Taekwondo could offer children with physical challenges. Doesn’t the martial arts require its students to be able to perform physical and mental activities outside of a Special Needs individual’s skills? Perhaps. However, Taekwon-do, is not just about kicking and punching. It is also about developing character and inner-strength, self-discipline and self-reliance. For a committed student, with disabilities or not, personal growth and development will always be a welcome benefit.
As with any student, the curriculum is adapted to the particular needs of each child, much so with someone with physical disabilities.The focus is on what the student can do, and not particularly what he/she cannot. They go through the same belt levels as everybody else and as they go through them, they develop new areas of competence and strength, all while having fun. |
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