The gold medalist in Tong Il Moo Do, Carlos Nuñez, who was crowned world champion in December 2022 and now returns to Kenya for another event that will bring together martial artists from 27 countries.
Tong Il Moo Do is a sports discipline derived from martial arts with many followers and athletes who have already obtained world titles. Through an interview let’s learn more about this sport that this August holds a World Cup in Africa again, where Paraguay once again challenges the countries that will participate in a tatami.
The president of the Paraguayan Federation of Tong Il Moo Do Carlos Núñez was interviewed on the Public TV Program “Tribuna” together with Carlos Germán Núñez, medalist athlete and last champion of the World Championship of the discipline in Africa in 2022 and who is currently preparing again to return to African lands to defend his title.
He commented that they have a record of approximately 350 athletes in the sports development part that are high performance and also have the programs they do in schools. “We work in sports schools through the program in agreement with the National Sports Secretariat” she asserted.
Tong Il Moo Do is a sport that was born in Korea in 1979. Its founder was a teacher, Dr. John Hosu, it is originally from the judo style that was inspired a bit by those unificationist principles of the two Koreas, he created a style in which he could contribute to that idea of unifying and brought him to the field of martial arts. He created this style and turned it into a series, brought together select masters of another style and with that they integrated a new style called Tong Il Moo Do.
“Traditional martial arts really have a lot to do with it, that is, we cannot leave out that part of traditional styles. Now, this martial style, that difference that emphasizes not only the technical, physical part of the students, and treating it theoretically in terms of movements, but also deepens in terms of how to train the person in character , because it is important that they are formed in character. We work from the point of view that it is important from a young age and to give children a goal, so that they can continue and develop from that tool. It can be sports, it can be study, it can be some kind of activity, but have a physical goal” affirms the president.
He added that they are now opening a self-defense course in this modality and it will be called police self-defense, teacher Viviana Moreira is also part of the team. The Federation, through the Viviana Moreira school, develops all the programs in the different academies and schools in the country.
Tatami Champion
Champion Carlos Germán started in this discipline at the age of 11 and indicates that the sport helped him a lot to train, get to know himself and gain experience. “He helped me a lot in the character part, as the president says, because he trained me not only in the physical part but also helped me in discipline, perseverance, he helped me to form my interior so that I could also walk and drive frustration also because that is a problem for young people today. It also helps to know what your potential is then work on it day after day and gain experience. Sometimes a defeat is not a defeat if we always take it as gaining experience that will help us later and achieve victory.
The athlete was last year in Kenya, Africa after constant work that he has been doing with the teachers. “It was an experience acquired over time, since it is a whole process, one has to first compete at the national level once they qualify, they have to go to the South American level and then the American level and then they qualify for the World Cup. My first World Cup was in Brazil and I also had a good result and from there I was gaining experience which later became my participation in Korea 2019 and also Africa 2022”, he explains.
“The commitment that must be maintained because being a champion once is not like that. Likewise, that is why this is the part that we also want to talk about, that the style that is practiced in Paraguay and that is giving its results through the world championships, there we have an impressive image. Listening to the national anthem there when it is playing so far away on a podium in Africa gold, glory, is what we always want ”he claimed.
Doors open for new athletes
For those who want to learn more about sports, the vacation camp courses are open from this Saturday, July 15, starting at 4:00 p.m. at the National Sports Secretariat.
They also have classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 6 to 8 pm. and they also have several schools in Asunción.
“We have 10 clubs which have departments of the discipline where the style is taught with other specialties, for example, there are Kung Fu clubs that have the TIMD part, as well as Taekwondo and Hapkido, they have TIMD departments so that if they want to access that sport, it is simply a matter of finding out and you can access the clubs.