A Monthly Gathering

Last Saturday was one of the more anticipated days for me as a foreigner in South Korea. I have been practicing the mentally exhausting and physically draining sport of Taekwondo for over a year now, and I was finally given the opportunity to showcase my kicks and forms for my official black belt test. I had trained with a reasonably disciplined work ethic, and in the end I think it paid off. Since I am prone to give up on things prematurely I have to admit I am especially pleased to have accomplished something requiring effort. Moreover a black belt with my name in English and Korean would look cool on the mantelpiece.

As I worked diligently for the test, I had little difficulty. Regardless, I was surprised on how fast the actual test flew by anyway. You see, it wasn't just me going for a belt this Saturday. This was the monthly testing in Suncheon, which simply meant that it was an entire day affair with close to five hundred other testers including myself. The candidates for belts were led up in groups of ten to swiftly go through a couple of forms, then with little time to waste were whisked across the floor of the stadium to do some kicks and sparring. After this, it was time for the next group. This was the way it went for the entire day.

On one side you are afforded a glimpse on just how popular the sport is in Korea. Suncheon isn't a small city by Korean comparisons, but there sure were a lot of children and adults who piled into Palma Gym to test for their belt. Imagine 500 students testing for a black belt every month. That's a lot of black belts in Suncheon. Suncheon has given itself the nickname as 'The City of Beautiful People,' however it could have been more appropriately coined: 'The City of Black Belts, So Watch Out!'

What was even more interesting, was the atmosphere inside. Imagine going into a small, crowded arena and seeing a large congregation of five hundred strong punching, kicking, kyeoping(spell check,) stretching, and practicing. Also imagine fitting parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, girlfriends and boyfriends with cameras as well. Korea can be a cozy place, and last Saturday was no exception.

As the day wore on, I was getting nervous. You see, including myself, there were only three foreigners testing. That meant that many eyes would fall upon us as we went through our routine. However, as the adults tested later, and most of the parents and children had departed, we managed to test in relative quietness. Despite that, there were more than a few curious onlookers to see how the 'waygook' would manage. The crowd who did watch us, was actually really supportive, which I found gratifying. As a foreigner in Korea you have to adjust yourself to be able to deal with a large amount of attention. Sometimes though, like on Saturday, it was a joy to be able to show off my kicks for curious onlookers. So if you find yourself with nothing to do next month, head over to Palma Gym in Suncheon and check out a black belt test.