“Wow, grandmothers are practicing Taekwondo.” On May 19, 11am, Bupyung-Gu, Incheon, people who came out for a walk in the park gathered around with curiosity on their face.  There we had 15 grandmothers neatly dressed in Dobok, practicing Taekwondo. They are the Grandmother Demonstration Team.

Grandmother Demonstration Team was established in 1988.  Master Yu-Ho Yoon who gave lectures about health in senior education centers and senior welfare facilities suddenly thought, “Practicing Taekwondo can be really good for elders health.”  This became the motive to establish the Demonstration Team.

Currently, there are about 30 active members in the Demonstration Team, and they are all over 60 years of age including 2 members that are over 80 years of age.  Master Yoon, who has been managing the demonstration for 17 years says, “Through Taekwondo practice, grandmothers are healthier and more positive.” and added “Taekwondo is improving their quality of life.”

In fact, grandmothers’ faces looked bright and cheerful.  They praised Taekwondo by saying “Taekwondo gives energy in our lives.”  Mrs. Sung-Sook Baek said, “I started Taekwondo because my body was aching, but now I’m healthier and I’m living my life young everyday.”

Presently, the Grandmother Taekwondo Demonstration Team is gaining in popularity. As well as their Taekwondo events, they are getting numerous requests for demonstrations from elderly related events and even from foreign countries. At Sogang Univ. Taekwondo School, which is managed by Master Yoon, grandmothers are practicing 3 times a week, waiting for the day to show off their techniques.

Recently, with the lead of Master Yu-Ho Yoon, a Grandmother demonstration Team visited Kukkiwon by taking subway.  Grandmothers drew great attention from the people when they were riding on the subway, because all of them were dressed in Taekwondo Dobok (uniform).  It must have been strange for the public to see grandmothers taking a public transportation wearing Dobok.

Master Yoon said, “Wearing uniform is one way to publicize Taekwondo”, and took the curious look of the public, optimistically.  One citizen of Seoul said, “I thought Taekwondo was for children in kindergarten, elementary school, or teenagers, but now I realized Taekwondo is very good exercise to keep yourself healthy, after seeing grandmothers practicing Taekwondo.”

As you see, through continuous work of Grandmother Taekwondo Demonstration Team, Taekwondo has become an exercise that you can
recommend to the elders because of its well use of spare time and health management.  Considering the task of expanding practitioners into the adult group, Grandmother Taekwondo Demonstration Team can be set as a very good example.

Currently, Master Yoon is working hard to establish the ‘Korea Senior Taekwondo Federation’. 
Through this Federation, he wants to spread Taekwondo to the elders, and create an Everyday Taekwondo Exercise.  Also, he is planning to contribute to healthy leisure activities for elders by raising instructors who specializes in Taekwondo for elders, and Sports for all.