Eight Years of Taekwondo

“I got here five days ago, and I’m planning to stay for the rest of my life!”  That’s how I introduced myself in January 2018 at a Bible study for expatriate women living here in Africa for ministry purposes.  They warmly welcomed me, and then over snacks at the end of the meeting, they explained other opportunities for social connections with them.

Taekwondo class was one local expatriate activity I’d already heard of, through a Facebook group I’d joined before arriving.  When I’d mentioned it to my friends among opportunities I’d have to interact with other foreigners, they’d signaled it out as a misfit:  “Haha, we can just see Hannah practicing martial arts!”  They were right:  I wasn’t interested.

Bur somehow all my resistance melted away as my brand-new friend Sharon described it to me that Thursday morning:  “We’re a small group of American ladies, taught by one who has a black belt.  It’s useful to practice self-defense, since the city is so dangerous and we as white women are especially vulnerable.  It’s also a good way to exercise, and we can chat while we work out.”  To my surprise, I heard myself reply, “I think I’ll give it a try.”

I had to wait out the three-month Bible study term, as I was already committed to that activity and needed to limit my time away from the office during working hours.  But starting that April, I made the weekly trek across town to learn Taekwondo from Jill, a buoyant MAF wife with an impressive martial arts resumé.  I felt like a fool for the first month, awkwardly trying to imitate the moves that Sharon and Holly seemed to have already mastered.  That provided a good dose of humility to dampen my pride!  

Over the next months, Jill patiently taught me proper techniques for front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, and roundhouse kicks.  With my fists, I learned to execute jabs, uppercuts, reverse punches, and hook punches.  In addition to stretches and other warm-ups, our tiny class practiced the front stance, walking stance, back stance, and horse stance.

As the years rolled by, a number of ladies cycled through our Taekwondo class with varying levels of consistency.  Sharon, Holly, and most others eventually moved away, so at times I was the only student.  By mastering techniques and passing tests, I progressed through several belt colors:  white, yellow, orange, green, and blue.

Under Jill’s capable instruction, my classmates and I developed skills in self-defense.  We trained to escape from a chokehold, a bearhug, a lapel grab, and a wrist grab.  We learned to deftly fall, somersault if needed, and get back up again, drilling in the do’s and don’ts of how to respond if forced down to the ground.

As Sharon had described, I found Taekwondo to indeed be an opportune setting for becoming acquainted with other expatriate ladies.  The hearty exercise did me good, too.  Through all the stresses and challenges that I faced in my first eight years in Africa, the martial arts class was a constant – except for when Jill was traveling – which afforded me a weekly hour of reprieve from other concerns to focus with friends on using more nimbly the bodies that God gave us.

The era of Taekwondo came to an end, though:  Last month, Jill and her husband finished their term of service in Africa and moved permanently back to the United States.  Throughout her fourteen years in Africa, Jill had faithfully taught martial arts to the expatriate community.  In addition to our ladies’ class, she’d also taught a class for children and teenagers.  She never charged any tuition; she said she was gratified enough with the opportunity to have folks with whom to work out instead of pursuing her hobby alone!

On Jill’s last day of teaching Taekwondo in Africa, both classes gathered to say goodbye.  Family members of current and past students came too.  Someone brought cookies, and many shared memories and appreciation for Jill’s investment in the lives of her students.  As a token of our gratitude, we gifted her with a belt which each student had signed in the color of his current belt.  (She’s wearing it in this picture.)  Jill thanked us for our kindness and made sure to take photos with us before leaving the continent.

With Jill gone, I’m now adjusting to life post-Taekwondo.  I no longer leave the office early one afternoon a week, though I still exercise three times a week, by swimming in the lap pool where I work.  I’m exploring other options for connecting with the expatriate community, including a few recent breakfast dates with Skyla, whom I met through Taekwondo.  Through my eight-year stint in her class, Jill’s martial arts instruction enriched my life in the areas of physical health, safety, fellowship, and stress relief.  Thanks be to God!