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Sparring siblings Zaki and Faris Ahmad are the first Life-Fit Taekwondo students to achieve black belt status ... at the tender ages of nine and five!
The classes, staged at a fitness centre in Janabiya in association with Emperor Taekwondo Academy in Hamad Town, have been running since 2010 to help raise the profile of the Korean martial art form in the kingdom.
High-flying Zaki and his younger brother fearless Faris live in Hamala and both attend the British School of Bahrain (BSB) close-by. “We practice every day,” said Zaki. “We have learned discipline and self-control and know it is a continuous journey of improvement.”
The Korean martial art when translated means ‘the way of the hand and foot’. It combines combat and self-defence techniques including sparring and moves.
It is a well-rounded programme that encompasses muscle toning, stretching and flexibility, increasing strength and stamina through aerobic sparring and mental challenges through mastering various forms and positions.
It also teaches values such as etiquette, justice, respect and self-confidence and to reach black belt status students must already have earned their white, orange, yellow, camouflage, green, purple, blue, brown and red.
The British boys have been practicing the art form under the tutelage of Sabeomnim (senior instructor) Hassan Al Shalan, who is licensed under the academy directed by Master Sami Ali, the Bahrain national team coach.
Sabeomnim Hassan said: “Zaki and Faris have been my students for as long as I can remember. They started with me when I was coaching in Riffa Views at the Royal Golf Club and followed me to Life-Fit.
“They were so young when they started. Zaki was seven and Faris was only three but they were such quick learners. People say it’s hard to teach taekwondo to kids because they cannot master the forms and positions properly such as the bends and kicks.
“I didn’t face those issues with Zaki and Faris. It has been a pleasure teaching them. When they did their black belt test at the Bahrain National Team Hall in Riffa, the examiners were shocked at their powerful kicks and punches. They performed amazingly, proving that it doesn’t matter how old they are.
“They have something special and I believe they can really go far. I’m very proud of them. They have worked really hard to earn their first black belt, or poom as we call it, as they are still considered juniors. After a certain age their ranking will be dan which is for elder students.”
The highest poom a youngster can receive is a third poom and the highest dan is the ninth. To achieve these rankings and gain new coloured belts, students must complete different taekwondo training forms known as poomsae.
Poomsae contains various skills including blocking, punching, kicking and other techniques. The black belt brothers have been training and practicing their poomsae at the gym on Wednesdays and at home. Sabeomnim Hassan aims to enrol them in the Bahrain Open Taekwondo Tournament at a later date once they have gained more experience, although they have already won gold and bronze medals in other competitions.
Sabeomnim Hassan said: “The black belt is really a start for them. Now that they have it, they can enter major competitions such as the Bahrain Open which takes place annually in February or March.
“I have them pencilled in to take part in around two years’ time and I am sure they will do extremely well. But I know that their aim is to someday reach the Olympic Games.”
To Zaki, that would be a dream come true as he first witnessed the sport in the London Olympics in 2012 and had set his mind on mastering it.
Zaki said: “When I saw Taekwondo during the Olympic Games I said to my parents I like this sport and want to do it. My favourite part of Taekwondo is poomsae. I also really like the punches and kicking. I was really happy when I gained my black belt.
“There are a lot of different moves and things to practice before you reach this level.”
Faris is believed to be the youngest in the kingdom to have achieved black belt status.
Parents Aijaz, 43, a managing consultant, and Tara, 38, a compliant consultant, said they were proud of the boys’ achievements. At first Faris didn’t enjoy lessons but grew to love it as it meant he got time to spend with his best friend, his brother.
Tara said: “When they started their poomsaes they really began taking it seriously. Now they never stop. You can often see my kids walking down Carrefour or Geant punching and kicking down the aisle putting their routines to the test. Bemused shoppers must be wondering what they are up to!
“I can see a difference in them since they achieved black belt status. They are a lot calmer and more confident in terms of their ability to tackle anything. We couldn’t have asked for a better coach as he always reminds them of the pillars of taekwondo.”
The management of Life-Fit is also proud of the brothers’ achievements and are looking forward to seeing more youngsters achieve glory as the school grows.
For further details on Life-Fit, contact 17692424 or email info@lifefit-bahrain.com
