While there will have been plenty of focus on those taking home medals and our newly crowned Champions at the National Kyorugi Championships recently, there were plenty more stories to be told from the weekend in Sheffield.
With over 900 athletes from 100+ clubs coming together to celebrate our fantastic sport, it was a delight to see such a diverse community make what has become an annual pilgrimage to Yorkshire to compete against the best in the country.
For some, it was their first taste of a Nationals, with Neodo Taekwondo being one of the clubs to experience their maiden competition on the national stage, just 20 months after forming in the Hackney area of London.
Lead Instructor Dr Emek Can entered Pee Wee Ido Pashazade in the -22kg Male category on the second day of action, and despite falling at the Round of 16, Can was keen to sing the praises of the event, with coach and athlete heading home content from an enjoyable weekend.
“Ido lost his first match, but everything was good. It was a good experience for him and for me as a coach as well. Ido was very happy, and his parents were very happy as well, it was all really good and the atmosphere is very nice,” Can said after the event.
Neodo is something of a passion project for Can – a former Turkish Champion with a PhD in Sports Sciences – with close to 50 students attending classes on a regular basis after forming in January 2024.
Mixing the tradition of Taekwondo with his love of the mechanics of the body and the sport, Can works alongside co-founder Dr Samet Şahin to lead sessions in the capital, with the belief that the sport can help you to grow physically, but also as a person.
“I like to teach students,” he continued: “It makes me happy, it’s not just for the Taekwondo, it is a way to improve their physical capacity and their life as well.
“Taekwondo’s core principles is really, really important for us. That’s why I am trying to get people to take up Taekwondo. And we are trying to make good people, not just good athletes.”
Having experienced a National event for the first time, Can has had his appetite for the big stage whetted, and already has plans for the next 12 months so he can bring a bigger squad to Sheffield in the hope of achieving UK-wide success.
Having staged a training camp with GB Taekwondo star Bradly Sinden over the weekend, there is no doubt that the Neodo members are learning from the best when it comes to their Kyorugi skills, with Can confident things are heading in the right direction after the experience in Sheffield.
“Next year we would like to join with the maybe five or six athletes next competition. We hope we’re going to get medal for sure.”
They may not have headed back to the Capital with a medal this time, but the 2025 National Kyorugi Championships has sparked an enthusiasm to come back stronger next time around for Can and Neodo. Watch this space!
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