Moldovan students ace taekwondo belt exam
Taekwondo students from central and southern Moldova recently took their belt exams, either as part of their physical education classes or through sports clubs.
Despite feeling nervous, the young athletes performed impressively, showcasing the skills they had acquired through training.
Ten-year-old Maria Bucuci from Ialoveni was one of the students who aced the belt exam. “Mom, Dad, I want to try a new sport I can practice at home and share with others,” Maria said. “How did you feel at the exam? Excited and nervous, but I’m so happy I passed!”
Daniel Manoli, a passionate taekwondo practitioner, has been making significant progress after a year of intense training. "I was a bit nervous; I thought it would be harder, but it was easy. We've been preparing for the exam for three months. It's an interesting sport, and you can get even better with each belt and go to competitions," he said.
The students’ courage and self-control were evident as they faced their fears during the belt exam. One student shared, “I haven’t been doing taekwondo for very long; I only started in 2024, and look, I’ve learned so much. At first, I was really worried that I wouldn’t succeed, but then I realized I had to believe in myself and be energetic.”
Another student expressed their excitement and nerves: “I was so nervous; I thought I wouldn’t make any mistakes, but I did. Before, I did karate from kindergarten until the third grade, but I couldn’t continue. Then at school, I saw that they offered taekwondo, so I joined. A classmate suggested it to me.”
Parents of the young athletes also experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. “Of course, as parents, we were very worried, but in the end, we’re happy and proud of our son. It’s a good discipline because it helps kids be more disciplined, focused, and confident,” one parent said.
Coach Lilia Procopciuc explained the training process: “Training includes a warm-up, and the exam itself involves demonstrating defense techniques, leg kicks, light sparring, and exchanges.”
Coach Dmitri Bordeniuc elaborated on the exam structure: “There are four parts: the technical part, which was demonstrated today, along with basic exercises like in gymnastics or figure skating, and a routine that includes the main elements. To pass the exam, a student must score 60 points in each part.”
In recent times, taekwondo has gained popularity as a school sport. “Since this is the fourth year that taekwondo has been included in the physical education curriculum as a module and a sports club, because we haven’t had martial arts in the curriculum before, the relevant federation realized that we needed to take the initiative,” said Loreta Handrabura, president of the International Taekwondo Academy.
Children who practice taekwondo take their belt exams twice a year—in May and December.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
