[real-eyes] judo champ

From: "firoz" <firojjee@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:05:09 +0530
Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam
Judo champ teaches blind to fight back
by Inner Sanctum column
Mar 16, 2009

Award-winning judoka Tran Mai Thuy Hong has been named a 'youth with 
outstanding achievements' by 
HCM City authorities for teaching martial arts to the blind. Hong tells Van Dat 
why she chose this 
challenging path and reveals her future plans.

Inner Sanctum: When and how did you get into judo?

When I was young, I was so skinny and ailing that my mother forced me into many 
sports like 
swimming, table tennis and athletics. Fortunately, in 1991 when I was in sixth 
grade at Nguyen Thi 
Minh Khai High School, I had a chance to go to Ho Xuan Huong Club in District 3 
where I saw many 
young people practising judo. Though I had never learnt it before, I could 
imitate their movements 
accurately. I then fell in love with judo and joined the club to train.
At that time I did not think about achievements or becoming a judo 
professional. I just did it for 
the sake of health and amusement like any other sport. I was happy to make 
friends with many people 
at the club, entered competitions, and achieved some success. They encouraged 
me to stick to judo 
but in 2000 I had to stop due to shoulder trouble.
After graduating from high school, I decided not to take the university 
entrance examination but 
continued to practice judo. But after the injury in 2000, I studied at the HCM 
City Pedagogy 
University. Besides studying at the school, I taught judo at the Tan Binh 
Culture and Sport Centre. 
In 2004 I enrolled at the University of Sports and Athletics and [part-time] at 
the HCM City 
University of Social Sciences and Humanity.

Inner Sanctum: You are a girl yet you chose judo. Why?

It is unfair to say that only men can learn judo. It is also helpful for women 
to improve their 
physical strength and confidence and, especially, for self-defence. 
Fortunately, I have never had to 
use judo to tackle a problem, only in competitions.

Inner Sanctum: Why did you decide to teach judo to people with disabilities? Do 
you face any 
particular difficulty in doing this?

The initiative came from the HCM City Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism. 
I was merely a 
trainer for visually impaired people. I faced many difficulties. In the 
beginning, I was struggling 
because there were no materials or books on teaching judo to people with 
disabilities.
Other trainers and I gradually learnt on the job. Besides teaching [my 
students] the basic 
movements, I also have to teach them to judge the opponent's movements using 
just their hearing, one 
of the most difficult lessons.
There is also a psychological problem because most people with visual 
disability are afraid of 
falling over but the training requires them to do it. Even after working with 
them for four years I 
do not totally understand them.
Inner Sanctum: What have you and your students achieved in these years of toil?
We have taught disabled people for more than four years at the HCM City Blind 
Association, Nguyen 
Dinh Chieu High School, and Thien An Open House. More and more people with 
disabilities attend our 
course. There are now around 200 trainees.
In 2006 and 2007 four of my students won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 
FESPIC Games in 
Malaysia and Asian Paragames 3 in Thailand. Last year another student, Trieu 
Thi Nhoi, attended the 
Paralympics in Beijing and finished seventh.

Inner Sanctum: What has impressed you most while teaching judo to people with 
disabilities?

There are many memories but what impressed me deeply was seeing my students 
train and compete like 
able-bodied people. I admired them and felt proud. Their performance encouraged 
me. Every time I 
have a problem with my job, whatever the difficulty, just thinking of my 
students' achievements 
helps me overcome it.
Inner Sanctum: How do you feel now that the city has honoured you as a "Youth 
with outstanding 
achievements" this year?
Surprised and happy, of course! It is a big encouragement for me to continue my 
mission to teach 
judo to visually impaired people, to help them become more confident and 
healthy and be part of the 
community.

Inner Sanctum: What is your main job and what are your future plans?

I work as a sports expert at the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism. I 
teach every Wednesday 
and Friday.
Other trainers and I hope to get more and more disabled people to join our judo 
classes. I plan to 
co-operate with the HCM City Sport School and experts from the Department of 
Culture, Sport and 
Tourism to write a book on training disabled people in judo because I wish to 
help blind people in 
other provinces learn the martial art as well. - VNS

SOURCE
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?numINN150309

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[real-eyes] judo champ

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