Malmi Taekwondo’s gym is buzzing when yet another long-awaited training session is about to begin. Lapsikatras squeals on the tatami, unleashing her greatest spike of energy, until the club’s president and coach Tea Runnakko-Laitinen gathers enthusiastic enthusiasts together.
– How are you today, Runnakko-Laitinen asks.
– Good!
At the beginning of the exercise, bows are relevant, and a group of about 40 taekwondoin are divided into two groups in the hall, the older ones on one side and the younger ones on the other side.
What is special about the club of around 150 members is the large proportion of immigrants. Runnakko-Laitinen says that as many as 80 percent of 6-8 year olds come from multicultural backgrounds. About 70 percent are under the age of 12.
– It’s really rich that we have a multicultural club. Sometimes it brings challenges to the interaction, but nothing that can’t be solved. We give instructions in English as needed, and in communication we do our best to ensure that everything is clear.
According to Runnakko-Laitinen’s experience, sports are a good way to integrate immigrants.
– It is important that there is a place to come and where there is something meaningful to do. We have a tight-knit community that increases cohesion and facilitates integration. In addition, we have started Malmi’s youth activity, which aims to have youth evenings where an adult supervises once a month.
Runnakko-Laitinen has noted with joy those young people who have returned to the hobby after leaving it once.
– In the case of young people, there is talk of a dropout, and it was visible even during the corona crisis. I have noticed that it is really important for some young people to be involved in voluntary activities, and they clearly enjoy themselves in the gym. That kind of warms you up.
The grant helps to move forward
Runnakko-Laitinen, who practiced taekwondo for 30 years, is a physiotherapist by profession, and he has managed to combine his professional skills with the sport he loves. For eight years, Malmi has also run an applied taekwondo group for special children and young people aged 11–17.
– This is a really great part of our club, and there are young people with various special needs. We have special children in basic groups as well, and we try to keep them there, but if they need more individualized guidance with more appropriate movements, there is also another option.
– If there is a smaller number of participants, we will not stop it, but we will try to get more participants there.
The work done by Malmi Taekwondo has been taken into account, and in December the club received a grant of 6,000 euros from the Läpimurtosäätiö. The target groups of the supported projects are children and young people from low-income families, children and young people from immigrant backgrounds and those in need of special support.
According to Runnakko-Laitinen, assistance will be needed.
– We will be organizing free beginner courses, and we can also allocate help for training fees and competition and equipment packages.
The club has also organized free courses in the past, although the costs have been tried to be kept low anyway.
– There are no commitment obligations, and the threshold to come try it out is really low. Otherwise, we want to be easily accessible regardless of socio-economic status or cultural background.
“There has never been any bullying”
In taekwondo, the sport’s characteristic and important gym etiquette is followed. In training and behavior, important guidelines are followed, which are behavior, respect, patience, self-sacrifice, modesty, purity of mind and body.
11-year-old Jere Kairamaa feels that the skills learned in taekwondo have been useful for concentration also at school, for example. During the four years, the hobby has become important, and it is nice to come to the exercises.
– I like to learn new techniques, and the movement sequences have come to mind well, although new ones are always really hard to remember. It’s always good to learn something new.
Runnakko-Laitinen says that in many families several members play sports and go to the gym together. Kairamaa’s father and brother are also enthusiastic about the sport. Everyone is well taken into account at the gym, regardless of socio-economic or cultural background.
– Really relaxed, and everyone is helped. There has never been any kind of bullying. This is a nice and reliable group, praises Kairamaa.
Eight-year-old Emma Heikkinen says that he also enjoyed dancing and swimming, but for a year and a half taekwondo has been an important part of his life.
The goals are high.
– All the way to the black belt, Heikkinen says with a smile.
The training ends, and the children, who have expressed their enthusiasm for an hour, gather around Runnakko-Laitinen for a final discussion.
What was the most fun today?
– Everyone!