Taylor’s Taekwondo Club: Kick Off Harassment Online Campaign | By Teh Su Syuen
Surely, we’ve all heard of the term “harassment”. Harassment is unwanted behaviour which one finds offensive and makes one feel intimidated or humiliated. It is also the main subject that is being addressed by the virtual campaign organized by Taylor’s Taekwondo Club—Kick Off Harassment.
 |
| Source: @taylorstaekwondo on Instagram. |
Here’s the hard truth: although we’re aware of what harassment is, many people still do not know what to do or how to protect themselves when facing it. Indeed, there are many forms of harassment that could happen anywhere and anytime. Therefore, it is of great importance for us to be aware and to gain some basic knowledge on how to defend ourselves in the face of potential threats or dangers. Hence, the aim of this online campaign, which took place from 17 - 30 April, is mainly to educate the public about self-defense, increase public interest in Taekwondo, as well as raise awareness about the potential danger of harassment in everyone’s lives.
Starting off with the intention to keep the club active in the midst of the pandemic, Ler Yi, a member of the organizing committee of this online campaign, got the idea after coming across the Sexual Assault Awareness month observed in April. Her initial idea of “Kick Off Harassment” then expanded to include greater objectives such as educating the public on self-defense and promoting the benefits of Taekwondo from this aspect, before finally forming this online campaign.
 |
| Source: @taylorstaekwondo on Instagram. |
Everyone was highly encouraged to take part in this campaign as all of the activities held during the event accommodated both beginners and experts after thoughtful consideration by the club. Not to mention: they were all completely free! These included the Best Shot Competition, Free Tutorials, and Learner’s Week.
Best Shot Competition
This competition was held throughout the whole duration of the campaign, wherein the entry for participation was free and open to the public to showcase their Taekwondo skills. All the participants had to do was to submit a photo or a short video of them performing a Taekwondo kick via the QR code or link provided. Cash prizes and a certificate of achievement were awarded to the winners of the competition.
Free Tutorials
During 19 - 25 April, Taylor’s Taekwondo Club members also posted a series of free Taekwondo tutorials daily on their Instagram page for the public’s learning. In these videos, they demonstrated some basic & advanced Taekwondo techniques that anyone can acquire, with correct and consistent practice. The front kick, turning kick, side kick, chopping kick, jumping front kick, jumping side kick followed by back kick and 360 roundhouse kick―these techniques were all demonstrated by the well-trained and skillful club members.
Learner’s Week
The week following 26 April was dedicated to everyone to learn, post videos of the results, and tag the club’s Instagram page. After choosing their favourite from among the Taekwondo techniques posted by the club (the more the merrier!), participants started learning and practicing those cool and useful moves―because practice makes perfect. Once acquired, they could showcase their results by posting their video on their social media account and tag @taylorstaekwondo (as the club would love to see them!).
 |
| Source: @taylorstaekwondo on Instagram. |
Through this event, beginners were able to learn basic Taekwondo skills and share their learning progress during “Learner’s Week”. On the other hand, experienced members had the opportunity to compete in the “Kick Off Harassment: Best Shot” competition and stand a chance to win amazing awards.
Ler Yi encouraged other people to participate in this online campaign, adding, “Simply by participating, you have taken a step for yourself and others who see your effort to kick off harassment together—so why not?”. Moreover, she also shared that it would be great if more people can defend themselves better from possible threats of harassment by learning Taekwondo, and taking part in this campaign was a simple step forward in learning the skills to do so.
Hoping this would be the beginning of a new norm for sport clubs, she said that they shouldn’t “die off” or “wait until the pandemic is over” in order to resume their activities because there are many people with great enthusiasm out there who wish to join clubs and learn new skills! Furthermore, other than attracting people to the club, she hopes that experienced members can see how there are still opportunities for them to compete and showcase their skills even in the absence of physical events.
In short, these two weeks of the Kick Off Harassment online campaign have been filled with fun and excitement as many people have learned so many new and different techniques besides participating in the activities held during this campaign. Although the ongoing pandemic has limited many clubs to virtual events, Taylor’s Taekwondo Club has managed to adjust and adapt to the situation by providing a platform where we can still learn and participate in these events anywhere, anytime.
Last but not least, let's wrap this up with a word from our very own event organizing committee of this campaign, Ler Yi: “To all who have participated in Taylor’s Taekwondo Kick Off Harassment 2021, a big thanks to you from us! Be it for self-defense, or to simply look cool doing stunts (HAHA), the Taekwondo community welcomes everyone who is passionate about the sport. Here in Taylor’s Taekwondo, we are a big family. To us, Taekwondo is not just a sport, but a lifestyle. While appreciating the culture of Taekwondo, we also hope for you to see more different sides of Taekwondo while having fun learning it with us. Hope to see you soon in the club! #tkdfamily”.
0 comments