“You get used to seeing people get kicked in the head. After that there isn’t much that could surprise you,” says Joney Wong of taekwondo.

Joney is one of three sisters who have black belts in the sport. Joney, associate sales manager trainee at Golden Star, Inc. in Overland Park, Kansas, is both a taekwondo instructor and coach. 

She has been involved in taekwondo, a kick-based martial art that was developed in Korea in the 1940s, for 12 years. Joney and her younger twin-sisters, Jackie and Jessica, started learning the sport together.

“Our parents wanted to enroll us in something active, because we were always studying, and not involved in soccer or basketball,” she says. “They hoped we would do kung fu, because it is a Chinese sport and we’re a Chinese family. However, our parents couldn’t find a good kung fu school at the time, so we ended up in taekwondo.”

The sisters’ agreement with their parents was that they would stay in the sport until they earned their black belts, which they did, and then some.

“As we progressed in taekwondo, especially when we earned our black belts, we had more responsibilities that developed us as leaders, and then instructors and coaches,” says Joney.

All three went on to become the founders of the taekwondo club at Kansas State University. Eventually, Jackie stopped taekwondo and took up drawing and painting, but Jessica and Joney are still very involved in the sport.

Taekwondo involves sparring (the fighting part of the sport for which you wear protective gear) and forms, which is the artistic side of taekwondo that requires you to memorize a set pattern of kicks, punches and blocks, known by the Korean word “poomsae.” Joney is most interested in sparring, while her sister favors poomsae.

After earning her black belt (which takes about three years), Joney found her passion in coaching. She started with young children and progressed to more competitive athletes who require more strategy and sophistication.

“I like to compare coaching taekwondo to playing a video game, in which I am the controller,” says Joney. “I’m also another set of eyes, a cheerleader and mentor. While the fighter is fighting, they might miss something. I advise them about which kicks and punches would be most efficient for a particular opponent. I can tell them about opponents’ reactions and help build strategy.”

Joney instructs all levels of taekwondo students, from the casual learners to the extremely competitive. The people she teaches generally range from 8 years old to those in their early 20s. Joney is also the head coach for the Kansas State University team.

“With little kids, we focus on discipline, because it helps to direct their energy and teaches them respect and perseverance. Asian cultures really value respect,” says Joney. The older students are more competitive. “Everybody in our taekwondo school is aiming for the Olympics. I have several students on the national team.”

Joney has found that her competitive spirit surfaces even when she is coaching a match.

“When the referee starts a match with ‘shijak,’ which means, ‘begin,’ something in me changes. I get so engaged in watching my player, the other fighter and the other coach,” she says. “And when you’re the coach, your own reputation is on the line.”

Gretchen Roufs, a 25-year janitorial supply industry veteran, owns a marketing and public relations company in San Antonio. To suggest someone you think should be featured in “Freetime,” contact her at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com.




POSTED ON: 5/11/2016