straitstimes.com:
THE teenager who dealt a fatal kick to his taekwondo opponent last week showed up at the wake on Sunday night to pay his respects.
Accompanied by his parents and sister, the 15-year-old approached the mother of the late Vincent Tan mother, sombre, to offer his apology.
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It people really thought about how vulnerable our bodies are, they would all walk around padded from head to toe. And no, I don't do that.
I think the problem is that you have people doing advanced moves they are not trained for. They think they can do it but they can't. Discipline an patience is extinct.
That may be true. Developing a highpowered technique and getting the control of it are two different things. It's really hard to get a teenage boy to apply restraint in a fight, especially after training him to build powerful attacks.
Tae Kwon Do teaches more than fighting. It teaches respect.
I don't know who to sympathize with more.
Was protective equipment being used?
"A journalist, a journalist, my kingdom for a journalist
Around the neck????
No, I think he/she was asking if the kicker was wearing pads on his feet. It seems unusual (though I am sure not impossible) that a kick with foot pads could break an artery in a small area like the neck.
It happens. The mother should not blame the teenager. Death is always a risk in contact sports -- headgear or not. I know that everytime I step in the ring (boxing) that I am taking a chance.
It's sad to have these deaths occur with children so young.
Being he died of a ruptured artery in his neck I believe he was kicked in the neck, rather than the head. It sounds like a freak accident and a terrible tragedy. I have studied Tae Kwon Do at three different schools, taught at one and boxed one summer when I was young. Tae Kwon Do is far safer than boxing based on my experiences.
Very sad. Wasn't anyone wearing protective gear? We had to.
What kind of protective gear did you wear around your neck?
The level of courage this boy displayed in going to the wake and going to the mother...m
May the boy, his family and the family of the boy who passed away find comfort.
Well put.
I agree. Nicely said.
Agree.
You're so right. I think the young man handled himself well. I feel very bad for the family that lost their loved one, but I feel almost (if not just) as bad for the young man who accidentally killed his opponent. I can think of few worst feelings than to take a life unintentionally. I hope Mrs. Tan will find it in her heart to forgive the young man-- for her sake and his. Such a sad story.
I really really hate netperbole.
You gotta hand it to that boy for showing up at the wake, with his family, to apologize (face to face, no less) and show respect to the mother and family of his opponent. In this country the kid would be lawyered up and sitting in a dark house somewhere. It's sad Vincent Tan died in this tragic accident, but the "teenager" and his family sound like honorable people.
I could not agree any more...thi
It takes a real man to face up to this - going to the wake, facing the grieving mother, taking the full brunt of her emotions, apologizing, etc.
Kudos to this kid and especially his parents for teaching him this most important life lesson.
It is obviously a horrible shame what happened to his opponent..
But accidents DO happen...i
This is such a sad story... and gives me pause since my granddaughter is also in TaeKwondo and has reached a sparring level. I'm surprised that this incident happened, though, because until they reach the blue and black belt level, the kicks to the head area (even with gear) are not permitted (at least in this country.
This was sparring between a 15 y/o and a 17 y/o. I would imagine they were both at those advanced levels.
When I took taekwondo years ago and sparred, we were always taught to pull our punches and kicks - do not ever make contact with your opponent. During tournaments, you would lose points if contact made and could get DQ'd if too much contact.
Maybe at the level or country these guys were at, is different, but.....
We trained differently. But then, tai kune do is not regular TKD.
Taekwondo? What could go wrong?
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First Posted: 07-12-09 12:36 PM | Updated: 08-12-09 05:12 AM