Taekwondo in Singapore

Taekwondo has been a national sport in Singapore for decades. With a strong fraternity and robust governance from the Singapore Taekwondo Federation, it is one of the more enduring national sports in Singapore with tens of thousands, locals and foreigners alike, who have experienced Taekwondo here for the first time.

Taekwondo as a National Sports

We all know that Singapore is a country of realists. So naturally, the establishment of an official National Sports Association in the form of the SIngapore Taekwondo Federation, would have specific national agendas. This is also linked to the fact that Taekwondo was made an official Olympic Sport in 2000 and in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 (wiki). As such, the goal is to create a pipeline of potential national athletes to represent the country in the years to come. Naturally, this also means that the brand of Taekwondo that we practice would have to be the Olympic version, which is World Taekwondo. We may have heard about how there is also an International Taekwondo Federation which is closer to the original form, but that’s a story for another day. If you want to know more about the difference between ITF and WT, here’s a good article to reference for a full breakdown. Taekwondo in Trifecta is of the WT flavour because we are affiliated with STF and therefore in accordance to Olympic specifications in terms of our Taekwondo syllabus.

The Path to having National Athletes

It’s not been easy, but we have been successfully grooming some young athletes to represent Singapore successfully in Taekwondo. Names like Ng Ming Wei and Chelsea Sim may sound familiar, but I think it’s really the story behind their success that should be highlighted. Every story of success is a tale of sweat and tears, with oodles of hard work, perseverance and sheer grit.

Conclusion

We still have a long way to go in terms of establishing Taekwondo as a national sport with a pipeline of athletes. It will likely continue to be a work in progress, given the small size of our population. But perhaps, with a little bit of luck and lots of national-level support, we will continue to excel in Taekwondo on a regional and global level.

Trifecta Martial Arts is a family-oriented martial arts school offering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo and Krav Maga. Our focus on quality instruction and good student-teacher ratios make Trifecta unique in providing a safe learning environment for kids and adults alike in pursuing a path in martial arts that is enriching and fulfilling.