Feel Korea - Siegeswille

At my first great tournament, I did not get any medal. I could not sleep the whole night before. How can I fight tomorrow? Who might be my combatant? One is trembling enormously and unable to sleep. Every second you are mentally involved. This was my first tournament. Today I remember: winning, half a minute, very long, one year like this and then -- finish. But losing happens in one second of an eyelash. Eyes closed and open again and everything is passed. Looking twice, hearing twice, and talking once. That means: Don`t talk too much, listen and watch. "Tae" means foot, "Kwon" is the fist and "Do" is the mental way. My motto is: Being Number One. This, I learnt from my parents and in my country. You have to be Number One Not only in regard of the medals but also mentally - being in all aspects Number One. . If you did not give all the best of your capabilities and only your combatant did something, I am very proud of you and your gold medal. But did you give everything with all your power? No, you did not -- but nevertheless you won gold. This is not real gold. What can you do? Think about it. Life is long. Just fought against weak people and won gold. Can you be proud? No. But if you really gave your very best and perhaps you just won silver, you can be proud of it. This is the best. This is my first experience I can pass on to young people. People who have training lessons today, will become a real Taekwondo-man or a real Taekwondo-woman one day. To be a Taekwondo-man or a Taekwondo-woman means to be a real human being. How many ears? Two. How many mouths? -- One mouth. This means: looking twice, listening twice but talking just once. But you are talking much too much. You are opening your mouth and a lot of energy will pass away. That is Taekwondo-fight: watching very exactly, listening very exactly and then acting. At that time, I did not travel in a group but alone. Left, right... no Korean. Just foreigners. I looked out of the plane and saw the country, Korea. The plane rose and rose -- and instantly I felt tears in my eyes. This was a sad time. Thinking of Germany, I believe more or less that it is a free country -- a frugal country. After World War II the Germans built up their country so quickly. You can learn something from it.