What’s Up? Video: Southwood’s Taekwondo self-defense classes benefit all ages and skills

Grace Hallowell:

What’s up College Station? I’m Grace Hallowell and today I have a few special guests here starting with Lauri Brown, our recreation supervisor from our parks and recreation department. Hi Laurie.

Laurie Brown:

Hi Grace. How are you?

Grace Hallowell:

I’m doing well. And you brought one of your program instructors with us today. I’m very excited.

Laurie Brown:

Yes, I’m very excited, too. And I want to introduce Jose Aponte, who has been working with us at Southwood Community Center. He is our TaeKwonDo and fit self-defense instructor for our classes. We started the classes about six months ago and we’re really excited to be hosting this for the community.

Grace Hallowell:

Yes, they are very fun programs. And Jose, can you tell us what are these programs all about? Give us a summary of what they are, who can participate.

Jose Aponte:

Yes. Well, thank you. Actually, this is for everybody. We are receiving kids from three years. It’s no any specific age because it’s coming people from 60, 65. We have programs for everybody, so kids, adults, seniors. For example, the TaeKwonDo, they start at three years old. They come in with a program to get older, olders in learning. It’s different with the regular kids because the regular kids can understand different movements or different commands. So we have to be really specific with the kids, with the small kids. With adults it is easier because they understand all that you say. But for example, with the fifth self-defense, we are trying with adults 16 and older. With the seniors, too. Seniors is really good. They are really amazing people because when they arrive they don’t think that they can do it. And after some a few months they are doing really good.

Grace Hallowell:

Wow. Yeah, I feel like I would be the same way. I would watch a practice and be like, “There’s no way I could do any of that.” But, I’m sure with time and attending the classes you learn and your body learns with you. So with the fit self-defense, that’s a unique program. What does that involve?

Jose Aponte:

Yes. The fit self-defense is a program mixing the basic self-defense techniques and it is to like fitness. We do many exercise for get stronger, your muscles, your strength, your flexibility. And they learn too how to get a self-defense just in case. It’s training to the mind. I feel like with more confidence because they can do something that normally anybody with the same age cannot.

Grace Hallowell:

Right. And yeah, self-defense is an important skill to learn at any age.

Jose Aponte:

Yes, they are learning, too. Sometimes the self-defense is better when you are with really confidence with yourself. So if you feel that you can do something that you in the past year you can’t and now you can do it, you get more confidence and you can just get forward. And the program is really complete. It’s just get stronger, get faster, and know how to take your self-defense.

Grace Hallowell:

So what days and times are these programs offered?

Jose Aponte:

Okay, well for the TaeKwonDo we are training Monday and Wednesday. We start at 4:00 and we finish 7:40, the last one. And with the fit self-defense the same Monday and Wednesday, but we start at 3:00 to 3:45.

Grace Hallowell:

And then if somebody who is just watching this now and hearing about these programs for the first time, can they join at any time? Do they have to attend every single class or can they attend one or two here and there?

Jose Aponte:

They signing up for the parks and recreation. I don’t have any problem. They come sometimes to us if they can see any class first. And after the first class, they love it and they come in and they get the class.

Grace Hallowell:

So registration is required.

Laurie Brown:

Registration is required and we have multiple different listings. So we have a three different sections of TaeKwonDo to divide them up by age groups. So we’ve got the cute little kinder and pre-kinder class, which is three to five. And that’s from, as we said, again Mondays and Wednesdays. And that’s 4:00 to 4:45. And they’re super cute. We have a six to 11-year-old group and that starts just a few minutes later. So that’s 5:00 to 6:00 PM. So if you’ve got multiple kiddos, then you can bring them all in and just stay for the evening.

Grace Hallowell:

Yeah, come and hang out.

Laurie Brown:

And thew We have the 12-year-old plus class, which is 12-year olds all the way to anyone who would like to participate to adult age. And that’s from 6:15 to 7:15 for TaeKwonDo. And then we have a fit self-defense for 16-year-olds and up, and that’s from 7:20 to 8:05 PM. It’s a whole day those Mondays and Wednesdays. So that’s all Mondays and Wednesdays. So if a whole family wants to stay and hang out at Southwood, they certainly can. And make a night of it for those things. And then we also have included with our senior membership, the senior fit self-defense classes. That way they want to sign up with senior memberships, which are for residents only $27 a year. And for non-residents, that’s $32 a year. They get the whole thing.

Grace Hallowell:

Are the participants required to purchase a uniform or any sort of equipment or is that provided? Or did they just come in regular workout clothes?

Jose Aponte:

For the start, they don’t need to buy any uniform. We recommend to use a uniform because the uniform protects for injury or if you fall or something, the uniform is make for that. And get you the presentation. But it’s not required for the start. We require it, for example, when they going for TPT, a test or a championship because they’re going to get a test and they’re going to receive a new belt or something. They need a uniform for that. But to start is not required.

Grace Hallowell:

So just come dressed in comfy clothes,

Laurie Brown:

Come dressed in comfy clothes and give it a try.

Grace Hallowell:

Where can people find out more information about these programs?

Laurie Brown:

The Parks and Recreation website, so if you take a look at the Southwood Community Center, there’s links to all the programs there. And so we have things like fit self-defense, teen meditation classes, games for all, and way more stuff that’s going on over there at Southwood. So check out the website or just stop into Southwood Community Center. If you just want to take a look into the class and see if it’s for you, absolutely pop by and we would love to talk with you and give you that information.

Grace Hallowell:

Well, thank you both so much for joining me today.

Laurie Brown:

Thank you, Grace.

Grace Hallowell:

You’re welcome.

Jose Aponte:

Thank you.

Grace Hallowell:

And that’s what’s up.

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