Our coaches’ Spanish adventure – a report from the Erasmus+ exchange in Noia
Our coaches’ Spanish adventure – a report from the Erasmus+ exchange in Noia
On Sunday, June 21, our coaches – Karolina, Magda, Kamila and Emilia – flew to Spain to take part in an Erasmus+ exchange. And in a truly exceptional place! The girls went to Noia, home to ITF Noia Club, run by head coach Antonio Blanco García.
The first week of training
Training started on Monday. The coaches had the opportunity to observe and take part in sessions for three groups – younger, older and advanced. It was a great opportunity to see what taekwon-do looks like in Spain and learn about new training approaches.
An exam for blue ranks
The girls attended an exam for student ranks – blue stripes and blue belts. The exam made a strong impression on them, especially the fighting podium. The warm welcome from head coach Antonio was another very pleasant touch.
The exchange was to last until the following Sunday. Besides training, the girls enjoyed their free time and the Spanish weather – their Spanish adventure was in full swing!
More eventful days
A lot happened, so here is a brief summary.
The Feast of San Juan and Santiago de Compostela
On Wednesday, June 24, Spain celebrated the Feast of San Juan. The girls used the day to take a trip to Santiago de Compostela.
Joint training and saying goodbye to coach Antonio
On Thursday, our coaches led a training session for the group with green and blue belts. There was also an exchange of gifts – club T-shirts. It was the last time the girls saw coach Antonio – early on Friday morning, he left for a kickboxing competition in Madrid. Good luck, coach! 🥊
Exploring the area – the end of the world on the horizon
On Friday, the girls explored the area: Muros, the Ezaro waterfall and the famous Cabo Fisterra, known as the end of the world.
Training at Club Cee Deportes de Contacto
In the evening, they visited Club Cee Deportes de Contacto. Everyone practised formal patterns together for an hour, after which the black and red belts stayed for self-defence and sparring.
Interestingly, the way the training was conducted turned out to be very similar to how we do things at our club – it was great to see the same taekwon-do values in another corner of Europe.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks go to ITF Noia Club and coach Antonio Blanco García for their hospitality, openness and the opportunity to train together. It was a week full of inspiration, new connections and valuable lessons that our coaches will certainly use when working with our groups in Kraków.
We would also like to thank the Erasmus+ programme for making this exchange possible – experiences of this kind show how much taekwon-do connects us, regardless of where we are on the map.
