Akmal Farah is a model of a well-rounded and successful Canadian Taekwondo athlete. Training at Toronto’s Young Choung Taekwondo (as of 2009, Master Instructor at Authentic Taekwondo), he continues to challenge and motivate students through competition across the country.

Combat Canada (CC): First, congratulations on again becoming National Champion! In the feather final you fought Chris Hodgins from Nova Scotia, who had a lot of hometown support (see the full match: Farah vs. Hodgins). Give us a play-by-play of this match.

Farah: Thank you Alex. I had fought Chris Hodgins at the previous Nationals and it was a close fight. Learning from that experience I knew the type of fighter he was so I had to set up some strategies based on our history. As the fight began, I decided to fight him in open stance where he took a direct Roundhouse and gained 1 point. My main plan was to slow him down, but with the crowd on his side constantly cheering it was a tough task. Nevertheless, I also tried several times to exchange but I got kicked in the groin pretty hard. I can’t remember the last time I was kicked that hard but believe me it was painful. Every time I see it on tape it still hurts. And when I tried to exchange with him, again, I was kicked in the groin. From then on, I decided not to exchange too many shots. I had to keep a safe distance and counter when he came in and if he didn’t, I was going to kick first.

As you’ve probably seen, he is putting the pressure and when he attacks I counter and if he takes too long to attack then I attack first. But I kept it very basic and slowed down the rhythm of the match. And it seemed to work.

CC: Sounds like a rough day! Let’s talk about your bout with Ali Ghafour at the World Cup Team Trials (July, Montreal). This had to be the closest match of the year, going point for point into sudden death overtime, then scoring simultaneously with Ali – so close the computer couldn’t decide a winner and scored it 1-1! At that point the decision fell to the referee and four judges, who awarded you the win. Have you found judges to score differently during sudden death? What tips can you give us for getting that deciding point first?

Farah:

Yes Alex, it was a close match. However, at first I was thinking of giving Ali a 5 point lead just to make it fair for him. Then I said to myself, let’s make this interesting for the audience and make it look like Ali actually has a chance. Haha. I’m just kidding here. As your readers may or may not know, Ali and I are very close friends. We are not only from the same club but we are also training partners. So we know each other too well. The way we step, kick and move is all too familiar. I was feeling a lot of anxiety the week leading up to the game knowing I would be fighting Ali in the quarterfinals.

Personally, I don’t care who I fight but to know that I could be the cause of a set back to a dear friend was hard to swallow. Here we are, me and Ali driving to Montreal together, sharing the same car, the same room and soon we will be sharing the same ring and the same judges that will decide our fate. The morning of the fight I could sense the tension and we were slowly drifting apart, even though we normally warm up together. That morning we warmed up hesitantly and wished each other luck and he was on his way to his first fight. I didn’t see his fight but Eric Ahn, (Another of our close friends and team-mates) came to me and said Ali didn’t fight his best. I knew the pressure was weighing on him just as much as it was on me. Then I thought to myself that this is very hypocritical of me. I’m constantly preaching to all my juniors that we should take it one fight at a time and here I am thinking too far ahead (Ali vs. Akmal).

I approached Ali and told him, that we should take it one fight at a time and if/when we should fight then we fight but right now we should just focus on the task at hand. Notwithstanding the fight was very close and it was decided in sudden death. However, I believe that sudden death is 50% luck and 50% strategy because in reality whoever kicks first wins.

Therefore, even if an individual has the right strategy to get the point if the other person kicks you first the game is done. Nonetheless, I think if a fight goes into sudden death, a fighter should know their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses since it is after 6 minutes of fighting time. This is where a strategy is crucial. My advice is to set up a plan going into sudden death and just do it. If it works great, if it doesn’t… well it was your fault for taking the fight into sudden death.

As close as it gets: Ali Ghafour vs. Akmal Farah (World Cup Team Trials, Montreal 2006)

CC: You’ve trained and competed with many awesome players over the years. On the individual level, what have you seen to be the most common challenges to personal development?

Farah: I think time and motivation are key factors in personal development. Anything else would be considered an excuse. We are all living proof that if we put the time and effort into training then we can improve drastically over a short period of time.

However, keeping ourselves motivated to train consistently has also proven difficult. There are many competitors who are motivated but they lack the desire to make that extra effort to achieve what is truly within their reach. Nevertheless, I have found that if you put the time you can make a difference. And if you show motivation people will want to help you get better.

CC: Alright, time for those deep personal questions. Have you ever had a major training or competition setback? How did you overcome it?

Farah: I’ve had many competition set backs. I’ve lost many times and in a lot of the cases I was so disheartened that I didn’t know how I would deal with it. Rather than looking at the lessons learned I was too caught up in winning and losing aspects of the game. I wasn’t enjoying competing and it sure wasn’t fun to lose. For example, in 2005 Nationals I lost in the semifinals but most of my friends made the team. It felt horrible knowing that I wasn’t a part of the crew going to world championships. Similarly, that same year I was not selected to go to Universiade. So in that time frame there wasn’t much to train for.

But fortunately, I am surrounded by many good friends that kept me motivated and reminded me that everything happens for a reason. In essence, we all have set backs but first and most importantly we must remind ourselves of our purpose in Taekwondo. Is it simply for the purpose of winning? If that is the case then we must accept losing as part of winning and remember that we cannot win if we don’t lose. So we must accept our losses as lessons and move forward rather than beat ourselves up. No one has ever retired a flawless career of 100 percent winning average regardless of what sport it might be. But what makes people great is how they come back from a devastating setback.

CC: Next, if you could fight any superhero, who would it be?

Farah: Superhero eh? well, I would like to fight Zinedine Zidane and see if I can counter his head butt. But on a serious note, he truly is a hero to me.

CC: Wow interesting choice. No man is an island; who’s been your greatest inspiration or support through the years?

Farah: There have been so many individuals that have been supportive throughout my ups and downs. But one individual stands out amongst the rest when it comes to inspiration. If a colour belt in Taekwondo could be synonymous to a baby learning to walk then Master Dossantos held my hand and patiently took the little steps with me.

Master Dossantos coaches Akmal during the World Cup Team Trials (Montreal 2006)

CC: What’s been your most rewarding moment or accomplishment in your study of Taekwondo?

Farah: It is hard to pinpoint a moment in my development because I think Taekwondo itself has been rewarding in shaping the individual that I am. Many would think of Taekwondo as just an art of kicking and punching, however, TKD to me is the pursuit of self gratification through graceful movements that accolades inner peace. Everything that happens around us as a result of the art of kicking and punching and how we deal with it defines the person that we are. I know I am a different person because of Taekwondo. Therefore, I cannot point to single moment that has proved rewarding, every moment, every lesson is rewarding in itself.

CC: I believe Canada’s players are some of the world’s best martial artists. Can you share some ideas on how we could strengthen our international competition team? What do you see as our greatest challenge?

Farah: Our biggest challenge right now is that we don’t train for international competition the way we prepare for nationals and provincials. For example, if I’m fighting at nationals in the same division there are 2 or 3 individuals that maybe give me a hard time then I study them and find ways I could beat them.

Unfortunately, we don’t apply that same method to international competition. Let’s say in the middle weight division we have Estrada from Mexico, Karami from Iran, Borot from France. We know that we might fight these individuals at the world championships. So we have to start watching their tapes and study their movements. Learn and realize their strengths and weaknesses. That is one of the ways we can prepare ourselves for international competition by knowing who our competition might be. I think what happens a lot of the times is we win nationals and pray for a good draw at the internationals competition.

J.F. Lebreux vs. Akmal Farah (World Cup Team Trials, Montreal 2006)

CC: When it comes to building a national team, Canada’s low population density is a disadvantage. Uniting our athletes from coast to coast in competition means long flights and considerable expenses. While some people advocate more national tournaments, others feel the expense is better put towards local events (i.e. more provincial tournaments and open events for our American friends). What are your thoughts?

Farah: This is a question I’ve been struggling with for a long time. We as Canadians are very unique in the sense that we do not have a high number of Taekwondo practitioners and at the same time, those who do compete live quite far from each other. So in the provincial and even nationals we end up fighting the same people. This does not allow much room for development.

However, with our current point system in place, it gives athletes an incentive to fight outside Canada and earn, not only points, but also gain valuable experience. As much as we like to complain that we are “poor Taekwondo athletes”, I strongly believe that at the end of day we can save money and put it towards international tournaments. Currently, relying on domestic tournaments is a hopeless cause. I wouldn’t want to travel from Toronto to Saskatchewan to fight some guy that will be of no benefit to me even if I win. But going to recognized tournaments like the U.S. Open and the Dutch Open will help our athletes benefit because many respected international fighters participate at these tournaments.

CC: Finally, what’s your next competition goal?

Farah: To win team trials in BC and medal at the next Pan Am championships in Argentina.

Ivett Gonda is a bright star over the Canadian Taekwondo landscape. Training at Tae Geuk Taekwondo in Port Moody B.C., her international accomplishments include Gold at the 2004 Pan-American Championships (Dominican Republic) and participation in the 2004 Olympic games (Athens). An impressive record for one who’s just turned 20! Most recently, Ivett took Gold at the Senior National Championships (also scoring the female MVP award), and Gold at the World Cup Team Trials (Montreal, July 1).

Combat Canada (CC): In Halifax you took full advantage of the new 7-point spread rule by ending your matches quickly and cleanly. Finishing without a single point recorded against you, your total ring time for all four matches was under 10 minutes — hardly a warm-up by most standards! Would you say that was one of your easiest national tournaments?

Gonda: No, I wouldn’t call any nationals easy because each year you still have to prepare equally as hard. It shouldn’t matter who’s in your division or who you end up fighting. You still have you fight just as hard.

CC: In Halifax these new rules worked in your favour. Looking at the bigger picture, do you think the rules will make the game faster and more exciting as they were intended to do?

Gonda: Yes, I do think that the new rules have made the game much faster and of course more exciting. The game can shift one way or another… you really don’t know so its more exciting and keeps us athletes always aware.

Gonda beats USA's Giganni Lopez 5-2 at Pan Ams 2004 (Dominican Republic)

CC: How have the new rules changed your match strategies? Do you feel they will generally benefit or hinder your style?

Gonda: For strategy the new rules make fighting more simple. First to get a 7 point gap or 12 points first wins. Before, the game used to be single shots but now we are forced to keep kicking and reaching that 7 point gap. I think as a fighter we should all take advantages of the new rules and use them as part of our strategy to benefit us. The only way the rules will hinder us fighters is if we don’t use the rules to the fullest.

CC: Please tell us about some of your goals in Taekwondo.

Gonda: My current goal is to get some medals at the Pan Am games and world championships next year and then make it to Beijing in 2008.

Coach Shin Wook Lim and Ivett dominate at the Pan Ams

CC: Anyone who’s set foot in a dojang knows that tournament success is the result of tremendous training effort. What motivates you on a daily basis? Do you have specific goals that keep you focused?

Gonda: To be honest training gets harder and harder. I think it’s because through the past years of experience in international competitions I learnt what it really takes to get that gold medal. So the only way to motivate me to keep training is to focus on my goals, the steps I need to take to reach them, and the drive to perform well.

CC: How did you become involved with Taekwondo?

Gonda: I first got involved in Taekwondo when I was 8 years old. My dad made me try it because he noticed I watched too much T.V., so he put an end to that real fast. I was just like any other student that tries Taekwondo, I enjoyed it and stuck with it.

Standing with Taekwondo Canada Vice President Master White and President Grandmaster Kee Ha, Ivett is awarded the Female MVP trophy at the 2006 Senior Nationals (Halifax), which will look great beside her gold medal.

CC: Although Taekwondo is becoming more popular with women, some girls may not consider full-contact fighting as their sport of choice. For you, what makes WTF Taekwondo more appealing than other contact sports such as boxing, or even football?

Gonda: I think that because I got started at a young age I’m used to all the hits and bruises, but to me its more of a game and sport rather then full-contact fighting. Plus, WTF Taekwondo does have weight classes for all different weight ranges, so it doesn’t really matter how your body is built, you can always fit in.

CC: Are you currently in school? Tell us what your training schedule is like, and how you manage to juggle both school and taekwondo.

Gonda: Right now this summer I’m finishing up my last grade 12 course and then I’m planning to go to university (SFU) or college to study criminology. I’m training 2 to 3 times a day, 6 days a week, morning afternoon and night, or I go to school in the afternoon. It is very difficult to juggle both school and training, but certain things I had to sacrifice or go at a slower pace to gain in something else.

World Cup Team Trials 2006: The gold medal was nice, but the free DVD player really made the day. (Players provided by Dumoulin.com)

CC: British Columbia is producing some spectacular young competitors. What are you doing guys so well?

Gonda: I’m not doing anything well… I’m just training hard with my teammates and focusing on my goals. I have to admit that I have such a good group of people to train with. Excellent coach, great partners, so I can’t complain.

CC: Is there anyone in particular who’s been a role model or positive force in your development?

Gonda: My coach [Shin Wook Lim] has always been there to help when I was down and we’ve been through a lot the past couple of years, so I’m very grateful to be working with him. Also I’ve always looked up to Dominique Bosshart. I remember watching her in Sydney on T.V. and I guess that was the first time I really thought about my Olympic dream. So it was such a great learning experience to be her team mate in Athens. She’s great!