“Remember, martial arts is not about fighting; it’s about building character.” These were the words expressed by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Director of Unarmed Combat Academy Grand-Master Captain (Capt.) Tevita Korovou as he spoke during the graduation of the 1/17 Hapikdo Graduation at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua on the 24th of November 2017.
Speaking in front of the Black Belt graduates Capt. Korovou emphasized the importance of maintaining and upholding what they have been taught with after the vigorous nine months training.
“Remember this is a service profession it is your responsibility to protect and serve. Never allow a victim to be victimized a second time due to poor practices. You are the next generation of urban warriors. You must always be inquisitive, suspicious and thorough, if not; you are not fit for duty.”
“The purpose of instituting these, mixed martial art amongst our comrades is to train an individual’s mind and body. Martial art focuses not only on physical combat but also the development of certain psychological characteristics such as clear decision-making, confidence and control,” Capt Korovou stated.
However, Capt Korovou also urged the graduates not to lose focus on their practices as it would take more to be an expert in that art.
“Attaining the black Belt is just a step forward, you will need to undertake numerous and vigorous practices to become the perfectionist in this field of martial arts. We have happily taken advantage of this occasion as the excellent opportunity to disseminate the experience and lesson learnt during the course of training.” Capt Korovou concluded.
Present at the graduation ceremony was the President & Founder of International Mulimpia -World Martial Arts –Committee Me Jeong Ho Kim and the Commander of the RFMF Rear-Admiral Naupoto.
