Sister Linda Sim to show off her taekwondo techniques

The Korea Times 22 July 2011
By Yoon Chul

When people imagine a nun they imagine someone calm, noble and serene.

Sister Linda Sim generally fits that image. Unless the 55-year-old Singaporean nun is practicing taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art and an Olympic sport.

I may be the only kicking nun in Singapore. I consider myself fortunate to be one of the more agile and supple members,” Sim was quoted as saying in an interview with Prime Magazine.

Initially, her parents were not sure about her taekwondo activities, which she began practicing in earnest when she was 17 and signed up for classes at the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in 1971.

“My father didn’t want me to fight and my mother was the chaperone. When I got hit on the head, it was too late and I had to fight. My mother closed her eyes,” she was quoted as saying in the interview.

The brave Singaporean didn’t receive much support from her family to pursue martial arts and gave it up in 1978 as she wanted to become a sister of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood.

Sim will, however, compete in Vladivostok but this time she wont’ have to worry about any possible physical damages because she will be taking part in the WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships from July 29 to 31 in Vladivostok.

Poomsae is a combination of basic actions and movements performed on an imaginary opponent. The athletes demonstrate various offensive and defensive taekwondo skills. Nevertheless, the black-belt nun is expected to show the passion she holds for the martial art.

In 2006, the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF) started offering taekwondo lessons to children with cancer and other life-limiting conditions at the Assisi Hospice Children Day Care Centre and Sim participated as a coach.

The nun said that she was overjoyed at having the privilege of coaching the Assisi Hospice children as well as for the opportunity to learn from the STF coaches.

Through this program, the children led by Sim as manager have even entered competitions including the 1st National Taekwondo Poomsae Competition in 2007 and won six gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.

The STF sponsored five local poomsae referees for the International Referee Seminar which was held in Bangalore, India from 4 to 8 June 2011.

The Singapore Five who were among 119 participants, were

• Tan Kok Heng
• Wong Liang Ming
• Steven Soh Eng Hwee
• Lee Thiam Poh
• Lee Thiam Huat

At the seminar conducted by Mr Kim Kyung Chan, WTF Poomsae Committee Vice-Chairman, they learned the rules and regulations for poomsae competition and the factors that contributed to good refereeing.  In addition to that, they had to perform basic movements and poomsae from Taegeuk Sa-jang to Hansu several times while being taught the finer points of some of the movements.  At the end of each training day, they were tested.

The course would not have been complete without the participants learning how to use the electronic system.  Every participant was given sufficient opportunity to practice.

One day was devoted to the assessment of the participants. They were evaluated on their theoretical knowledge, judging ability and performance competency.

After more than a month and a half of anxiety, the five participants were relieved to learn that they were successful.  With their achievements, the STF now has seven international poomsae referees.  The other two were Lim Teong Chin and Tan Cheng Hui who also attended the course as a refresher.