Karima Houssa, II degree, Germany

What’s your story about starting Taekwon-Do? Have you tried other sports or martial arts?One day my older brother came home with his friend, telling about a Taekwon-Do club close to our place and how great it would be to start training there. Of course I wanted to do what he does. But he didn’t want me there and said: if you go I won’t! And that’s how things started. He left and I stayed

What is your weekly training routine like? Do you often train alone?
Well it differs of course depending whether I prepare for a competition or not. Basically it’s at least three times a week TKD with Master Lan. But I also attend boxing classes 2-3 times a week, 1-2 times a week kickboxing and do additional strength training at the gym (which I really often try to skip…). But of course there are some technique training that need to be done for patterns and some extra work for special techniques. I like to do some running on the sports field next to my place, more in summer than in winter…

Do you do mostly Taekwon-Do training or also other physical exercise?
I seldom do something additional. I train the techniques in TKD and the things we learn in boxing and kickboxing. I am not really a gym or strength exercise type. If it happens that during some sports we train certain physical aspects, good for me.

Master Lan is very important to me. Not only because he’s my trainer and coach, but also because of his personality, loyalty and his golden heart.

What are your goals in competing this season? What about in further future?
Hmm, I actually don’t set any goals. First of all I have to make it into the German team for next year again and therefore need to do well in the upcoming German Championships. We have a lot of really good juniors and, us seniors, need to defend our positions. But I would like to get a gold medal for Individual special techniques at some point. That’s something I owe to national team coach Andrew Niven, 5th degree, who has supported me ever since he joined the team and coaches me in special techniques J

I don’t see myself as a teacher of Taekwon-Do because I already have other plans for my future life. But when I stop my active career I would like to help the federation with some work and of course keep on umpiring when needed. I can’t imagine a life without TKD.

You are a member of Budokan Taekwon-Do club. Many competitors of your club have also made it to the national team. Tell about the trainings, other club activities and people of Budokan. What makes the club so successful?
The key to my club’s success… I would say Master Lan, a determinate and solid character. Budokan offers you everything needed to become a champion. But even the best foundation is nothing if the people are not willing or able to take it. Lan encourages us to support each other and that’s what we of course do. The level in our club is high but instead of trying to prove visitors how good we are, we try to help each other a lot. Even during the training one can ask others for help, equipment or what ever is needed. We agree independent from Lan on extra sessions and motivate each other all the time. We are friends and also meet in private life.

You have a special relation to Finland, tell a little about this. It would be nice if you could share two stories with the readers: a pleasant and an unpleasant one.
At the moment I’m visiting Finland for the fourth time. The first time I was in Tampere for the European Championships and I don’t remember much except thinking the city is way too big for the few people we met on the streets. But when I returned to Finland for leisure, I started to learn more about the country and its people. What really made an impression on me was Finland’s beautiful nature. Especially for a city girl like me Finland was a whole new experience both in summer and winter. The perfect place to cool down and experience how silence feels like… you should try it yourself

She must have told the girls, because in the dressing room I all of a sudden heard English speaking voices asking me if I’d come tomorrow as well. I replied: “well maybe not…” but they insisted me on coming again because it was so great to have me there. You can guess how shocked I was, because the feeling I had was the complete opposite.

You have two sisters that are training in Chon-Ji Kwan in Bochum. They are red belts and have also participated competitions. Do you see them as your followers in the national team? Maybe you’re their idol?
I think I am the biggest burden for them in the sense that they are often left under my shadow. Both love the training but we don’t train on the same level. Nowadays they are not even that much into competing. Of course people compare them with me and I tend to think that this puts enough pressure on them to make them hesitate at times. I am their idol for certain reasons but that is a natural big sister thing between us.

The patterns gold medal (European Championships 2006 at Romania) is also something I like to remember, especially coz it was a complete surprise for me and the first time I represented my country in individual patterns in an international competition.

What is the state of your eye at the moment, can you train sparring at all?
Well, the doctor discovered that I actually had an injury in my both eyes and nowadays I can’t take contact to my head at all. It might lead to either retina being torn again and in that case I might lose my vision completely. But I still enjoy sparring exercises a lot. Nowadays I have an artificial lens in my left eye and I wear a contact lens in my right eye. I must admit that I enjoy the life without glasses

You had a small “accident” in the European Championships final mentioned above. What happened and what was going on in your mind for the rest of the performance?
Well, this is funny… All right, the optional pattern was done and I was confident about my performance so far. Then pattern Ge Baek was chosen as the designated patter, one of my favourite ones by the way, and I thought: ok if you don’t mess up big time this should be yours. After a few techniques in the beginning I managed to slash my glasses down from my face. They dropped right in front of my feet. But for some reason I didn’t even hesitate for a second. My only thought was: goddamn it!! If I now lose because I dropped my glasses, I will hate myself for the rest of my life. Lan was at my ring and shouted. “Doesn’t matter, keep going now, don’t think of the glasses.” Fortunately this pattern is one of those I know by heart so I kept going. When the pattern was over I put the glasses back on my nose, looked at the umpires and saw them grinning. That’s when I knew it can’t be too bad. I was soooo relieved I didn’t give up after all.  This incident won’t happen again, thanks to the contacts I’m wearing nowadays :-)