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Maxime Bujold, Canada
I saw Maxime Bujould first time in the World Championships in Warsaw 2003. There Maxime made an impression in everyone, including the umpires, with his fantastic legs and powerful techniques and he won the 2nd degree patterns. In junior divisions he was already World Champion in patterns and sparring. In Poland, however, I didn’t get to meet him yet, for it took two more years before we got to socialise in the World Champs 2005 in Dortmund. I talked with Maxime after I had made my way to the final in the 2nd degree patterns (Maxime competed in 3rd degrees) and told him I had thought I’d lose against his team mate Philippe Parent (World Champion in 3rd degrees 2007) in second round. Maxime said that the supporters of team Canada had also thought that Philippe would clearly be the winner, but he had told them that I had much stronger techniques and that I’d take it. Hearing things like that from the previous champion in my division truly made me happy. After those championships we’ve had things to discuss every time we meet. This is maybe every second year, but that doesn’t make it any less significant. Maxime is a person who truly is dedicated to training and perfecting his techniques, but he’s also a very outgoing and social guy with enough bad jokes to fascinate us Finns.
Birth date and place: Quebec City, Canada
Nationality: Canadian
Studying/profession: Assistant to the President at the ITF President Office
Grade: 4th degree
Started Taekwon-Do: Winter of 1990
Years in national team: since 2000
Best achievements: World Champion in patterns and sparring and best competitor at Junior World Championships 2002, World Champion in patterns 2nd degree 2003 and sparring –54 kg’s 2007, winner in patterns 4th degree and sparring -54 kg’s and best competitor in 2006 World Cup
Club: Taekwon-Do Quebec
Instructor: Mr. Pierre Lebrun, 5th degree
Other hobbies: Ice hockey, Baseball, video games, cooking.
Website: www.maximebujold.com
You took a spectacular gold medal in sparring -54kg in the last World Championships in your home country. How does it feel now that 5 months have passed since that moment?
It has been a very demanding year, starting with the World cup, then national tryouts and finally the World Championships. I am very happy with the outcome, and I really feel that all my efforts and sacrifices were totally worth it. I enjoyed a very relaxing summer. My head is well rested, but the body is still not ready for more action. At the moment I am working on different free sparring training and competition strategies. It’s mostly theory for now.
-54kg is a very distinct division because most fighters have known each other for quite a while. I’ve had an opportunity to spar Mikko (Allinniemi) and Amit (Batra) in the past, so I had a good idea of what to expect from them. Even though I had a very detailed match plan for almost every competitors in my category, I always tried to stay focused on the basics and not doing too much. I was lucky enough to score first in almost every round, so that gave me momentum and kept my confidence at a high level.
You also reached bronze in patterns 4th degree, being defeated by Jaroslaw Suska in semi-finals. Are you satisfied with the bronze or do you feel you’d have had enough to win the patterns too?
I met Jaroslaw Suska in his hometown of Lubartów 5 years ago, and I have always admired his technical skills, his dedication to training and his ability to keep his cool when the heat is just around the corner. Ever since I first saw him compete in Italy 2001, I have studied his performance and until now I have tried to emulate his style. To be on the center ring with him in my hometown, was a dream of mine. I did a pretty decent job up there, and just knowing that the judges had a hard time picking the winner of that match made my whole day.
What do you enjoy the most in Taekwon-Do?
I really like traveling and competing around the world. Each trip has its particular vibe, and each competition brings new element that I can improve in my game.
What is your weekly training routine like? Do you often train alone?Before this year’s world championships, I mostly trained patterns by myself, approximately one and a half hour, six mornings a week. Also, once a week, I drove to Master Laquerre’s club, 150 km from my city, to get some pointers. He is an amazing technician and umpire. As for sparring, I am very careful because of the risks of injury. For example, I never do real free sparring in my training sessions. I prefer light sparring drills with my partners.
Do you do mostly Taekwon-Do training or also other physical exercise?
I mostly do Taekwon-Do training, but I also like track running. I love the feeling of high-speed races. It’s also good to get some fresh air once in a while during the long Taekwon-Do season.
I have found a great deal of inspiration in watching Jaroslaw Suska from Poland perform his patterns. His attitude and his composure have always fascinated me. On the other hand, my good friend Neil Ernest from Wales has had a massive influence on my sparring. He was very open to share some amazing tactics with me, and he was my coach when I won Junior Worlds in 2002. I can confirm that these two have played a major part in my success in Taekwon-Do.
At some point you told me you’d quit competing after the last WC’s. How do you feel at the moment, will we see Maxime competing in Argentina 2009?
I have yet to study this possibility, but for the moment it is unlikely that I will travel there. Everything is possible though, because I still love the nerve wrecking feelings I get every time I step on the mats. There are too many things that come into play before I can make a decision. Time will tell.
If you are competing what are your goals in competing this season? What about in further future?I have not made any competition plans for this season, nor the following years. My body and my mind (and my wallet) need rest. Also, I will be starting University next fall, and that will be very time consuming. If I am lucky enough to find good sponsorship deals in the next few months, it may help me go back to intense training. I would love to travel to Sweden for Viking Cup next spring. If that happens, it will probably be in a higher weight division, as there are so many incredible lightweights in Europe.
Is it possible to make a living by teaching TKD in Canada? Could you see yourself as a professional Taekwon-Do instructor in future?
It is still very difficult to make a decent living out of Taekwon-Do in my country. Even though some instructors have proven that it is possible, I do not see myself going through with such a project. Eventually, I may consider teaching part time in an existing school or maybe my own club, but only part time. I am really looking forward to a career in Dentistry.
I have been lucky enough to avoid any dangerous situation where Taekwon-Do would have been used as a mean of self-defense. The sport aspect has always been important to me, because I’m a very competitive person. The martial art facet of Taekwon-Do takes longer to discover and understand, but it was totally worth it for me, as it’s philosophy and moral culture has helped me out a great deal in my relationships and such. It is most likely going to stick with me much longer than the sport aspect, as my body gets older much faster than my mind.
You are World Champion in patterns and sparring, in juniors and seniors. You’ve also brought home loads of medals from national and international tournaments. Which achievements have the most meaning to you?
It is hard to pick just one. I was fortunate to stumble upon amazing instructors and coaches from different parts of the world that have helped me a great deal in understanding the logics of the ITF patterns system and sparring strategies. I think what I find the most pride in, is being recognized as a world-class competitor in both patterns and sparring. I have a tremendous amount of admiration for athletes like Julia Cross who are able to get consistent results in more than one event.
It was my first trip in Scandinavia and I absolutely loved the beauty of the landscape and architecture. I have found the girls particularly pretty up there, too. As for the few times I have travelled with master Trân, my role is still mostly performing patterns and sparring exercises. It is still a bit intimidating to perform in front of people who are my seniors, but it simply witnesses of master Trân’s trust in my abilities and understanding of the ITF system.
Since your website is in French, I didn’t understand all about the news of traveling to Russia to fight A. Leonov in martial arts gala. Is this going to happen and what are your thoughts about it?
Unfortunately, my visit in Moscow is not going to happen. I don’t know all the details about that shortcoming, but I understood that there were some issues with the status of the ITF in Russia at that time. It is very unfortunate because the Russian culture has always fascinated me, and I would have loved to fight Alex in front of thousands of his supporters.
I’ve also made a portrait of your World Champs final opponent Luiz Quintas. Any greetings you’d like to send him?
David Kerr told me once that Luiz did not have too much trouble with weight control, so I really hope he stays in that division because next worlds just might be his big day. He has a great size and very fast hands. I wish him the best for the next events.
Finland has really become a major player in the ITF world over the years. The Finnish team members are not only very good competitors but they are also very nice people. I truly enjoyed every minute spent with my friends Ismo, Mikko, Pauliina and the others. I wish to find the time and visit someday.
Thanks a lot, Maxime and all the best!
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