‘How we became black belts!’
When an international martial arts champion stepped in to take their weekly fitness class, neither Jean Glanville nor Kathy Harry could have guessed what would happen next
Taekwondo expert Tino Cesar was only meant to be putting Jean and Kathy through the same gentle paces they were used to in their village hall fitness class.
But week by week, he’d slide in a few little kicks and punches until the class – made up of women who were either retired or close to retiring – were performing basic Taekwondo moves themselves.
So when their usual class instructor returned from maternity leave, Tino asked if they’d like to keep a separate Taekwondo class going. A keen handful, including Jean (77) and
Kathy (72) agreed to give it a go – even though Jean hated it at first.
“It was so hard as there was such a lot to concentrate on to get the stances and sequences of movement (known as poomsaes) right,” she recalls.
Nevertheless, she persevered and today, seven years on, Jean – like her friend Kathy – is a black belt in the sport. Both are training hard for second Dan status which they hope to achieve in February if lockdown permits.
Did either of them ever think they’d reach such an impressive level?
“I never thought I would ever be black belt standard!” says Jean, a retired systems analyst and gran of five. “Although I think you should keep yourself fit and have exercised since I was 21, I am really not a sporty person.” “Certainly not,” adds Kathy, a retired deputy headteacher who admits that she used to bunk off PE lessons when she was at school herself.
“As a deputy head, I used to have to tell pupils off for doing what I used to do,” she adds. “The only time I played hockey was when I had to as a member of a staff team!”
So taking up a whole new sport – and so successfully – in later life has come as a bit of a shock to them both. And they’re the first to admit that as well as being a lot of fun, it’s had definite mental and physical health benefits.
“It’s good for your mind as well as your body. I do think my memory is better because you have so much to
concentrate on – from the position of your feet to whether your hand or elbow is at the right angle,” says Jean.
Lockdown has made it even harder as they’ve been doing practice sessions on Zoom video call.
Kathy says: “It’s made it twice as hard because we’re looking at a mirror image of our instructor Tino online and trying to copy him. I get muddled over my left and right unless I am really concentrating, but it is very good for co-ordination and my balance has certainly got better.
“The worst thing for me though is learning the Korean words for everything. But it just goes to show that you’re never too old to learn something new. I was 66 when I started this. It’s a lot of fun, you’re learning new things all the time, and the people you meet are very interesting.”
Both women also feel more confident and safer should – heaven forbid – they ever need those skills in the outside world.
“Hopefully now we would do things by reflex. If somebody came up behind me and grabbed my shoulder, I would assume a position ready to fight, although the first principle of Taekwondo is to run. Thank goodness it hasn’t happened yet,” says Jean.
“I think I would just run if it happened – but I would now run fast!” adds Kathy, whose husband Keith (77) attends class with them and is also a black belt. He has even been at the receiving end of Jean’s legendary ‘lethal fist’ when they were partnered in class.
“I get carried away! But we’ve not fallen out or upset each other yet! We’re all friends,” says Jean, whose own husband, Barry (82) is unable to join them due to mobility problems.
It was churchwarden Jean and fellow members of the committee of Grafton Regis Village Hall, near Milton Keynes, who originally introduced fitness classes at the millennium to
‘It’s good for your mind as well as your body. I do think my memory has got better’ Jean
bring in revenue for the church and hall. When they needed a temporary fitness class teacher, she approached Tino, a relative newcomer to the village, to see if he would be interested. The rest is history.
“I like to push myself a bit,” confesses Jean. “My grandchildren are used to me doing odd things. I try not to be a conventional grandmother. When my own children were growing up and we were out walking the dogs on the heath, I’d be climbing trees with them instead of standing back and watching them do it.”
Only time will tell whether the women, who compete for their second dan in February, will attempt levels beyond that which will involve more physical combat between participants.
“I wouldn’t mind throwing others around but I don’t think I would want to be thrown around myself,” laughs Kathy.
Whether they progress further or not, neither of them plans to stop their Tuesday sessions.
“I would still go for the fun,” adds Kathy who likes to point out that they are not elderly.
“We’re only in our 70s!” she says indignantly though she had to chuckle when a new ‘platinum’ category had to be introduced for them when they competed in the British Open Championships just over a year ago.
Tino (46) adds: “They are amazing! They’re such an example for everyone and I am so proud of them. They just keep on going – even through two lockdowns.
“It just proves that when you have an open mind and enjoy what you do, age is never a barrier. I hope I’m like them when I am their age.”