09/03/2024
INTERVIEW WITH GM LINDA LOW
Mrs Linda Low, PhD, a college professor from Australia became the first woman in the world to be promoted to 9th Dan, the highest degree in Taekwon-Do, by the ITF. With this terminal degree comes the prestigious title of Grandmaster.
Grandmaster Low serves as an Executive Board Member of the ITF. She is the Chairperson of the ITF's Women's Committee. In addition to being a certified International Instructor, Class "A" International Umpire and Examiner, she runs the Inspirit Taekwon-Do Academy in Darlington Australia. For her efforts she was awarded the ITF Outstanding Instructor Award in 2014.
The elevation to the highest level was recommended by the ITF Promotion Committee headed by Grandmaster Leong Wai-Meng and approved by the ITF Executive Board.
1. What was your initial motivation to start practicing martial arts and what drew you specifically to Taekwon-Do?
When I came to Australia in 1974, I had travelled extensively across Europe and Asia. After many adventures, I concluded that having some self-defence skills would be a good idea.
I was drawn to the Kung Fu matinee movies at a local cinema and was awestruck by the kicking skills and agility of the actors – Bruce Lee, of course, but also, the women with their supernatural flying, their grace, power and flexibility. There was a TKD club at the university near where I lived, so I tried it out and was hooked. I decided TKD was more practical, suited my Western female body and yoga-trained mind and had the necessary flight and kicking power of my dreams. I never looked back!
2. Were there many female practitioners then?
There were very few women. TKD was in its pioneering days in 1970s Australia and I was usually the only woman in class. There were a few women in other clubs and I got together with one as a training partner occasionally. We were the female faces in demos: we performed self-defence, sparring, board breaking and fast-slow techniques at schools, fetes, and community halls while the guys did the spectacular stuff.
Competitions developed primarily in sparring, and I became ational Champion and was also interested in umpiring. It wasn’t enough for me to remain in the comfortable niche carved out for the women, I wanted to prove myself in all aspects of TKD – I had to be stronger, faster, jump all hurdles so I was doing gym work way before it ever got popular, jogging and weights. I was obsessed with TKD. I wanted to be the true martial arts female!
When a visiting Master came to conduct an Umpire Seminar there I was with the guys. The Master came into the room and raised his eyebrows “Oh, a woman!” I was allowed to do the practical training but had to write to HQ for permission to be the first female umpire before I could do the written test.
3. What have been the biggest obstacles you have had to overcome?
There have been many obstacles along the way and each one seemed big at the time, but looking back, I can also say that they led to some of my highest achievements and realization of an inner strength I did not know I had.
First, a little history: my chief instructor, SP Kim, was South Korean and due to political pressure was forced to leave ITF and join WTF. My husband, also a TKD instructor, and I were not comfortable with the new affiliation. However, Kim asked me to spar in a WTF World Championships. I was hugely excited but realized it was impossible: I had a baby and was working in a remote community with no extended family.
We left Kim and were without any affiliation for a few years. The biggest obstacle at the time was teaching classes as a mother. My husband was very traditional and it was my onus to find sitters or bring baby to class. This remained the pattern for all of my early career, like many women, but the positive side was that my boys became the amazing black belts they are today.
We made several visits to Malaysia where my husband’s father promoted us to 4 th Degree. I was uncomfortable with the promotion knowing that, although the time was correct, I had not proved myself sufficiently, but this was to change.
In 1987, back in the city with a second child, I continued teaching and running self-defence and personal development courses for women. I heard that Master Park Jung Tae was to conduct a seminar in New Zealand, and I thought it a good opportunity to try to re-join our ITF. I phoned Master Park and explained our situation and that I would be a day late having injured my back. I requested to re-take my 4 th Degree in order to prove my ability. I arrived with my 4 year-old in tow – well cared for by my NZ hosts.
Master Park was not friendly at first, he was suspicious of my injury and ability,
I think. I was determined to fulfill every challenge he gave the group, including 100 push-ups. I took the test with every requirement at World Championship standards including all flying kicks and board breaking (NZ boards were the greenest, thickest, dampest pine in those days!) I was so soaked in adrenaline
that I jumped 10 people! Master Park kindly called me out and told the class that this lady has true TKD spirit – a massive challenge became one of the highlights of my life. He did not see my pain each evening – but we were back where we belonged, in our ITF home.
My obstacles have always centered around juggling motherhood, teaching, studies and work. I aimed high in everything I did. I believe it is easier for men, but in overcoming the obstacles we, as women, face, we become stronger, more self-reliant. A marriage break-up resulted in my stepping out of the Australian organization, but then I opened my clubs under a name that had
huge spiritual and self-empowering significance and rejoiced in the new freedom. I was surprised to be welcomed back wholeheartedly by my former colleagues when I finally did return. When I was voted President of our amazing AAITF network it was a huge honor: once again the rewards of the work vastly outweigh any negatives.
I was deeply honoured and also humbled to become an ITF EB Member - the major obstacle here being that my awe of Grand Masters and natural shyness made it difficult to speak up – a situation greatly eased by GM Leong Wai Meng, Judge Annili Basson and the all-supporting friendship of ITF colleagues.
The current obstacle is a deterioration of the body, fractures have left me with reduced strength and flexibility – I am working on it and will keep you posted!
4. Did you ever think that you would become a Taekwon-Do Grand
Master?
No, never. A small seed was planted by Prof Chang Ung when he presented me with my Master Degree in 2008 Congress. He congratulated me on becoming first lady Master and hoped I would enhance the ITF by becoming first lady GM.
It was still a long and uphill climb, with both setbacks and rewards. However, I loved the work and the atmosphere of bringing teams to World Championships, being the female Jury President each year, working to promote the profile of ITF Women, participating in the Executive processes of the ITF. It has been an extremely rewarding adventure and the friendships and support of colleagues from all over the world are a joy and a blessing.
I have to say that there was a stage when I thought I would not get GM. Watching my male colleagues given theirs, while I had to wait longer, I thought, well, the ITF is not ready for a female GM. So I carried on happily doing what I do and the reward finally came in 2017. Tragically, it was the worst of timing. My beautiful John, my second husband, was dying and I could not travel to DPRK, the birthplace of TKD, to receive the pinnacle of my career.
It was sent by post instead. Imagine that!
I thank Prof Ri Yong Son profoundly for his understanding and for fastening the GM pin onto my lapel ceremoniously 1 year later.
5. As Chairperson of the ITF Women’s Committee, what would you say are the Committee’s main goals?
The purpose of the ITF Women’s Committee is, first and foremost, to raise the profile of women in the ITF, to protect the rights and safety of ITF women and to ensure that women are treated fairly and respectfully.
The Committee has worked to improve the representation of women in leadership roles – more women in NGBs, ITF and National Committees, more female competitors and more women in umpire positions. We encourage and celebrate women instructors and the establishment of social networks where
sharing and mutual support can take place.
I was the only female JP at World Championships from 2008 to 2017, now I am happy to say that Master Lee is able to step into this role. There are now more female Centre refs, and more female corner judges and coaches than ever before, and as these women are seen in action there will be more to come. For competitors we have tried to even the play for women, for example the timing
for the female self-defence heroine is now equal to the men’s time.
We look at improving safety gear, devise fitness regimes specifically for female athletes, and promote safety awareness in the community for young girls.
To accomplish some of our goals we organized 2 ITF Women’s Conferences: one in Thailand and one in India. The first focused on Empowerment, Fitness and Training, the second on Self-Defence and Empowerment. Recently, in the light of the social media explosion, our conferences are held via Zoom and our technology savvy friends and members have established a WhatsApp ITF
Women group brainstormed at our meeting in Astana 2023.
Each year we celebrate International Women’s Day with a theme and photo display on ITF website. Last year was Indomitable Spirit, with emphasis on displaying female instructors. This year the theme is Inspire Inclusion.
6. What advice would you give young girls and other female practitioners who want to get involved with Taekwon-Do?
Love what you do and be infectious in your enthusiasm. Be the person who says it can be done rather than the ones who are negative. Gather positive people around you and nurture your relationships with students and friends.
Take time to meditate, breathe deeply and bring your power from your core and heart. Know you are joining a supportive and strong organization that will change your life for the better and give you a moral code that lasts a lifetime.
Look after your health: eat only the cleanest food. Stay fit and strong. Be aware, don’t follow the herd. Be humble but build inner strength, empower yourself with knowledge and skills in multiple fields but know that a lifetime spent in an art such as TKD is worth more than being a Jack of all trades and Master of none. Be dedicated in your Taekwon-Do practice – don’t give up when the going gets tough, this is where you push through your own barriers
and limitations. Success takes years of perseverance. If you fall down, get up – if someone else falls down, help them up. You may not always be the best but you can be the best person you know, and the most Indomitable.
Live your life by the Tenets of TKD laid down by General Choi – they are good, wholesome and simple. As women we are strong, as ITF Women we are Indomitable.
