An experience like no other as Whitecourt Taekwondo contingent trains in Thailand

Members of Whitecourt Taekwondo experienced the trip of a lifetime to cap off 2022 and begin 2023. On December 26, a large group flew from Vancouver to Thailand, where they stayed until January 8. Master Jim Rennie has been bringing groups of taekwondo athletes from the community, and across North America, to Asia for decades.

This trip was several years in the making, thanks to restrictions. “This was our club’s 20th visit to Asia. It’s such a great opportunity for us. There are a few neat things that can happen, and one is that we get some really good rates so that it’s affordable for families to travel. The other part is that we have some excellent connections that we’ve made from our travels over the years.”

Rennie said one of those relationships was a key factor in visiting Koh Samui. “Koh means island, and it’s pretty much on the other side of the planet as Whitecourt. It has a gym on it which offers both taekwondo and Thai boxing,” he explained. “The gym is owned by a guy who was a German national champion. He was an instructor on contract in South Korea, where he met and married a Thai woman. He ended up going to Thailand with her and starting this gym,” said Rennie. The owner just so happens to be best friends with one of Rennie’s best friends.

“We met at a conference five years ago and discussed this opportunity to travel to Koh Samui. It took us a few years, but we did it.” Rennie said that the network of relationships throughout the taekwondo world is one of the most amazing things about the sport. “You meet people from all over the world, and you have chances to go places. I don’t know if I will be able to accomplish going to all the places where I am friends with people, but I’m sure going to try.”

While in Thailand, Rennie said the group had experiences they won’t soon forget. “Some of our travellers had beachfront rooms, where you open your window, and there’s nothing but sand and then the ocean. Other guests of ours had a swimming pool right beside them that overlooked the ocean.”

Various tours took place, with some seeing temples and waterfalls or visiting an elephant sanctuary, where rescued elephants get to retire and be looked after. On the group’s first night in Thailand, Rennie said he bought something exotic to kick off the experience. “I bought deep-fried scorpions for everyone, and everybody had at least one bite. That was impressive.”

Every person on the trip was either a black belt or was part of a family group where at least one member had a black belt. “The consistent part of each day was that we started with training in taekwondo and Thai boxing. What was super impressive is that the entire team went and trained, even those who weren’t in taekwondo,” said Rennie.

The group’s youngest member was a ten-year-old black belt, with Rennie being the oldest. “We had all kinds in between. We had a mother/daughter team, a family of five, a mother/son team and a few individuals that came by themselves. It was a neat mixture of people, and I guarantee that they brought something back they will be teaching or adding to what they help teach in their own clubs.”

Rennie said everyone in the group was a great ambassador of the sport and Canada. “It was so fun to watch all these people be the right kind of tourists. We have high expectations of the people in our club and how people should behave. Our group did it fantastically.”

As a coach, seeing people experience the joy of learning about a new culture or seeing a part of the world they’ve never seen before is exciting. “Most of the people on the trip hadn’t been outside North America, and for them to see and respect another culture was so impressive. They had the best manners, and everybody looked after each other. There were new friendships made that will last for lifetimes, with some people not having met before going on this trip.”

Rennie said bringing opportunities like the Thailand trip forward is fantastic, especially because it’s within reach for everyone. “Many people might think that a trip like this is only for rich people, and that’s not the case. We do a lot of fundraising in taekwondo.” He explained that volunteering opportunities often pop up, allowing members to use accumulated funds for things just like the trip. “One of our team members booked all of their hotels, training, and tours through their fundraising account. So, it’s not out of anyone’s reach if they want it.”

On July 23, Rennie is taking a team of just over 50 people to South Korea, with 30-40 percent from the community. “In that group, some of them are children that have only been in taekwondo for just over a year, and some of them are parents that aren’t in taekwondo at all, but they will all have an incredible time.” Years of travelling and making connections allow Whitecourt Taekwondo members like Rennie to create something others wouldn’t easily do independently.

“We will get a chance to go to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. There is not another of those in the world. The teams I’ve taken before stand there and can look out and see North Koreans looking at you with machine guns. They are there to patrol and make sure no one crosses into their side.”

Rennie said they have another highly secretive trip coming up just after Christmas. “It will again be extremely unique and extremely easy for anyone to go to. No one has ever done anything like what we will do next time.” Those interested in joining the global experience and making friends for life have no further to look than Whitecourt Taekwondo.