With six European titles, Joël van der Weide (24) from Best is a great within taekwondo Poomsae. His sister Dewi, who is five years younger, is a great promise. They recently participated as a pair in the European Championships for the first time, with a bronze medal as a result. Dewi: “Joël is strict with me. It may seem to others that he is telling me off, but it is precisely by insisting on small details that I get better.”
Taekwondo Poomsae involves various styles that taekwondoka must demonstrate. During a mock fight with an opponent, a jury pays attention to how movements are executed. Dewi: “The ‘real fight’ is purely about fighting. Our form requires us to perform the movements to perfection. You have to control every muscle in your body.”
One mistake can be fatal. Joel: “I started sparring as a ‘little boy’, until I was too light for the lightest weight class. I switched to style and it’s so much harder. In sparring you can get kicked in the head, but there is a chance to catch up. In style, one mistake loses points and you can’t make up for it. It has happened to me regularly too. You have to be mentally strong and work with those moments.”
“As brother and sister we have a certain chemistry.”
Joël enjoys taking action not only individually, but also together with his sister. “We both reach a high level and our trainer Mieke Tapia thought we fit well together in terms of style. We are not only similar in appearance, but also in movement, technique, strength and appearance. We have a certain chemistry and when you see that you are having success together, you will put in the time.”
In top sport you should not be afraid to correct others. Dewi: “I think that as brother and sister we are extra strict with each other. Joël is harder on me than I am on him. But I think it’s good that he does that, because I want to keep improving. Ultimately, it is also irritating when he keeps harping on points, so I work hard on that,” she says, laughing.
“Once I was the hunter, now I am the prey.”
With six European titles and fifth place at the World Cup five times, you would think that there is not much left for Joël to learn. “I strive for perfection, but it is never perfect. I can always improve and want to become the best in the world. Once I was the hunter with a purpose, now I am the prey hunted by my competitors. Everyone wants to beat me and at some point they will dethrone me.”
In addition to his own top sports career, he is committed to taekwondo with his own company. He provides training, among other things, perhaps to his future successor. “Over the years I have gained a lot of experience at all kinds of tournaments and worked with top coaches. I have also seen how they experience the sport in Korea, for example, and we are still far behind in the Netherlands. I want to contribute to talent development. So that we can continue to compete with the big countries for the top spots in the future.”
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