She Teaches Kids Taekwondo

A role model, even though she is now a grandmother, her career remains an inspiration for today’s generation. Monika Papirovnyik once possessed boundless energy and was characterized by perfectionism, while as an athlete she learned: you must never give up. She was determined and unstoppable; not even her parents could dissuade her from her chosen martial art. That is how she became a living legend of taekwondo, with twenty-three medals from world championships. As a fourth-degree black belt instructor, she now passes on her extraordinary knowledge to kids.

Mónika Papirovnyik is one of the most successful figures in the taekwondo community in Veszprém and Hungary, and her name is recorded in the sport’s history books. This fills her with joy and pride, as it confirms that the years filled with preparation and every minute of dedication were worth it: it paid off. She had once studied ballet for four years, and as a middle school student, she achieved good results in cross-country running, multi-event competitions, and track and field , and she wasn’t half bad as a handball player either—but none of it really held her interest. Shee must have been about ten years old when she caught a glimpse of a demonstration by local taekwondo practitioners at Veszprém Zoo; after that, there was little question since what she saw immediately moved her. Although it was clear from the start that she was talented, her parents tried to dissuade her, saying that such a strenuous recreational activity wasn’t suitable for a little girl. Because of this, she resorted to trickery; for a while, she went to “karate” in secret, and eventually her family came to terms with the fact that she had found her joy. At the training center of the time, Géza Gosztolai taught her the basics, and soon she was knocking on the door of the adult class. Her ballet training helped her make her dreams come true in the gym, where an atmosphere of respect prevailed. She tells me that taekwondo is a martial art style of Korean origin and is considered one of the most popular combat sports in the world. It focuses on dynamic, high, and fast kicks, but its technical repertoire also includes punches and blocks. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it is like raw power meeting artistic precision.

But let’s get back to our protagonist, who, at the age of sixteen, was already competing against grown men and women. She made his debut at a capital city age-group competition, where she was immediately selected as the most technically skilled competitor. No wonder she was invited to join the national team shortly thereafter. Her first victory gave her a huge adrenaline rush. A year later, the national team coach took her to the World Championships in Greece, where she competed in the break category alongside Marianna Engrich and Andrea Rajkai, also from Veszprém. Although the magical trio did not triumph, experts say that together they were like the formidable attacking force of a world-beating soccer team. In the lead-up to major events—for weeks on end—they trained twice a day, before and after their day jobs, but the hard work paid off handsomely. Over the next decade, they won two gold, one silver, and three bronze medals at the World Championships, and at the European Championships, she won five first-place finishes, as well as six second-place and six third-place finishes—in sparring, breaking, and kata. She returned home with a medal from every world championship she competed in.

– she offers a glimpse into her remarkable career.

Monika Papirovnyik bid farewell to the ranks of active competitors with her head held high. She had been thinking about retirement even before that, but during her ups and downs, there was always a new challenge, a new test. But by then, she longed for a child. Then, 33 years ago, she gave birth to Nikol, who made it to the red belt but didn’t want to become an athlete or follow in her mother’s footsteps: she became a civil engineer. She and her husband first lived in Budapest, but the family recently moved to Veszprém—much to the delight of the grandmother. The mother in the black belt recounted: after her daughter was born, she asked Master Somlai, since she had “regained her strength,” she would like to attend training sessions and regain her former shape through them. Thanks to the effect of two daily workouts, he shed twenty pounds in no time, but in the meantime, her coach persuaded him that “in return” she should help the national team at two more events, so that the Veszprém workshop could also earn points. The student also won medals with the team at the European Championships in Slovenia and Italy, but after that there was no turning back: she hung up his gear for good. Since then, she has graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Semmelweis University, and then became a coach at Veszprém Taekwondo SE, meaning she was already teaching young people while she was still actively competing. Over time, the students she mentored joined Master Somlai’s group, as the club operated under a so-called “task-based” system. However, the fact that she could not take credit for the talents of these students did not bother her, as she never wanted to work with adults. Five years ago, she founded Phoenix Taekwondo SE, which is based in our county seat and currently has about thirty kids. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, at Simonyi and Rózsa schools, she introduces beginners and advanced students to this martial art with a history dating back more than two thousand years, which is not merely a combat sport but also, in a sense, the art of harmoniously developing the body and spirit. The style is characterized by a series of dynamic, high, and often spinning or jumping kicks.

She encourages young people to really dive into the sport if they’re truly interested in martial arts, since taekwondo isn’t monotonous—there’s always something new to learn. Her job isn’t easy, however, since as soon as students reach the age of thirteen, they begin to go through puberty— with all the good and bad traits that entails—and most of them focus exclusively on their academic progress as they move forward. It is rare for someone to, for example, get into sportswear next to university. Yet combat sports are a complex system that offers physical and mental development to all age groups. Beyond serving to build character, it also strengthens the spirit.

It would be difficult to list everything that this star among us has gained from the sport. It taught her respect, perseverance, the will to fight, precision, and self-criticism; she learned never to give up, no matter how difficult or hopeless the situation may seem. But it didn’t just make her tough, skilled, and physically strong; it also shaped her into a positive thinker. The sport made her talented, disciplined, and confident all at once.

Author: Ferenc Király