Universal Taekwondo Federation

Interview with Carmen Caroline Silva by Kamalpreet Kaur Badasha

A round of applause would be the only fitting way to introduce Carmen Caroline Silva: Martial Artist, Olympic medallist and member of the Jaguar Tae Kwon Do Association. Like a true champion it’s not only her skill in the ring but her charisma that makes her an inspiration, as I know from personal experience. The Korean term of Pill Sung (faith in certain victory) is what Carmen embodies.

Carmen Caroline Silva The Olympics

Tae Kwon Do was recognised as an official Olympic sport in 2000. Carmen was part of this moment in history when she represented Brazil in the games in Sydney, Australia. Her journey to those games began eight years earlier in 1992.

Tae Kwon Do is a family endeavour for the Silva family. It was while waiting for her brother to finish class. Carmen decided instead of waiting she would join in, she says: “I went there everyday and was watching. I wanted to join in because I was bored of waiting for my brother to finish class. At the same time two of my friends started Tae Kwon Do and so I started training.”

What kept this future Olympiad training? “My friends started to ‘kick me’. I started training more to get better to beat them and I was enjoying training. When I was a green belt my coach started to put me up against black belts in fights. I started to enjoy competing. And my parents were always supportive and helped me with everything.”

Carmen’s Kyorugi (sparring) career saw her win Gold medals at the: 1996 Pan American Championships in Colorado, USA; and 2000 Pan American Championships in Miami, USA. To qualify for the Olympics she was required to win 5 competitions in Brazil and an international competition, which she successfully completed.

“The 2000 Games in Sydney was an incredible experience in my life. I was the first in the whole of Brazil to go to the Olympics for Tae Kwon Do. I was really looking forward to it,” says Carmen.

Carmen Caroline Silva She adds: “At the same time there was a lot of pressure. I felt confused by it because I was young. Everyone wanted me to win. People had mixed opinions about me.

“I was disappointed in myself for not winning a medal. When I came back to Brazil, The pressure was huge with 10% of people saying that I did well but 90% of people were jealous.”

After the 2000 Olympic games, Carmen says: “I started training more and looking forward to bigger competitions. I was preparing for the next Olympic games.”

Carmen was advised to be an effective competitor in the Olympic games she would have to get her weight down to 49kg from 57kg. In 2004 Carmen completely committed herself to Tae Kwon Do. She had a nutritionist for her diet and a personal trainer. Everything from the food she ate to her daily routine was focused on being a better athlete. Carmen was able to lose 6kg in two months but she lost the 2004 Pan American games in Mexico.

The loss was a significant one for Carmen: “I was much more disappointed this time even more than I was after the Olympics games. I only had two months to loose 6kg. I had never fought at 49kg. This was the first time in my life that I was competing in that weight category. I was so upset after losing that I wanted to stop training.

From Londrina to London

“I said if I lost my place in the qualifying tournament I wanted to go to London and learn to play the guitar.” An ambition that was fulfilled when she moved to London and her husband bought her a guitar.

Carmen’s home town is in the south of Brazil in a city called Londrina which translates as ‘Little London’. Her new hometown was now the bigger London city.

Carmen Caroline Silva She soon found her way back to Tae Kwon Do. It was when she joined Jaguar Tae Kwon Do, she says: “Master John Webster encouraged me, saying: ‘You have to fight’. He entered me into competitions and I started training for them again. Then I thought, ‘Let’s try’.

“Master John is a good teacher and person. He likes to help other people. He loves Tae Kwon Do and you can see that he enjoys teaching techniques.”

On the subject of good teachers, Carmen believes a good teacher should: “Love what they do and always be open to learning new things.”

A teacher can only show you the way, as Carmen points out, to be a good student an effective combination of: “Discipline, time, training and weight” is vital. She goes onto emphasise: “Belief. You have to believe you can do better. You can train but if you don’t believe in yourself there is no point. Belief for me is the most important thing.”

To be a winner Carmen reveals: “When you do things give 110%. Train hard, Monday to Saturday no less than five times a week. If you have to train properly it can’t just be a routine. You have to train with heart. Each move has to be visualised as being part of a fight. When you are kicking a paddle it is a person that you see and not a paddle.”

She adds: “Never be afraid of your opponent but do respect them. You have to feel confident. When you start a fight your kihap should make your opponent move backwards and you should move a little bit forwards. Never move backwards when you fight.”

On the question of flexibility Carmen says: “It is important to stretch everyday. Stretch early on when you are young and through all the different stages and belts of your Tae Kwon Do career.

“You don’t have to be flexible to do high kicks you can use your hips. It is good to be flexible but it is not the most important thing.”

The future

Carmen Caroline Silva Carmen won a Bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships in Japan. What does the future hold for her? “My goal is to win gold at the World Championships and to take my 2nd Dan grading.

“When I was fighting in Brazil I was just fighting. Now I fight for my enjoyment. There is no pressure from other people. In Brazil my family and coach would be watching waiting for me to knock someone out. I want to train forever and keep Tae Kwon Do in my life. I love it.

“Tae Kwon Do for me is a graceful sport with beautiful kicks. There are amazing movies of fights. Everyone thinks it is aggressive. However you have to think and study the fight. As a junior grade you don’t understand the movement and where the kicks are. When you train more you begin to realise things, for example: when to use your front leg to kick. Then strategy comes into the fight.”

On a personal note

Of her role models Carmen says: “When I was younger I really looked at how my friends fought, Marcio Wenceslau and his brother. They both fight in the same category but always take part in different competitions so never come up against each other.

She reveals her favourite technique as: “Twin kick, it is not my best kick. The twin kick is beautiful kick which scores beautiful points. My best kick is the roundhouse.

Her dislikes are waking up in the morning and people who lie and are jealous or envious. While of the things she likes her daughter comes first, followed by sweets and dancing to Brazilian music like Axi and Samba.

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