The man who is championing martial arts in Ethiopia

It’s early August, and a Taekwondo Academy is in full swing at the Adot Multiplex of Addis Ababa’s Bisrate Gabriel neighbourhood. Young enthusiasts, dressed in white, are learning taekwondo, also known as Korean Karate, with their head instructor. The students struggle to follow the instructions: how to deliver quick blows with nearly every part of the body; and blocking both open and closed hand strikes to defend against aggressors. They shout Ya Ya, throwing their arms back and forth. Their instructor Master Abdi Kedir says the dedicated practitioners are learning basic self-defense, self-discipline, striking and ground defense skills. “Taekwondo is about discipline, peace and wisdom. It makes you learn to respect your opponents, makes you positive in life,” says Master Abdi.
Martial arts is an increasingly popular sports in Ethiopia and there are more and more schools opening in Addis Ababa and other major towns. “We currently offer international taekwondo course for 210 students here at Adot. The students apply these skills to school, hobbies, and careers. This isn’t just karate lessons but life lessons. There are many benefits such as increased fitness, flexibility and fun,” he says. Master Abdi also teaches at Juventus Sports Club, located behind Meskel Square, with more than 100 adult students and Akiko Body Wise, a fitness centre located in Sar Bet Adams Pavilion building.
From August 18-21, Master Abdi will be organizing a national seminar for 4,000 trainees coming from different regions of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa’s Youth Academy. “This is a big project and internationals instructors would be coming. We would be teaching coaching or Sabom in Korean language. The aim is to prepare the young for next Olympic participation.”

The founder of the school feels that exposure to the arts can shape a persons’ trajectory. He exemplifies a balanced champion who has incorporated Taekwondo as a personal “way of life”, applying all the values and skills beyond the confines of our sport community. Born in Addis Ababa in 1934, Master Abdi went on to become the first Ethiopian to achieve the highest rank possible, that of 7th dan ju-jitsu and karate master, a prestigious title that was awarded four years. In three months’ time he would take his eights Dan in Vienna. «I have been in this profession for the past 41 years. Over the years I have gone through many ups and down I started when I was five-years old,” Mast Abdi explains. His father, Kedir Mohamed was the first Ethiopian Karate star and cyclist and was instrumental in founding the health club at German school in Addis Ababa. “It was my initial introduction to martial arts.” His dad used to encourage him to practise martial arts and place a huge emphasis on his studies. “But I was more and more into sports, my education suffered as a result,” Abdi recalls. It was a passion that once ignited, would never leave Abdi. He continued to train while attending school, excelling in the arts, mostly by watching movies. By the age of fourteen he was very precise in some of the basics of jujitsu and judo. His abilities saw him teach karate at the African Union for the some of the staff few years later. That’s been 36 years ago. “That is when I was awarded my first black belt in the kempo style of karate. Then I began travelling abroad. I first went to Pyongyang, North Korea,” Training was very hard and there were only about thirty students at any one practice. “I was the only African student at that time. The master constantly encouraged me to carry on.” He had a rigorous training program and he came back with my 1st Dan level. His mentor followed the traditional Korean values within his programs that require and emphasize balance in every facet. Competitive sparring is merely one part of the training.
“I started giving training to some staff members at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). I was about seventeen. There were adults. I taught there for sixteen years. Eight hours every day,” he says.
“Taekwondo has been an integral part of my life. As I continued my journey, I found immediate applications from what I was learning to the entire realm of my other involvements both personal and professional. My commitments in all of these areas both paralleled and enhanced each other”.

Martial arts were largely unknown in the country until after 1980, when a few army members’ of the military regime brought back Korean martial arts to the country. During the mid-1980s, there was a surge of interest in martial arts in Ethiopia, due to the import of several videos and the charismatic actors Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and Vanda ham. But there were no teachers, except one Korean master who was training selected few. However, the officials have, suspicious of the motive for such sport, evicted the Korean master out of the country and subsequently decreed that the exercises related to such sporting were absolutely forbidden. Abdi says during those time he had to practise it discreetly, going out in the outskirts of the city and in his compound.
After the fall of the Derg, martial arts, have made their way to Ethiopia and rules and regulations were introduced to make a sporting competitions. Today, there are martial arts schools all across the country, and martial arts are a multi-billion dollar industry. The promotion of the taekwondo sports has been dependent on the great efforts of individuals such as Master Abdi. Among others, he founded an association called Ethio-United Taekwon-Do Association few years ago. Today, there are three associations, indicating the growing interest for the sport. Master Abdi is Vice president of the All African Taekwondo Association, based in South Africa.
His tireless commitments have not gone unnoticed. Last year, he was awarded the prestigious Golden Award from the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) in a ceremony held at the Bulgarian capital Sofia. “It was pleasure to be recognized at such important event. It is special for me and recognition to the country at large,” Master Abdi said.
Master Abdi comes from a large family. His parents raised eight sons and one daughter. Four of his brothers practise martial arts and teach it actively. His sister is an aerobics instructor here in Addis Ababa.