The LowDOWN: A Down Syndrome Podcast
The LowDOWN: A Down Syndrome Podcast
Martial Artists: Taekwondo and Down Syndrome
On Season 9, Episode 9 of The LowDOWN: A Down Syndrome Podcast, Darryl and Darius Andaya give us the lowdown on taekwondo for people with Down syndrome.
The LowDOWN: A Down Syndrome Podcast is produced by the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation. Learn more and support the podcast at DSRF.org.
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Speaker 2:Today on the low, down it down in podcast, darl and Darius and Deia gives us a low down on T Quick Dough , four people Down syndrome. Over to you, Hannah , Marla .
Speaker 3:Thanks Danielle. Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Low Down Podcast. My name's Marla, and I'm joined here by my co-host Hannah Mahmud . Hey, Hannah . Hi Marla. How are you? I am good. I'm very excited about this . Today's episode would be a good one. Yes . Very excited. Uh , on today's episode, we'll be talking with a parent who started this really incredible program to help develop and support students with Down Syndrome physically and mentally. So today we're talking with Darius, who's a father of four. We've got Dana , Daron, Darrell, and Darren , and he's an artist in all aspects. We are talking about literature. He wrote a book called I Too Can Be Special Graphic Arts, visual Arts and Performing Arts. He's a dance member of the Acapellas and plays piano and cello as well as martial arts. So that will be our focus today. And Darius has a Master's in business administration and a Bachelor's of Science and computing Science with specialization in computer tech. And he's a sixth degree international instruction from the International TaeKwonDo Federation. That's a big deal for people listening. Yeah. Um , and he is also a certified private pilot. Yeah . Get out town. Okay . He do everything. Yeah. A Renaissance man. And , uh, Darius is joined today by his son, Darrell. Darrell, who we know fairly well. Um , Darrell is a young adult who attends classes here at the DSRF, and Darryl also does a bit of everything. He's big into music and dancing. He has a YouTube channel called The Adventures of Super Darryl, which you can follow and like and subscribe for sure. And Darrell also is a black belt in TaeKwonDo and helps his dad run the TaeKwonDo class. Welcome to both of you. We're happy to have you here on the lowdown.
Speaker 4:Thank you. Good to be here. And , and thank you. You too . Oh
Speaker 3:Yeah , absolutely. Great. So excited. Okay. So Darius and Daryl, we have a tradition before our interview, we like to ask our guests some secret questions and they're questions just so people can get to know you better. So like icebreakers. Are you guys ready? Okay. Okay. What do you think? Darrell? Okay. Darrell, I'm gonna ask you this question first. I heard that you are a big karaoke person. What is your favorite karaoke song?
Speaker 4:Oh , this is my favorite song. These are my best Three boys. Oh ,
Speaker 3:Backstreet My Heart. So, happy <laugh>. Is there any Backstreet Boy song?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean , um, um, this is my favorite. You this ? Yeah . Go everybody.
Speaker 3:Oh, everybody. Yes. That's a good karaoke jam. I bet that goes well with some dance moves . Oh , so good. Darryl. Darius, what about you? Are you a karaoke person as well?
Speaker 5:Oh yeah. The old family is actually, yeah .
Speaker 3:Who is your favorite travel buddy or group? Like when you guys go for traveling, who do you like to go on trips with?
Speaker 4:Uh , uh, uh, we are going to Philippines.
Speaker 3:You're gonna go to the Philippines? That's exciting.
Speaker 5:Usually we all go. Okay . But those , we
Speaker 3:All go, we all , yeah. <laugh> . Especially when you're going that far. Right. When you're going to the Philippines, everyone will take everyone along . Yeah . Are you excited about that trick , Daryl?
Speaker 4:Um, yeah. Yeah . I can wait after long March . It may have .
Speaker 3:Gotcha . Cool. Awesome. I love it. In March. Ooh . All right . Our last question is, what is the best concert or festival that you've ever been to? Darius? Did you wanna try that one? Concert? Yeah.
Speaker 5:I like air supply.
Speaker 3:Oh, plastic Air Supply . Yeah .
Speaker 5:That's High Voices . Yeah . <laugh>
Speaker 3:Me . That's awesome. Uh , and Daryl , what's your favorite concert than you've been to
Speaker 4:Concert ? Um , I think there , all of us , um, me are brother and sister. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . But he's very good. He's dancer . My brother, he's Italian .
Speaker 3:Okay . That is a
Speaker 5:Goodly dancer . Yeah. 'cause we , we did a concert for fundraising, so, so everybody performed on stage.
Speaker 3:Your favorite concert was Your Bone Family Concert. I love that. Yeah . The AYA Group. That's awesome. Very cool. And your brother , you said your brother is a dancer too? Oh , Darren likes to dance.
Speaker 4:He likes to dance. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Are you teaching him some of your Mose because you're a great dancer?
Speaker 4:I need the dancer with Lolo . He's a pleasure . And tell me, I, okay. So it's been around. Gotcha,
Speaker 3:Gotcha.
Speaker 5:Oh ,
Speaker 3:The talent runs deep in this family. That's amazing. Okay. So we're gonna kind of now start digging into our topic about TaeKwonDo. Yeah . Are you guys ready? Okay. Um, Darius, can you tell us a little bit about how you got started in TaeKwonDo? Like where did that passion start? <laugh> ,
Speaker 5:Long time.
Speaker 4:<laugh> .
Speaker 5:Yeah . I started when I was 12. Um, uh, my , my dad brought me to the, to the school. The school is about like two hours drive for Oh . From where we lived . So if when I go training, I would go two hours to school, two hours back, back. Yikes. So every time I go, it's two hours , it's four hours.
Speaker 3:That's a big commitment Right. Off hours beginning.
Speaker 5:So it's old .
Speaker 3:No , it's a day. Yeah .
Speaker 5:So that was , uh, I was 12 so's more than four 40 years now . Yeah .
Speaker 3:That's awesome. And did you start in the Philippines?
Speaker 5:I started, yeah .
Speaker 3:Amazing.
Speaker 5:Uh, the training be over there is like very serious, like old, old school . Yeah. Yahoo. Yeah . Teaching . But , uh, and then , um, so I got up to second degree black belt in the Philippines. Okay. And then when I went to Canada , uh, I stopped for about 10 years. Okay. And then went to Canada. My kids asked me if I could start teaching them . Oh . So I restarted training, and then we started in the backyard, and then some of their classmates came and we, we became a school. Yeah. Just from that. And then the rest is history. The
Speaker 3:Rest is me . So how long have you had the actual school now?
Speaker 5:Uh , from
Speaker 3:She started
Speaker 5:When ? 2008. Okay.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 5:2008 , uh, from Sury, and then we moved to Vancouver . Gotcha .
Speaker 3:I see. And how many students do you have in the
Speaker 5:School? Right now? We have about 70. Wow. That's me . Yeah . Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:And of course we know your wonderful son, Daryl. Um, who we are all lucky to know. Um, Darrel's, as Marla mentioned, is also a TaeKwonDo champion at the world level. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . I remember that . So cool . Yeah . We're so proud of you, Daryl. Um, and you also happened to have Down Syndrome, right? So when did you realize that Darryl could not only participate in TaeKwonDo, but like Excel at a world level?
Speaker 5:Um , when , when he was a lot younger, when while we were teaching classes, he would be in the back doing all the moves. Yeah. Yeah. So he would just mimic everyone what they're doing. Yeah. You , and then after that, around , uh, nine years old, he started training. Okay . And then yeah. He, he would just take it in. Yeah. And , uh, 'cause you know, we have , uh, like three other black belts in the family. Yeah . So we just, we just , we just , uh, help him out every day . It's every day , every night. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . We're helping him on site and he, he takes it in. Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . He , he , he , he doesn't quit. That's, that's the good thing about him. He doesn't quit Pretty help . Every time we, we do a criticism on him, we just take it in and then practice more, which is good.
Speaker 3:I actually remember you guys practicing a long time ago. I think you were waiting for therapy and you guys would practice outside in the front. Um, oh , by the parking lot. I remember that. And Daryl , even at that time, you must have been about 10 maybe. Yeah. Um, you were really serious about it and really committed to it as a pretty young kid, which was just really cool to see. And look where you are now. It's awesome. Darl . Darrell, what do you like about TaeKwonDo?
Speaker 4:Um , this one , is this one at Tado Championship? Um , no . I'm here in New Zealand.
Speaker 3:Oh, you went to a world championship in New Zealand? Yeah . Hmm . That's a big trip. That's a big trip. But that's pretty big on a big level. Right? So do you like TaeKwonDo because you get good exercise or because you feel really focused? Like, what do you feel when you do TaeKwonDo?
Speaker 4:Um, um, I actually , uh, um, I working, if I listen <inaudible> , the , the asking that guy , he said, yeah. Breaking a board in the half ,
Speaker 3:Breaking the board in half. So that's one of the things you like about TaeKwonDo. 'cause you can use your strength and show your amazing strength. You can break a board in half.
Speaker 4:Hate elbow. This real boring , got the woods .
Speaker 3:Got it. Mm-hmm . So you like the physical part of it where you could really use your strength, huh? Right . Yeah. That's awesome. What are some of the other championships you want ? So you went to New Zealand, I know you've won some provincial stuff in bc. Can you tell us about another championship that you, that you have , um, gotten medals in?
Speaker 4:Um, yeah. Only have I , these are like two, two gold medals that have several bronzes . Okay . Um , that I'm using myself. Silver
Speaker 3:And bronze. Okay. Yep .
Speaker 4:Um , yep . I show them and I study number one. That's so cool. Him and me and daddy. He , we fight on the stage. Yeah . Very that mm-hmm
Speaker 3:<affirmative> . So you and your dad did one together, like a demonstration.
Speaker 4:Yeah. He's only , you won . He's the gold medals. He ,
Speaker 3:He's gold medals. I think you are too. It was ,
Speaker 5:Uh , it was actually a part of the, it's , it's part of the competition. Okay. There's one with DO syndrome and Yeah . Not do syndrome, but one with disabilities . Mm-hmm <affirmative> . The other one without, then we , we would do something on stage . Yeah. And , uh, it was really good. He , uh, he actually leveled up the Wow . The standards. I
Speaker 3:Bet you did. Of course you did. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . I know that you guys yearly at the, at the DS R run up , um, family run, you always do a demonstration. And I, every time you're doing a demonstration, all eyes are you guys , I can see little kids just looking like, oh my gosh, I wish I could do that. So those demonstrations are so phenomenal to watch. And I think it gives lots of other people ideas on how cool TaeKwonDo is. Right. Darryl, do you like doing those demonstrations for other people?
Speaker 4:Um , any people is what do you from us Yeah. A recording with it together. Yeah,
Speaker 3:They are . They do record it. That's true. Do you, do you feel nervous about it? Or is it kind of an exciting thing? How do you feel about it?
Speaker 4:Actually , we are exciting that we have , yeah .
Speaker 3:I do have the feeling that you like to be on stage. I do. I've seen you do a lot of dancing, so that doesn't really surprise me. You don't get nervous, you're ready to perform. Yep . Ever . Right ? Mm-hmm <affirmative> . That's , that's a heart of a champion. That's awesome. Mm-hmm . Um, Darius, what is your philosophy around martial arts for, for people with disabilities especially?
Speaker 5:Um, the main thing for me is that they get to try it. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Um , 'cause some, some parents have fears about getting hurt , things like that. Yeah. Uh , I encourage everyone to just give it a try. It's good for them physically. Yeah. And also , um, uh, gives them self-confidence when they, when they achieve something. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . And TaeKwonDo has like, competitions that would allow them to show their , uh, show them what they, what, what they can, yeah . What they can do. So, yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:Yeah . Have you heard from parents , um, after they've had , um, their kids in your classes, any differences that they've seen in their kids at all? Yes. Yeah. Parents have kind of come back and said, you were right. <laugh> . I've heard a lot . Yeah.
Speaker 5:I've got a good, I've got a lot of good reviews.
Speaker 3:Any <laugh> Of course. That's not a surprising at all. Yeah. That's really great. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:And for people who are listening, I mean, part of the reason why we know a little bit about this already is that there's a TaeKwonDo class that runs out of here, out of the clinic space. Um, and it runs every week. And can you guys tell us a little bit about how that got started? How did you get here?
Speaker 5:Uh , we started, I think we got invited to perf , uh, do a one week camp. Oh, yeah. Yeah . We started from there. And then we had some people who were interested. So we didn't decided, okay, let's make this , uh, a regular things mm-hmm <affirmative> . They made it a , a once a week class. Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:We have It is a jet . Yeah . Oh , yeah . Enough space for everybody. Now we're running outta space <laugh> . And for, I'm hoping that there's other TaeKwonDo masters who aren't listening to this. Maybe there are. And so they would want to know, I suppose, what do you change or how do you adapt the class to make sure that everybody's learning , um, to the best of their abilities?
Speaker 5:Yeah . Um , I've been doing this to the, to the, with, with the other schools in our federation that I've been encouraged them to use my, my program. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Um , 'cause right now there's no , uh, formal program for adapted . So, which I , I've developed once mm-hmm <affirmative> . Trying to get them to use it. Yeah. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . So it's standard and it's the same for everyone. And so that when we meet at competition, everybody knows the same, at the same level. Right . Right . So I've been , um, it's mostly about adapting, the , adapting the program to what they can do. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . So we can't do like too many of the , uh, intellectual part of the program. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Can do much of that if there's an intellectual disability. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . If there's physical disability, we can't do too much of the physical mm-hmm <affirmative> . So we have to adapt it so that they can , um, they can show what they can do. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . So if , for example, they're , they're on a , they're on a wheelchair mm-hmm <affirmative> . Then of course the jumping fire , the
Speaker 3:Walking not relevant, but Yeah .
Speaker 5:Yeah . So they, they should do the arm movements.
Speaker 3:Yep . So it sounds like it's pretty customized for every person who joins and who comes. You are really focusing on, I guess, the positives of what they're able to do and really maximizing those things. Um , so when you guys have the class here, you're teaching it together, it looks like. So I'm really curious, Darryl, what do you think your job is in the class? What's your role?
Speaker 4:Uh , uh, this is my job.
Speaker 5:What do you do during class?
Speaker 4:Um , uh, actually , um, I feel my job , uh, I had to learn a bit on that .
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm <affirmative> . And so you're a black belt and lots of the people in the class, I think they're white belts and maybe some yellow belts in the class. And so you're teaching them some of the skills Right. With your dad. And so are you focused on arm movements or leg movements or like a sequence putting things together?
Speaker 4:Um , yeah. That it is helping me , uh, uh, a syndrome student . Um , it is helping for them. He , daddy tell me mm-hmm . Yeah . My mm-hmm . Stretch up down my leg. Yeah . Um , I mean , sir , he's very good for and is value from us. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Learning from you, right? Yeah. I was just , yeah . I got , Aaron's been on this podcast, so I'm sure you would love a shout out . <laugh> . Um, sorry , I was just gonna ask Daryl , like, it must feel really good when you have, 'cause you have some students that are younger than you in the class, so they're looking up to you and learning from you. So you're like a role model that , that must feel really good for you.
Speaker 4:Yeah. They feel , uh, anyway , way .
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, totally. Of course . Mm-hmm <affirmative> . I have seen when you guys are teaching the class, it's really helpful when you can demonstrate things for the students. And I've seen that you show them really carefully a lot of the moves. And it's often both of you together so that they understand what they're supposed to be doing. Do you like doing that part?
Speaker 4:Um , do is a part of ,
Speaker 3:It's part of it there . Yeah. Sure is. There's also setting up the room, which you're also very helpful about. Yeah. Is they put down mats for safety and very heavy and very big mats. Yeah . Yeah. It's a lot of work. Yep . Yeah . Done for sure. Yeah. And one event that we wanted to talk about here was the championships that were held in Vernon last year. So you guys led several students to participate in the TaeKwonDo championships in Vernon. And the level of excitement around here was huge. Uh, what was that like to take so many students to that event?
Speaker 5:That was ver that was very exciting. 'cause that was the first time on a national event Yeah. That we had our students go in and, and , uh, the masters, the grandmas were there. They were able to see them perform mm-hmm <affirmative> . And it was very inspiring. I I , I had a lot of , uh, parents come to us and tell us that was really, really exciting. And that was inspiring. 'cause they didn't know that. Mm-hmm . Uh , people with those disabilities can do it. Mm-hmm . Hmm . Yeah. It , it was, it , it was very good. And we are actually talking about having , uh, adapted , commun , uh, adapted committee now. Oh ,
Speaker 3:Oh , okay.
Speaker 5:Yes . So we can further develop it , uh, uh, in Canada. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Just in B Seal . That's a great long-term goal. Yeah . Yeah . <laugh> ,
Speaker 3:Do you have any other long-term goals? For what, sorry? <laugh> , Marlon. I , we have the same at the same time . Yeah . <laugh> , we share a brain, but Yeah. Do you , what is like your big dream for this program?
Speaker 5:I , I wanted to go like internationally . Yeah . There's already an international committee, but so far it hasn't gone to Canada yet. Mm-hmm . They're mainly focusing on the European, European area , so mm-hmm <affirmative> . So we want to get in there. So maybe one of our, our , uh, people can, can go there and compete again. Intern great . Because the one we competed on for Darl is not actually part of our, of our group, of our federation. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . But they let him go there because there's nothing else Right. For him. So he, he was able to go there and, and compete without , uh, with , with approval of the federation. Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:Yeah . Well, that's, I mean, I'm glad that they accepted Darryl, but it would be great for other students too, who would love to do that. Um , do you have any advice for parents who are thinking about maybe doing martial arts, but are nervous or haven't , don't have any experience, never did it themselves. What should they do? What should they look for? Um, to find a program?
Speaker 5:Um, uh, they'll , they'll , uh, the first thing they have to do is find an , an instructor who has, yeah . You know, they have empathy on the mm-hmm <affirmative> . On the students . So someone who would understand what the students going through. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . In that way. When they teach them the , the techniques or whatever that is Yeah. They will, they, they would understand mm-hmm <affirmative> . Um, uh, of course patience. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Patience is a big factor. You , you just , you have to let them go through it on their own time, on , on their own pace. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Right. You can't force them. Okay. Three months you have to do this .
Speaker 3:Yeah .
Speaker 5:There's no time limit. Have to let them go. Mm-hmm
Speaker 3:<affirmative> . If people listening, we have a lot of listeners in and around BC if they wanted to connect with you. You have, you have a website and you run a school. Yeah . What would be the best way to find out more about your school?
Speaker 5:Um , my website is dsa taekwondo.com mm-hmm <affirmative> . But of course they can always contact the SRF.
Speaker 3:Totally. Yep . And we'll put a link, we'll put a link on the episode page so that people can find you. Um, did you have anything else that you wanted to share about your experiences together and doing the father son team for teaching TaeKwonDo? Has there been any big lessons for you as the father of this duo? Yeah .
Speaker 5:The main , the main thing for me is to let him, 'cause sometimes I wanna take over everything. I wanna teach everything. For me, it's to remind myself that he's there, that he's willing to help, that he's , uh, um, if I assign him to do something, he will do it. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . So , uh, it's just for me to remind myself that, oh, get Darryl to do this. <laugh> .
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Darrel, is there anything else that you wanted to share? What would you say to kids who wanna do TaeKwonDo?
Speaker 4:Uh , uh, else ? You , she , this kid, he's a little dragon. Um , it tell me to know Don have it. How to like , teach to about ,
Speaker 5:Start with the little dragon. She mean the small kids . Right.
Speaker 4:A small kid . Yeah .
Speaker 3:Yeah . And teach them the patterns, is what I heard. Yep . So do you think, Daryl, that kids should start TaeKwonDo when they're little also so they can really learn Start young?
Speaker 4:Yeah. They , it just kid. He , he's very good like little girl. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I like it.
Speaker 5:Start early. He's remembering one of, he's remembering one of our little, little students there .
Speaker 3:But it's good though. It's good to start early. Right. Lots to learn. Mm-hmm <affirmative> . You can't get to your level overnight. Gotta work really hard.
Speaker 5:He's actually the , uh, the early second degree black belt in Canada. That's why it's hard for him to compete here. Totally. So that's why we gotta get him to the worlds. And I'm
Speaker 3:Gonna get you to Europe. Europe . We gonna get you over across the pond. Is it still part of your, every day , now that you're a second degree black belt, are you practicing and working every day still?
Speaker 4:Mm-hmm <affirmative> . Yeah. Yeah . I have black belt . Um , I have second black belt . Uh , hard , the hard try . Uh , this , the , my body , um, uh, <inaudible> , uh, the very hard to do . Mm-hmm
Speaker 3:<affirmative> . Absolutely. There's not very many people.
Speaker 5:Second pattern. Yeah . He has three patterns. He has to learn. Okay . Every time he gets a new degrees mm-hmm <affirmative> . Okay. He's on his second. Mm-hmm <affirmative> .
Speaker 3:It's difficult. And those patterns of the sequences are long. Right. It's a lot to remember. Mm-hmm . Great.
Speaker 4:Yeah . Awesome.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you you guys for taking the time to talk to us today. We really, really appreciate it. I think a lot of people, whether they're in Canada, BC or you know, people from around the world listen to this podcast. So I hope somebody else , maybe I, KO to TaeKwonDo master might be listening, be like, Hey, Daryl, you know, start a new program. Maybe invite you over to a championship. Yeah. But I think it's really important for people to know, because I know as Marla and I, and a lot of our colleagues here, we see some of our students that see us in TaeKwonDo and we see such a massive change. Yeah . So many new skills developed. They're able to show us so many other things and they carry over in their environment, in other places. So, mm-hmm <affirmative> . It's doing such great work. So thank you so much for, for doing that and for adapting it and for including everybody and for being such a great role model. Darryl. Pretty awesome. Thank you. For agree to , to our podcast today. I appreciate it, <laugh>.
Speaker 4:Thank you. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3:You're welcome. Thanks for coming.