Hunter Wilson: Te Aroha’s very own ninja
Waikato’s own Tae Kwon Do (TKD) expert, Hunter Wilson, has gone from strength to strength honing the skills to become a master but it is the community that inspires him most.
“My passion lies in teaching and understanding the body and the mind,” Wilson says.
“How it works, how to use it, and how to manipulate it. How to get higher with your jumps or understanding about what your opponents are going to do when you block or attack them.”
Wilson began his TKD journey at the age of 6, attending classes weekly with his dad, Craig Wilson. The duo found a mutual love for the guidance, skills, and family environment that TKD offers.
Making his way up the ladder at a steady pace, Wilson was a Junior black belt by the age of 11. At 13, he became a full Black belt.
The passion Wilson pours into TKD does not go unnoticed. At 16 years old, he gained his 1st-degree black belt and his ‘instructors’ in the same grading, allowing him to teach others. Traditionally, you need to get your 1st-degree black belt, before you can receive your instructors. Wilson was the first person to gain both titles within the same grading. “I’m proud of achieving that” he said.
His hard work did not stop there, grading to his 2nd-degree black belt when he was just 18. Wilson hopes to grade-up to a 3rd-degree black belt by the end of 2024.
Wilson spends his Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the St Joesph’s Hall, teaching students who are part of Te Aroha Tae Kwon Do. His teaching style is considered adaptive and thorough, with not one way that fits all students.
Repetition and discipline are typical martial arts training techniques that Wilson utilises. Along with learning his students’ interests and bringing that into the lesson, to make it relatable and fun for them.
He spoke passionately about the first of many steps to understanding the mind and body. “You need to understand what you are doing with the move,” he said.
“If you don’t understand what you are blocking, or how the person is coming at you when you kick, you won’t get it right.”
Once you know what the move is protecting you against, you get more of an idea if you are performing the move correctly.
“The least effective way to teach someone is doing something for hours straight,” Hunter says, “especially kids and teenagers. They get bored and their attention goes elsewhere.”
With over 13 years’ experience training with martial artists of all expertise, Wilson is a force to be reckoned with.
