Néstor Galarraga - The Power of the Warrior

© from the texts: Néstor Galarraga, 2020

© from this edition: Publishing House Tequisté, 2021

Original title: El poder del guerrero, ©2020 Tequisté

Translation: María Cecilia París

Editorial coordination: M. Fernanda Karageorgiu

Graphic design and editing: Alejandro Arrojo

Photography: Miguel Ángel Martínez

1st edition: September of 2021

Publishing production: Tequisté

hola@tequiste.com

www.tequiste.com

ISBN: 978-987-4935-81-6

The deposit established by Legislative Law 11.723 has been made.

It is not allowed the total or partial copying of this work, its digitalization, distribution or transmission of any kind, either electronically, mechanically, digitally, by photocopy or any other means, without the prior permission in writing of its author or holder of copyrights.

BOOK OF ARGENTINE EDITION

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Galarraga, Néstor

The power of the warrior / Néstor Galarraga. - 1a ed. - Pilar : Tequisté. TXT, 2021.

Libro digital, EPUB

Archivo Digital: descarga y online

Traducción de: María Cecilia París.

ISBN 978-987-4935-81-6

1. Artes Marciales. 2. Deportes. 3. Superación Personal. I. París, María Cecilia, trad. II. Título.

CDD 796.8092

With love, to Dani,

the leading lady in all my movies…

Néstor Francisco Galarraga was born in Monte Grande, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 25 of 1958. Black belt, 9th Dan of the International Taekwon-Do Federation. He is one of the most distinguished taekwondoin because of his professionalism and work ethics. The Taekwon-Do Argentine Association, the entity that he leads since it was created in 1983, is one of the most important of its kind in the Argentine Republic. Hundreds of graduated instructors, thousands of Taekwon-Do students throughout the country and the constant international sporting accomplishments of its members guarantee the level of education provided. Grand Master Galarraga´s work in different areas of Taekwon-Do transcends permanently the international field and it is recognized for its integrity and originality.

He has worked on the development of learning methods, training, examinations, regulations and methodology of the sports area and he has made contributions to the technical and cultural area and to the integral development of the discipline.

He has written thousands of articles for specialized magazines of the martial medium and many books; he has participated in documentaries and TV programs, some of which he has directed; all of which is connected with International Taekwon-Do Federation.

He has been a leading participant in the most important decisions of Taekwon-Do of the last 35 years: by the end of the 70´s, as a competitor; during the 80´s, as competitor, trainer and leader of the Federation of Taekwondo of the Argentine Republic (FETRA); during the 90´s, together with the founder of Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong Hi, as leader of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF); and, as of 2001, together with Master Choi Jung Hwa (son of the founder of Taekwon-Do), in the General Direction of the International Federation.

Grand Master Galarraga travels constantly throughout the Argentine Republic and around the world delivering courses, training seminars and directing championships of the ITF; he works tirelessly in support of the growth and development of Taekwon-Do for the ITF, globally. He serves as Director of Tournaments and Director of the Referee and Judges Committee of the International Federation since 1997, a time when Taekwon-Do of that entity was only one in the world. He restructured, between 1997 and 2000, together with General Choi Hong Hi and prestigious masters such as Wim Boss, the regulations with which ITF Taekwon-Do currently competes.

His passion for discipline allowed him to achieve 100 times over the dreams he had as a child. In his own words: «I have practiced and taught martial arts for over 40 years. I have delivered Taekwon-Do training seminars all around the world, including both Koreas, North and South, country where martial arts stemmed from. I have devoted myself exclusively to this discipline. Taekwon-Do has been a lifestyle with which I learnt to fight against adversity, a way of living, of being and conducting myself in this world; it has allowed me to have a full life with many satisfactions. I achieved 100 times over the dreams I had as a child. Life has been generous to me and a true box of surprises. I do not belong to the group of people who dreamt and made those dreams come true, since I have achieved more than I have dared to dream. In truth, I could say we are even: Taekwon-Do gave me everything and I gave it everything as well».

His passion for this art made him one of the main representatives and fervent keepers of the ITF style. He is currently living in Monte Grande, his hometown; he teaches Taekwon-Do and writes his experiences and thoughts about the practice, the teachings and the investigation of ITF Taekwon-Do, being a useful tool for human beings to develop and find balance.

Personal power is a fundamental asset. All we do, all we decide, all our decisions throughout our life depend on how we feel about ourselves. Even if we do not realize it, the smallest details, the way we walk, we dress, our choices, our thoughts, our feelings and all our actions depend on that personal power. Humanity walks behind power; thus, a major part of our society runs after it, money, prestige, fame, sex; the power granted by having, a power that lives outside. We have fallen in love with our ego and our reasoning; we have launched ourselves into a path that will make us lose all our intuitive learnt abilities or, at the very least, these will be replaced by others.

Society today considers wealth and power over everything to be the model of happiness. And, of course, these “values” are installed beyond us. This is why I have the impression that human beings are moving towards a path that will make us lose ourselves.

I have practiced and taught martial arts for over 40 years. I have delivered Taekwon-Do training seminars all around the world, including both Koreas, North and South, country where martial arts stemmed from. I have devoted myself exclusively to this discipline. Taekwon-Do has been a lifestyle, a way of living, of being and conducting myself in this world; it has been my path and my destiny, which has allowed me to have a full life, with many satisfactions. I achieved 100 times over the dreams I had as a child. Life has been generous to me and a true box of surprises. I do not belong to the group of people who dreamt and made those dreams come true, since I have achieved more than I have dared to dream. In truth, I could say we are even: Taekwon-Do gave me everything and, in turn, I gave Taekwon-Do everything as well.

Every time I stand in front of a class, course, lecture or seminar, I ask myself if I could leave something with them, something that could stay with them, stuck forever. As my dear friend Viviana Lowe used to say, «if I am left with the feeling that I stuck some knowledge to the skin of my students, I have scored…». I am aware that this could sound pretentious or arrogant but, every time I start to teach something, I do it knowing that I am there to contribute with something, I am there in favor of art, culture, the technique and because I have in my hands a tremendously powerful tool, with the ability to bring something positive to the life of our students and always from Taekwon-Do, because I have practically had no personal life. However, when I go through what I have learnt and taught, I realize that some ink was left in the inkwell, some matters have remained unfinished. What I learnt —by harvesting experiences through life— about the development of personal power, I have not taught yet. And, since it is impossible to go backwards, to retrace history and to return to all those paths, to all those places of knowledge that I ignored, where I learnt who I am through what I do, I have decided to respectfully place it in this book.