More than 600 taxi drivers in Changchun have received free taekwondo training by Monday, the 6th day of the "Free Taekwondo Training for Taxi drivers in Changchun".

"I have been getting the news that taxi drivers are easy to be hit or robbed; therefore, the idea of teaching them taekwondo for free came into my mind," said Liu Zhenghua, bronze medalist of China Taekwondo Championship in 1999 and the initiator of this activity.

Liu Zhenhua owns more than 10 taekwondo halls in Changchun. He has an ambitious plan of having all the 20,000 taxi drivers trained in Changchun in the next few months.

"Taxi drivers often meet dangers in their working time, I wish they could be much safer after having learned some basic taekwondo skills; at the same time, it is also an opportunity to promote the sport."

"Several years ago, I had been robbed by a gangster with a knife. I was very scared then; however, I will not be scared next time as I have learned taekwondo," said Liang Chungang, a 27-year-old taxi driver in Changchun.

Another taxi driver Shao Yingxin said he came to receive the taekwondo training for more reasons, "The reason why I came here to get taekwondo training is not only for protecting myself, but also for getting a new kind of physical training method as well."

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2008)