Love inflames Endah, Iwan to fight for life

Love inflames Endah, Iwan to fight for life

JAKARTA (JP): Karate is not merely about fighting. In certain
cases, fighters find love in karate tournaments.

Women's kata karateka Endah Jubaedah of West Java met men's
individual 60-kilogram kumite fighter Iwan Taher of North
Sulawesi at the Kosgoro Cup karate tournament here in 1993. It
turned out to be the most unusual and unforgettable experience
for both of them.

"We used to meet in tournaments and we never had special
feelings. But in 1993, everything was different. Five months
after the tournament, we got married. I think we are a match for
each other," said Endah, chuckling and glancing at husband Iwan
Taher, who accompanied her during her interview with The Jakarta
Post last week.

Endah said three months after their marriage on Nov. 10, 1995,
they had to be separated due to the training programs for the
1996 National Games (PON) here.

Both Endah and Iwan are still unsure on their berths at the
20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7
to Aug. 15, as the Indonesian Karate Federation (Forki) will
stage a selection process for kata events and review kumite
karateka performances over the last year.

Endah, who was born on Nov. 8, 1971, in Bekasi, and Iwan, who
was born in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Aug. 21, 1971, pledged to
give their best if they are selected to represent the country.

Iwan, gold medalist in the Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) Cup
last year, was a street fighter before the 10-year-old boy joined
an Inkado karate club, which used the Gunung Wenang hospital
complex in Manado as its training field.

"It's common for a boy to fight. Since I started learning
karate, I realized that I could injure people. So, I only fight
for tournaments, which give me money and fame. Now I can open a
karate club in my house with my skill," said Iwan, who plans to
retire if he wins a medal in the Games.

Forki has set a regulation limiting the upper age range of
kumite and kata karateka for overseas tournaments. For men's
kumite karateka, the age limit is 30 years old while for the
women it is 28. For men's and women's kata, 35 is the upper
limit.

Iwan said he hopes to get a job in Bekasi, as he plans to move
from his hometown Manado.

"But I don't know if the West Java authority will treat me
well. I heard many West Java karateka move to East Java for
better lives. I don't want to move to West Java if the
authorities neglect me," said Iwan, who is currently working at
Indo Monex Bank here. He said he got a dispensation to pursue his
sport.

Endah, the sixth finisher in the third World Ladies Cup
tournament in Tokyo early this month, supported her husband's
opinion, recalling her difficulty to get a permanent job.

"I had a three-year contract with the West Java authority but
it was difficult to become a permanent employee. When I won the
gold in the West Java Provincial Games (Porda), I got a reference
letter from Pak Wiranto (Forki's chairman) to the West Java
governor but there was no response," she said.

"Last year, I applied to the Bekasi Regency office and I was
admitted there without any reference," she said.

As a karateka couple, both Endah and Iwan never use their
skills during a disagreement.

"We usually are not speaking to each other. But after about 30
minutes I try to break down the coldness and start to talk to
him," she said.

They both are teaching karate in their 150-square-meter house
in Bekasi to some 40 children in their neighborhood twice a week.

"Most of them are children who live at the nearby Bekasi
military district command housing complex. They are cute, and
it's nice to see little kids practicing," said Endah.

As a young family, both Endah and Iwan are also hoping to get
a baby soon. Unfortunately, Endah had a miscarriage last
November.

"The baby only lived for two hours. My baby was upside-down in
my womb. If God has mercy, I hope to have another after the
Games," she sighed.

Only five months after the miscarriage, she an received
invitation from the Indonesian Karate Federation to join the SEA
Games training program, replacing Vera Simatupang, who was
married this year. Endah contributed a silver in the women's
individual kata in 19th SEA Games in 1997 here. (ivy)