When Lulu Tseng took up karate more than a decade ago, she could not have imagined her hobby would one day save her and her family from the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's history.

But that was exactly what happened in the pre-dawn hours of September 21 1999, when a 7.6-magnitude tremor jolted the island, killing more than 2,400.

Tseng's family of eight narrowly escaped because she used a precise karate kick to open a jammed iron door, just seconds before their home collapsed, like thousands of other houses at the epicentre in central Taiwan's Nantou county.

“I don't know how I got the strength to kick open that door but we would have all been crushed to death otherwise,” said Tseng, now 26.

If karate saved Tseng physically on that frightful night, it was to save her once more, this time psychologically -- as the sport did for many other youngsters here in this hilly, marginalised part of Taiwan.

The quake was only the beginning of the hardship in Nantou, where nearly 900 people were killed and 40,000 houses ruined, leaving the survivors struggling to cope with the catastrophe emotionally and financially.

“The quake triggered serious economic problems which drove some parents into depression or even committed suicide while youngsters turned to violence or drugs to cope with pressure,” recalled karate coach Huang Tai-chi.

Huang and his wife Liao Te-lan, also a coach and a native of Nantou, started a karate programme, believing the martial art, with its emphasis on ethics, persistence and endurance, would help youngsters through the post-quake stress.

“These kids were traumatised, frightened and helpless as their homes and schools were gone. They needed a goal in life, an outlet to channel their energy and emotions and learn not to give up despite setbacks,” Liao said.

The couple had their moments of doubt too, as they were soon forced to decide between abandoning the new karate programme or closing their own karate school in Taichung, Taiwan's third-largest city.

“Our relatives thought we were crazy to leave Taichung where we were making good money and move here. But once we got to know the children and their plight, we could not leave them behind,” she said.

Tseng was among 30 pupils, mostly from dysfunctional or impoverished families, who joined the first year of the programme, and most found karate helped them get back on their feet after the disaster.

“I really wanted to quit school at that time to support my family since my mother was making 500 Taiwan dollars (about 15 US dollars) a day doing temp work,” she said.

“But instead of dwelling on the tragic and miserable things that had happened, I found a purpose in life through regular karate practices and learned to focus on positive things.” Chang Kai-hao, a 21-year-old college student, said karate helped him regain confidence after the shock he experienced watching the shattered bodies of quake victims lying sprawled on the ground.

“I was feeling very sad for a long time whenever I thought of the people killed and I often had nightmares about earthquakes,” he said. “Practising karate and later winning medals made me happier and gave me courage.” About 400 teenagers have joined the karate programme over the ten years that have passed, transforming the ruined community into a centre of Taiwan karate.

Some have gone on to represent Taiwan at international competitions and won top honours. Last month, the team bagged five gold, two silver and nine bronze medals at a karate world tournament in Beijing.

Tseng has also found her life's calling in karate and become a professional coach after graduating from college with a degree in education.

“I want to continue practising karate for as long as I can and also help more students in Nantou learn karate and the spirit it represents.” —AFP