UA tae-kwon-do club punches its way to championship
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Lifestyles
While the word "tae-kwon-do" might conjure images of an ancient art form in Asia or recall the catchy tune of the popular song "Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting," tae-kwon-do is rarely associated with Northwest Arkansas. But it should be.
Northwest Arkansas is home to one of the top tae-kwon-do organizations in the country.
The UA tae-kwon-do club recently took home the championship trophy for winning the U.S. Central Tae-kwon-do Invitational. The club topped Kansas and the Mexican national team to capture first place in the prestigious event.
"That was a whirlwind of a time," said junior women's team captain Lauren Love. "It was fast-paced and my first competition ever so it was a lot of pressure, a lot of stress. But it turned out just fine; I'm glad I did it."
The nine representatives from the Arkansas club scored a combined total of seven first-place finishes sprinkled throughout the various levels in the fighting and form competitions. The UA competitors prevailed in a field of 42 teams and 487 competitors.
The group evolved from a batch of unsure strangers into a close-knit family organization that excelled in a pressure-filled environment at the championships held in Oklahoma City.
"We started out just shaking hands and meeting people, knowing their names," Love said. "But it escalated into just like a family."
The club, which is in association with coach Victor Marko's Red Dragon Tae-kwon-do Academy, is open to anyone and features a wide assortment of members.
"Getting involved in any martial arts gets you to bond with others no matter who they are or where they're from or what their station is," senior Lauren Lindsey said. "It's a different type of family for you to get to."
Kevin Lee was surrounded by the sport growing up as a child in Korea and continued participating in it when he moved to the United States when he was seven years old.
In 2008, after giving up tae-kwon-do 18 years before, Lee, a 36-year old PhD student at Arkansas, saw a flier advertising a tae-kwon-do class taught by Marko. He figured it would be a fun way to stay in shape and ended up joining the competitive club and is now its president.
Northwest Arkansas is home to one of the top tae-kwon-do organizations in the country.
The UA tae-kwon-do club recently took home the championship trophy for winning the U.S. Central Tae-kwon-do Invitational. The club topped Kansas and the Mexican national team to capture first place in the prestigious event.
"That was a whirlwind of a time," said junior women's team captain Lauren Love. "It was fast-paced and my first competition ever so it was a lot of pressure, a lot of stress. But it turned out just fine; I'm glad I did it."
The nine representatives from the Arkansas club scored a combined total of seven first-place finishes sprinkled throughout the various levels in the fighting and form competitions. The UA competitors prevailed in a field of 42 teams and 487 competitors.
The group evolved from a batch of unsure strangers into a close-knit family organization that excelled in a pressure-filled environment at the championships held in Oklahoma City.
"We started out just shaking hands and meeting people, knowing their names," Love said. "But it escalated into just like a family."
The club, which is in association with coach Victor Marko's Red Dragon Tae-kwon-do Academy, is open to anyone and features a wide assortment of members.
"Getting involved in any martial arts gets you to bond with others no matter who they are or where they're from or what their station is," senior Lauren Lindsey said. "It's a different type of family for you to get to."
Kevin Lee was surrounded by the sport growing up as a child in Korea and continued participating in it when he moved to the United States when he was seven years old.
In 2008, after giving up tae-kwon-do 18 years before, Lee, a 36-year old PhD student at Arkansas, saw a flier advertising a tae-kwon-do class taught by Marko. He figured it would be a fun way to stay in shape and ended up joining the competitive club and is now its president.
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