|
Tae Kwon Do: Yellow fever, black deathIf commitment to learning and competing is the key to success, then the Yale Tae Kwon Do club will soon find itself standing over its competition. Composed of both expert practitioners of the age-old martial art and beginners intent on mastering the sport, the club has fared well in early competition.On Sat., Feb. 13, Yale showed what it takes to win: commitment and a desire to be the best. Yale entered three teams in a tournament hosted by New York University and enjoyed a strong showing, including a first-place finish by the novice women. "The development of the yellow belts has been pretty impressive," said black belt Lucas Britanico, BK '02. "The majority learned Tae Kwon Do at Yale," black belt Akane Fujiwara, JE '02, added. The teams competed against Ivy schools Penn, Cornell, Columbia, and Princeton as well as NYU, West Point, and Virginia Military Institute. Learning a new sport in one's free time, especially a sport that requires a lot of practice, requires intense dedication. About 40 of the club's 60 members are novices, taking classes three times a week with teacher Bobby Hwang. "We have a great instructor," said co-captain Mariano Banos, BR '99. While the season is young, upcoming tournaments at Columbia in March and Yale's own Invitational Tournament in April will provide a showcase for both the beginners and the many talented black belts in the club. "Overall, I think the team will do very well," Banos said. --Laurie Randell
|
||||||||||||||||
All materials © 1999 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
Got any questions, comments, or advice? Email the online editors at online@yaleherald.com.
Like to join us?