Take a look in Slaughter Gymnasium Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday, and you will find an interesting sight: the Tae Kwon Do club, one of the University's 11 different martial arts organizations.
There are many things that set Tae Kwon Do apart from the other martial arts.Club president Vy Thuy Bui, who also practices Judo, said she finds the many different styles of Tae Kwon Do most engaging.
"With Judo, it's the same everywhere," Bui said. "With Tae Kwon Do, there is more variety, different branches."
The main thing that differentiates the club from others, though, is its policy of having University students as club instructors. Unlike many other clubs -- which have graduate students teach or bring in instructors -- the Tae Kwon Do club is instructed by its own black-belt members.
"There's a big emphasis when you become a black belt on passing [your knowledge] on and teaching," club vice president Lesley Miller said. "You can't be a black belt and not teach."
There are two main styles of Tae Kwon Do taught within the club. W.T.F. is a style standardized by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, and I.T.F. is standardized by the International Tae Kwon Do Federation. The club teaches both styles for sparring (actual fighting), but only uses W.T.F. for forms (exercises).
So far, this method of student teaching seems to be working well for the club.
"Last tournament there were about six of us, and we brought back eight trophies," Bui said. "We do really well for our small numbers, so I'm very proud of us."
Although the club has a roster that ranges from 20 to 30 people, only a few compete in tournaments, which occur about two or three times a semester and are usually held at other Virginia colleges.
At tournaments, participants can choose to compete in sparring, forms or both. Forms, which come first in competitions, concentrate on technique. Although forms are generally the same, the style varies depending on the person.
"Judges look for something that stands out in [their] minds," Bui said.
In addition to tournaments, the club also performs for various other clubs and functions on Grounds.
"We did Dance Marathon the year before I came," Bui said. "We've done demonstrations for the Korean Student Association, the Vietnamese Student Association and Student Activities Fair."
Their biggest event, though, is probably the Martial Arts Exposition.Started the year both Miller and Bui entered the University, the expo is a collaboration between all the martial arts clubs at the University. As part of the event, each club participating does a demonstration and then talks about their art. This year's expo is scheduled for Jan. 28 and will include eight of the University's 11 clubs. So far, the event has received a very warm response. Not only does it attract a large turnout, but it serves as a great recruiting tool, Miller said.
However, Miller and Bui said they are interested in Tae Kwon Do for reasons other than competitions and expositions.
"Tae Kwon Do is two-sided," Miller said. "There's a sports side and an arts side.I quit for a year to try other sports, and I couldn't sleep at night. It's such a big outlet. There's a mental, a philosophical part of it.It's like a meditation or relaxation kind of thing."
For Miller and Bui, Tae Kwon Do is about the challenge and concentration it takes to really try to perfect a sport. According to Bui, "You get out exactly as much as you put in"
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