It may not be an official varsity sport, but Taekwondo, one of the many martial arts originating from Korea, is very much alive and kicking on the Tufts campus.
The team competed at MIT's Johnson Athletic Center this past Saturday against nearly 20 other teams and 400 competitors. The Jumbos, normally a small force, took only 16 members and competed against some of the largest and most accomplished teams in the region.
MIT, the regional powerhouse, won the Div. I pool. Brown took home top honors for Div. II, while the University of Michigan captured Div. III. Tufts competes in Div. II and, with 48 points, finished sixth overall out of 10 clubs. The women's C−class won the bronze sparring medal, which was certainly an achievement given that many Jumbos were sparring for the first time against more experienced fighters.
Senior captain Peter Yeh describes Taekwondo as a martial art encompassing far more than simple kicks and punches.
"Yes, you do train and compete, but you follow five common tenants of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self−control and indomitable spirit," Yeh said. "These are goals a person develops [in order to] become a positive influence in the community."
Yeh stressed the benefits of Taekwondo from a mental and physical standpoint, especially because most of the team's training focuses on tournaments.
"We have a lot of members and don't all compete at every competition," Yeh said. "The competitions are our main focus and are a great way to meet people and show your skills. It's amazing to see the progress of some people who haven't competed."
The weekend tournament at MIT held a unique format, with two types of Taekwondo present: form and spar.
Form does not involve combat, but rather a traditional series of movements judged on accuracy and power. It is further divided by gender and ability. Ability is subsequently broken up into four categories — A through D — based on the belt color of the competitor. A is the highest, comprised of red and black belts. D is reserved for first−time fighters.
Sparring — the combat division of Taekwondo — is divided not only by gender and ability, like Form, but also by weight class.
In this particular setup, competitors fight in groups based on weight, and fighters progress according to team results.
It can take time to adjust to the difference between classes, according to the Jumbos. Few know this better than sophomore Nick Bayhi, who fought in B class this weekend despite normally being in the C class.
"I literally got kicked in the head," Bayhi said, "Head shots are only allowed in Class A and B. It surprised me, and I wasn't used to it."
Bayhi, like many other competitors, arrived at Tufts with no prior experience in Taekwondo, and joined the team looking for a new challenge.
"I was a freshman looking for something to get involved in," Bayhi said. "I was looking for a good workout. Martial arts was always something I wanted to do and it's where I ended up."
Looking forward, both Bayhi and Yeh are excited about the squad and the prospect of competing in future tournaments. The next two tournaments will be held on Nov. 7 at Cornell and Nov. 20 at Princeton.
"The team is looking great," Yeh said. "Everyone has a lot of energy and is really dedicated. We're looking better and better every year, quietly increasing, and we're just going to go higher. Ever since I joined, it's been a great time, but we're always looking for new members, even people who have no experience."
"We're getting better with every practice but we need to recruit," Bayhi added. "Our number is pretty low. However, our group is dedicated, and we're going to do big things."
