January 20, 2009

I’ve mentioned in several previous blog entries that train and compete nationally and internationally in Taekwondo. Just a week ago, I returned to Stillwater from a weekend at the Olympic Training Center for the National Team Trials qualification tournament where I qualified to participate in the US National Team Trails in Austin, Tx in April.

Hanging out with my taekwondo friend, Taren, after we fought.

I figure that most of you aren’t very familiar with the sport so I thought I’d take this opportunity to let you know how it works and why I love it.

Taekwondo is one of only a few combative sports in the Olympics. It has been an official Olympic sport since the Sidney games in 2000 and an American has won a gold medal in 2 out of the 3 Olympics since then.

In Taekwondo, two opponents square off against each other for 3 rounds, each 2 minutes long, with 1 minute breaks in between. Fighters try to score points by kicking their opponent in the body or head. Punches are allowed to the body but are rarely scored. 4 corner judges use electronic joysticks to score points. 3 out of the 4 judges must confirm a point within 1 second of each other for the point to count. A center referee officiates the match and imposes penalties for things like holding, pushing, sweeping, and using illegal techniques. Players can win by points, knockout, or technical knockout.

I’ve done taekwondo since I was 7 years old! It is a huge part of my life and I don’t foresee ever quitting. It has always been a great way to stay in shape, to make great friends, and to get to travel the world. When school is in session I drive to Edmond three times a week to train at Poos Taekwondo. I love my coaches and teammates and I’m so glad that I’ve been able to continue training there even with all of my commitments here in Stillwater.

Well, I hope you have a little bit better understanding now of my sport of choice. I’ve got a lot of Taekwondo coming up with year and I will try to keep you all up to date on how all of my tournaments go.

GO POKES!
-Dennis