29th NCTC

It may be a repetition of an oft-heard clich, but it is well worth mentioning again – the torch of success might be elusive, but it could be held by anyone’s hands. The weekend of April 16th witnessed a supreme example of this statement, when the University of Bridgeport rose to the occasion and held aloft this torch by playing host to the 29th National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships (NCTC). This, coming in the midst of general student apathy about the state of affairs and repeated failure on the part of administration to cater to basic student needs, should surely stand out as one of the finer moments of our times.
An annual event of the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association, the NCTC is a prestigious tournament in Taekwondo circles, and the selection process for hosting it is very rigorous. This year’s tournament, directed by Prof. Yongbom Kim – our Martial Arts Institute director – and sanctioned by the United States Taekwondo Union, served as a qualifier for the 2005 Summer Universaide Games, to be held in Turkey. In the light of this, it assumed paramount importance – a fact reflected in the immense turnout. In all, there were some 270 athletes from around the nation, including colleges such as MIT, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Brown, and UC Berkeley. Outside of the competition, the tournament was given added weight by Mayor John Fabrizi, representatives from the Korean Cultural Society, and diplomats from Jin Chun and Poh Chun cities of Korea. The Wheeler Recreation Center was the venue. The arrangements made were outstanding and included six Olympic size rings and computerized scoring systems.
It all began at 7 PM on the 16th, when the tournament kicked off with the Forms competition – forms, since you ask, are sets of movements, punches and kicks in Taekwondo, designed to fight imaginary opponents, and serve as fundamental training routines. Athletes were organized into different divisions based on belt level and weight. There was a spectrum of competitors, ranging from the novice yellow belts to advanced 3rd degree black belts and beyond. The competition was extreme, and the passion was so intense that at times it was nearly tangible. Fierce as it was, it was all fought in the time-honoured Taekwondo tradition of mutual respect and sportsmanship. Following the Forms, a Welcome Party was hosted at the Student Center for all NCTA officials, coaches and referees.
The best, however, was reserved for the last, with the Sparring competition on the 17th. This drew more spectators, and the walls of the Fieldhouse reverberated the entire day with the constant yells of competitors. The skill level was outstanding, but even more heartening was the execution of the events, with the student volunteers and the medical team -including our own chiropractors – working hard to make sure everything ran like a well-oiled machine. Saturday also saw the Opening Ceremony, which included Swearing-in, and demonstrations by Y.B. World Martial Arts Academy and our own gymnastics team. Competition ran until about 7:30 PM, with Black Belt fighters drawing collective wows from the crowd with fast moves, powerful kicks, and sharp reflexes.
The spoils were shared by traditional Taekwondo powerhouses such as MIT, Brown, UC Berkeley and Johns Hopkins. University of Bridgeport too featured in the final tally, with one bronze medal (considering only two students competed, this is impressive). What is more heartening to our college, however, is the immense amount of hard work and collaboration that went into this. One individual, more than anyone else, carried this tournament on his shoulders – Prof. Yongbom Kim. Without his undying love for the college, vision for the tournament, and inspiring leadership, this tournament might never have graced UB. Besides him, President Neil Salonen, Dr. Thomas Ward and the staff of International College, Mr. Dan Maloney and the Wheeler Recreation Center staff, Dr. Frank Zolli and the Chiropractic team, Mr. Joe Di Puma and the Athletic Department, the meticulously impressive student volunteers, and many others pitched in. The result was UB playing host to perhaps the first truly national event on campus.
UB is on the verge of many great things, and the Martial Arts Institute has played a significant role in the college. We could soon be the first college in America to offer a full-fledged Martial Arts major program to students. These are remarkable achievements that we can deservedly be proud of. There admittedly are many improvements to be made, but consider this final thought: if students from Brown, MIT, Harvard and Yale could comment on our warmth of hospitality and praise our efficiency, then, surely, we can find something in ourselves to be proud of, can’t we?