Prof. Yongbom Kim, Director of the UB Martial Arts Institute and Director of the 29th National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships, is an internationally recognized Martial Artist. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degree in ‘Art of Taekwondo Martial Arts’ from Korea’s Kyung Hee University – being in the first ever batch to earn that degree. He also holds a seventh degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. The pioneer of the UB Martial Arts Institute, which was begun 8 years ago, he teaches many courses in Martial Arts at the University of Bridgeport’s International College. Here, we speak to him about the recently concluded championship:
Q: How are you doing, Sir?A: Fine, thank you. I am happy to get an opportunity to speak to the UB student community through the Scribe.
Q: How was your experience with the 29th National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships (NCTC)?
A: The tournament was a huge success, as reflected in the positive comments we heard from participants. I believe it was the first national event on our campus, and that speaks greatly of the progress we have made over the years. Not only was it a national event, we also had the opportunity to build international relations with officials from Jin Chun and Poh Chun cities of Korea visiting us.
Q: What significance does the tournament have for UB?
A: Firstly, it was an effective advertisement for us, by giving exposure to Ivy League colleges such as MIT, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Brown, Stanford, UC Berkeley etc. Secondly, I believe that it provided a huge confidence boost for UB Martial Arts students. The visitors were highly impressed by, and appreciative of, our efforts to become the first university in America to offer Martial Arts as a major.
Q: Speaking of students, do you have anything in particular to tell UB students?
A: Yes. I believe that in UB we have many students with incredible talent and potential, and I am proud to be with them. However, I also feel that we lack in self-esteem, and as a result, are not able to fulfill our potential. A tournament such as the NCTC can boost our morale, and I hope this will provide the students with the inspiration to excel.
Q: Are there any in particular that you would like to thank for the tournament?
A: Yes. This tournament was made a success by the collective efforts of many. I am proud of the Martial Arts students who volunteered and put so much energy and time towards organizing the event. I would like to thank also President Neil Salonen, Dr. Thomas Ward, Dr. Setton and the rest of International College, Mr. Dan Maloney and the staff of Wheeler Recreation Center, Mr. Joe DiPuma and the Athletic Department, Dr. Frank Zolli and the Chiropractic school, Master Lee, the UB gymnastics team, the volunteers from Bridgeport International Academy, among many others.
Q: Any final thoughts Sir?
A: All the NCTA officials and coaches were highly impressed by our time management during the tournament. This shows that we worked well as a team and met our goals. I hope this trend will continue in all the goals we pursue, both as a college, and as individuals. We have a goal to organize the World Collegiate Taekwondo Championships here in UB in the future. Let us hope that this will become a reality.
(Interviewed on 04/23/04)