Eleven students in UB’s Martial Arts Studies program of the International College entered the 2005 New York State Governor’s Cup Tae Kwon Do Championship Tournament on Sunday, October 15. With over 200 participants, they competed and took back a total of 9 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals in both the form and sparring divisions.
Professor Yongbom Kim, serving as both the director of the Martial Arts Institute and the co-chair of the degree program, was pleased with the students’ achievements. This was a record improvement from the results of a prior tournament. Fourth degree black belt and Martial Arts Studies Junior Henry Song, stated, “I had a great time! All the students gave an excellent performance.” When asked about his thoughts on the program at UB he replied, “Because interest in it is growing, I can see that it’ll be very successful in the future.” As the tournament was running, an official of the university met with prospective students and instructors, concerning the program. With a major in Biology and a minor in Martial Arts Studies, senior Kazumi Tsukazawa started learning Tae Kwon Do from her freshmen year and earned her black belt last semester. She commented, “This program has a lot of potential in the future. I kind of regret that they didn’t start it earlier.” After speaking with a few Martial Arts instructors at the tournament, fourth degree black belt and Martial Arts Studies Freshmen Yoonho Lee included, “They’re telling their students about the program, and they’re saying that the Martial Arts Studies discipline at UB will build the future leaders of Martial Arts.”
The program was instituted last year, making Bridgeport the first university in the United States to offer the Martial Arts as an undergraduate degree. The students will continue to represent the university at upcoming tournaments throughout the year.
2005 New York State Governors Cup
Tae Kwon Do Championship Tournament Result for October 15
Name Medals
1) Hyun Kyu Seo Sparring: Gold
2) Henry Song Forms: Silver
3) Yoonho Lee Sparring: Gold
4) Adam Jara Forms: Gold
Sparring: Bronze
5) Hyuk Lee Sparring: Bronze Injured
6) Sanghoon Mudgett Forms: Bronze
Sparring: Silver
7) Kazumi Tsukazawa Forms: Gold
Sparring: Gold
8) Flamur Thaqi Forms: Bronze
Sparring: Gold
9) Sergio Roa Sparring: Gold
10) Kimikami Miyake Forms: Gold
Sparring: Silver
11) Jessica Thomas Forms: Silver
Sparring: Gold