World Champion Taekwondo Students Escape the DC Heat to Befriend Korea

Continuing a longstanding tradition for local Taekwondo schools, more than 50 Taekwondo students from World Champion Martial Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland visited the Korean Cultural Center Washington DC on July 18 to learn about Korean culture, traditions, and the history of the Korea-US Alliance.

The Befriend Korea program, which welcomes students from dozens of area schools each summer, includes a visual presentation, discussion, videos clips, and a chance for students to try traditional Korean games and music instruments.

It helps students who barely know about Korea to get interest in Korea and feel proud that they are practicing a sport which come from small but strong country, said Master Hyun S. Lee, owner of the center, who has been bringing his students to the Koran Cultural Center for four years.

Monique, one of Master Hyun S. Lees students who attended, said she liked the Korean food featured in the presentation and spoke of her aspirations to follow in Lee's footsteps and become a world champion. Monique is well on her way, with eight years of training and a black belt. She also practices the Korean martial art as part of a family tradition.

Fittingly, the most exciting video according to Monique and her fellow students was entitled Be One Through Taekwondo, which explored the Korean martial art and its development from its early years to its present status as a world-famous martial art and Olympic medal sport since the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Students could also look to the future, and learn about plans for the Taekwondo Won to open to the public in 2013 in Muju, North Jeoalla Province.

Following the presentation, students were divided into groups to try their skills at traditional Korean games, such as tuho (arrow tossing), jaegichagi (similar to hacky sack), and paengi (a horse-whip spinning top), while others experimented with Korean traditional percussion instruments, including the buk, jing, and janggu.

Master Hyun S. Lee echoed the love that many of his students showed for Korea and its famous martial art.

Most of my students are really eager to go Korea even once in their life, Lee said. So I wanted to give a chance to experience Korea and its culture in an indirect way at least.

A strong supporter of his home country and its heritage, Master Hyun S. Lee also spoke of his aspirations to set-up a scholarship fund for Korean Americans to proudly remember Korea and Taekwondo.

By Marissa Citro

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