“Our shouts sound the same in taekwondo regardless of the countries we come from.”

IWC students participate in IWC taekwondo program.

The Korea University International Winter Campus (IWC) held a taekwondo performance and experience program for IWC students in the Auxiliary Stadium of the Tiger Dome on January 7.

The Tiger Dome was filled with excitement as students changed into taekwondo uniforms. Before starting the lesson, the demonstration team showcased various taekwondo skills, including kicks and board breaking, along with music. Their sharp moves, accompanied by shouts of concentration, received a big round of applause. The audience cheered and with their cell phones recorded high-level techniques like the consecutive board smashing. Some students were moving their bodies in joy when the taekwondo moves were mixed with dance and music.

After the demonstration, the lesson began with light stretching so the students could warm up before learning basic taekwondo moves like the front, turning and downward kicks. At first, students hesitated to shout, but soon they actively followed the instructions with loud voices. With some help from the trainers, they even managed to practice rather difficult moves. The students also learned how to react to different situations, like when somebody grabbed their shoulder.

For the last stage of the lesson, each student received a wooden board. They broke the board after writing on it the bad habit they would like to break. When everyone successfully broke their boards, they celebrated with a round of applause and cheers as a celebration for themselves.

The program ended with the granting of certificates while students exchanged their white belts for black ones. Stephanie Anne Sutton, a student from Macquarie University in Australia, said, “It is my first time learning taekwondo so it was cool and interesting. Though it was a little difficult, it was a fun experience.” American student Omaier Mohiuddin, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, said it was a new and fun experience because he had never practiced any martial arts previously. He also mentioned that the demonstration team was wonderful.

The KU IWC has grown to be the biggest program of its kind in Korea, with 870 students coming from 70 schools in 15 countries, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong the U.S., China, Indonesia, the U.K., Brazil, Morocco and Georgia. This program embarked on its four-week journey, consisting of three-week academic courses and a one-week cultural experience course.