Children compete at tae kwon do tournament

Tuesday, November 17, 1998

Children compete at tae kwon do tournament

RECAP: Program to help disadvantaged children holds exhibition
in Pauley

By Timothy Lopez

Daily Bruin Contributor

On Saturday, the familiar squeal of sneakers on hardwood at
Pauley Pavilion was noticeably absent, replaced with the dull thuds
of clashing of padded sparring gear.

Young people of all ages filled Pauley Pavilion, whose hallowed
basketball court had been segmented into 15 boxing-style rings, to
put their skills to the test at the 1998 Inner-City Games Tae Kwon
Do Tournament.

"I like tae kwon do because I’m learning how to defend myself,
and it’s making me stronger," said 8-year-old Eric Jones of Los
Angeles. "And it’s really fun."

For the past eight years, the Inner- City Games to provided the
underprivileged youth of Los Angeles with an opportunity to enrich
their lives through participation in sports.

Founded in 1991 by Daniel Hernandez, an East L.A. native, and
with the support of celebrities, former Olympians and local
politicians, the games feature several weeks of competition in a
variety of sports. The intended participants are kids in low-income
areas.

"We work through the housing projects – there are 21 housing
projects in the city of Los Angeles," said Hernandez, "and we know
that they are economically disadvantaged kids.

"We bring them in and let them know that we have activities for
them."

Thousands of young people ages 8 to 16 compete individually or
as teams representing youth clubs, recreation centers, parks and
other facilities throughout the city.

This year’s sports included boys baseball, girls softball, boys
and girls basketball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, swimming and
others.

The Inner-City Games promotes diversity and teamwork as well as
physical fitness. Also, the decision to hold the tournament at UCLA
was a pointed one.

"It’s a great place. It gives kids the opportunity to see higher
education and higher learning, so that they know what to strive for
as well," said Paul Gonzalez, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in boxing
and co-founder of the Inner-City Games.

The tae kwon do tournament was divided into two segments – the
"poomse" competition and sparring tournament.

"Poomse" is a tae kwon do term meaning "forms". In this event,
competitors are challenged to demonstrate their skill by simulating
hand-to-hand combat with several imaginary attackers.

Each competitor performed a set routine of physically demanding
punches and kicks. Following this routine, each contestant was
judged based on specific criteria. Balance, rhythm, mental
concentration and proper breathing all impacted a competitor’s
score, as did target accuracy, speed and power. Scores varied, but
all participants were given medals.

The opening ceremony began after all of the poomse competitors
had completed their routines and received their medals.

First was a series of advanced tae kwon do demonstrations by
several international grandmasters and their students. The first
demonstration was a world championship poomse routine performed by
a sixth-degree black belt.

His poomse was considerably more complex than those performed by
the kids, incorporating jump kicks and somersaults in addition to
the standard arsenal of punches and kicks. In addition, his routine
was accompanied by a dramatic musical soundtrack.

The next grandmaster demonstrated power and strength by
shattering a baseball bat with a well-placed kick. He then
illustrated precision and intense concentration by kicking an apple
from a student’s mouth with a 360-degree jump kick –
blindfolded.

The final demonstration was performed by the U.S. Eagles tae
kwon do demonstration team. This troupe of skilled young martial
artists electrified the crowd with their displays of power and
flexibility, jumping high into the air to destroy wooden
targets.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Eagles’ demonstration was marred by a
mishandled stunt which resulted in a serious injury to one of the
team’s senior members.

Master Song Myung, 39, suffered a concussion when an attempt to
perform a particularly risky stunt failed. Myung, a 30-year veteran
of tae kwon do competitions and performances, was taken by
paramedics to the UCLA Medical Center. Information about his
further status was not released.

The sparring competition was the final event of the day.
Competitors were grouped into categories by age and weight class.
They were escorted to their rings where they faced each other in
timed matches, where the goal was to score as many points as
possible by hitting one’s opponent with combinations of punches and
kicks.

Trophies were presented to the first, second and third-place
competitors in each weight class. Though not everyone could go home
with a trophy, the opportunity for self-enrichment was rewarding in
itself.

"I had a great time," said 10-year-old Jennifer Hines from
Cypress. "Even though I didn’t win, I had a great time."CHARLES
KUO/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Children line up to receive their awards at the Inner-City Games
Tae Kwon Do Tournament held at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday.

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