White. Yellow. Green. Blue. Red. Brown. It’s a long road to Black. For the members of the Michigan Tae Kwon Do club, there’s more to it than the color of the belt they wear while they train.
For junior Mike Walsh, the club’s vice president – it took four years to rise the ranks of the Tae Kwon Do hierarchy.
Walsh began studying Tae Kwon Do at age 12 and obtained his first degree black belt at age 16. For him, the study of Tae Kwon Do is an everlasting process of learning new techniques and forms.
“I actually found out about the club on the Internet,” Walsh said. “And I’ve been involved ever since.”
Tae Kwon Do is an ancient martial art form that South Korean General Choi Hong Hi adopted and modernized in 1955. What makes Tae Kwon Do different from other martial arts is that it is characterized primarily by jump kicking and skillful footwork. The use of lightning quickness and explosive force has helped Tae Kwon Do quickly developed into one of the most popular martial art forms.
The Michigan Tae Kwon Do Club – the oldest martial arts group at the University – is comprised of students, faculty and staff. It is a subgroup of the University of Michigan Tae Kwon Do network, which includes formal classes and the University’s Tae Kwon Do team.
The purpose of the club is clear: to teach and promote the art of self-defense to the community. To do this, the club focuses on promoting the two major aspects of Tae Kwon Do: sparring and the instruction of forms.
Grand Master Hwa Chong – former head of the United States National Team and, since 1968, head instructor of the Michigan Tae Kwon Do club – is considered as a pioneer for the club. He served as president of the United States Tae Kwon Do Union before joining the Department of Kinesiology. Chong has watched the club grow and prosper during the past four decades.
Walsh is the first to acknowledge just how much Chong has done to promote and establish a successful club.
“We are very fortunate to have Grand Master Chong,” Walsh said. “He brings so much of his knowledge and experience to the club on a nightly basis.”
Currently, the Tae Kwon Do club is working on participating in more tournaments and events. The club has already made its mark on the local scene and is looking to become more competitive at the national level.
“We are hoping to make it to the college national championships this year,” Walsh said. “It is an exciting time for us.”
One quality that helps the Tae Kwon Do club run so well is the fact that each member has a chance to drill with all other members. The training includes a constant rotation, so that even the most inexperienced white belt student has a chance to spar with a black belt officer during each session.
If you’re interested in learning this Korean art of self-defense, you can stop by room 2275 in the CCRB on Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. and begin walking the path towards a black belt.