What does it take to become a national Taekwondo champion? Maybe a quick roundhouse, a couple of head fakes and a balanced spinning wheel kick? How about a triple somersaulting, double twisting, front kick with a real loud kiap?

    If it isn't fancy techniques, maybe it's super athletic ability. Maybe the champions all have some mystical muscle fibers that allow them to deliver their kicks and punches faster than the speed of light.

    Students at the Oriental Martial Arts College in Columbus, Ohio seem to have discovered the secret of winning in competitive Taekwondo. Five students from OMAC qualified for the Olympic team tryouts this year in Miami, Florida. Three of the five students, Chris Spence, Doug Baker, and Helen Yee, earned gold medals at the USTU National Championships last April. Competing as an adult, Jennifer Gray, 16, took a bronze and Greg Baker(Doug's older brother), was invited to the tryouts because of his outstanding record in other national and international competitions.

The Coach
 
    OMAC was founded by Master Joon Pyo Choi who was a national champion in Korea in 1967 and 1968. (A Korean national champion in the sixties is the equivalent of a world champion today.) Master Choi came to the United States in the early '70s and has dedicated his life to teaching martial arts.

    Master Choi has developed a special training system that has been refined over twenty years. His students feel his coaching has made them successful. But he says, "My students' success is mostly a result of their dedication and the emotional and financial support they receive from their parents, friends and sponsors. Our school maintains the Taekwondo tradition of teaching and pursuing patience, modesty, determination and respect."
 
The Competitors Chris Spence

    U.S. 1987 Olympic Committee Athlete of the year, Chris Spence, 22, is taking time from his studies at Ohio State University to train for the Olympics. He is a five time national champion and has won medals in several world competitions. In considering his success, Chris says, "I've come to realize that my athletic ability is not that great. The reason I win is because I'm dedicated. I work out six to eight hours a day. There aren't that many dedicated people in Taekwondo. I'm not a great athlete, but I have total commitment."
 
    "My philosophy of fighting is to try not to get hit. I'm pretty confident in my attacks. I've changed my fighting style. Before I was a counter fighter, now I do more attacking. In international fighting, the person who backs-up and scores a point doesn't get the point. You have to be going forward and you have to move your opponent back to score a point in international competitions. Nationally counter fighting works, internationally, it doesn't."
    "I usually try to win by being a smart fighter. I don't try to bang it out with my opponent. I try to out-think him. I can usually figure out my opponent quickly in the ring," concluded Spence.

Helen Yee

    Helen Yee isn't ready to retire at age 27, she explains, "This is the strongest I've ever felt." She had to beat a five time champion to win the gold medal at the USTU Nationals this year. "I'm very excited about trying out for the Olympics. When I fight I try to keep in mind what I've learned from other people. Master Choi made a speech to the whole Ohio team before Nationals. He said, 'Put yourself in the frame of mind that you are fighting for your life.' That really helped me concentrate on doing my best."
 
    "Nervousness use to hinder my ability...but I was told to use my nervous energy to my advantage. That set me straight. I don't work out six to eight hours a day to lose. I give it my all."

Jennifer Gray

    "Trying out for the Olympics will be one of the best experiences of my life. I've been working on endurance and speed. Last year I was dying during the third round. I'm also working on my mental attitude and my confidence."

    Jennifer believes her success is due to the training at OMAC, "We train together. We're like a family. There's a lot of support here. Master Choi's put in a lot of time. My family and friends have also been very supportive."

Doug Baker

    "I feel one of the reasons I do well is because of Master Choi. I've got complete faith in what he tells me. If I don't do what he tells me, I'll lose."
 
    Doug and his older brother Greg, a national champion, often workout together. "In the last year my brother and I have gotten very close. We have fun together and help each other, not just with Taekwondo. We fight each other harder than with anyone else. Greg can do any kick from any position. He has more power than anyone in the school and he has a lot of speed."
 
    Doug's philosophy of fighting is, "You have to know what you are going to do before you step into the ring. Starting with basic techniques and then building. Most of the points scored are basic round house kicks to the body. I try to pickup the pace of the fight because I have a lot of endurance. I can usually read an react to my opponents quickly."

Greg Baker

    "I win because of good coaching. I guess power and speed are my assets, but I have more faults. My biggest asset is determination. Athletic ability helps, but there are people who overcome their physical limitations with dedication, discipline, and patience."

    "We've grown as a school, we have discipline and dedication, but Master Choi is very hard to please. He is a perfectionist. We've been around him a long time. He understands us. He knows what we can and cannot do. He is a very wise man. He expects us to adapt to any situation or fighting style. He doesn't accept any excuses."

    Greg tries to keep an open mind about his Taekwondo training and education. "I keep in mind that I can learn from anyone. I've learned a lot about being a counter fighter from Chris Spence and about being aggressive from Doug. I'm working on my reactions now, trying to figure out my opponent."
    "Nervousness and butterflies should be used in a positive way. Use nervousness to get yourself pumped up before a fight and while you're fighting, give yourself more enthusiasm, more spirit. Release it, don't hold it in. Learn to control it. Don't let it prevent you from doing your technique."

Sport TKD Rooted in Tradition

    The champions from OMAC feel that physical limitations can be overcome and that dedication fosters success. We  can't all qualify for the Olympics, we can't all workout six to eight hours a day, but we can always make improvements in our discipline and dedication--not just Taekwondo, but in life.

    Master Choi is a Taekwondo Master and obviously a great coach. He still participates in demonstrations. His kicks are unbelievably fast and powerful, but his success goes beyond kicking or coaching. His mastery of Taekwondo has helped him to become successful in life and in the business arena.

    "We must constantly try to improve from the moment we are born to the moment we die," said Choi. "If we do not grow, we begin at once to die. It is our obligation as human beings."
 

note: Master Choi has trained 19 world level champions to date, older ones include Greg Fears, Mark Isbister and Danny Jackson, while some newer ones are Heath Watson, Youn Woong Lee and Sterling Gill. Currently, fighters training are Kanto Opma, Adam Patrick, Emil Davitian, Moo Sung Choi, James Kim, Debbie Plasterer and Debbie Green. Oh yeah, there is talk about Danny Jackson coming back for Sydney 2000. Look out if he does!